Salou in General

Advantages: Sun, Sea, Shops, Sand, Beautiful Backdrop of mountains
Disadvantages: Noisy, especially at night!

...We have been to Salou before and there are lots of things that I remember, but the bulk of this review will be written on a notepad while I am away and typed up when I get back. Find below bits taken from my notes. Where is it then? A friend of mine guessed Greece! I always thought her geography was loads better than mine. Salou is in Spain. About 50 kilometres south west of Barcelona, on the Costa Dorada. What sort of place is it? A huge tourist ...
...years ago we went to Salou and stayed in a noisy hotel about two kilometres outside the centre. The hotel food was pretty awful and apart from having it's own little beach right on the doorstep (literally) we were sorely disappointed. Having said that, and probably because of that, we went out a lot and had the best holiday we had had for a long time. This year, we have had a busy time, with family living with us, and a new grandson here as well, ... Read review

Advantages: Cheap, Hot, Port Adventura, Short transfer
Disadvantages: Commercialised, Bit rowdy in places

Salou is the biggest resort and rightly claims to be the capital of the Costa Dorada, Spain. Costa Dorada which means 'Golden Coast' (very apt) refers to the 150 miles of golden sands which run south of Barcelona to the ancient city of Tarragona. Costa Dorada isn't as hot or as popular as the Costa Blanca or the Costa Del Sol and indeed isn't as exclusive as the Costa Brava but that does have it's advantages because it has a lot to offer. ¬Location¬ ...
...hours). The harbour end of Salou is where the old town of Salou lies and that is the quiter end whereas the other end is the new town and here you will find most of the shops, bars and clubs. ¬Climate and beaches¬ Salou's main beach is four miles long with further quiter beaches and coves just around the headlands. They all face to the south-east and that is why the beaches are so warm and golden. The resort is also protected inland by the Catalunyan ... Read review

Advantages: Port Aventura, Aquopolis, proximity to Barcelona
Disadvantages: Unattractive high rise accommodation, High road tolls

Friends of ours suggested Salou for this years vacation primarily because of the presence of Port Aventura, the only Universal studios site in Europe. Resorts include: SALOU, a tight knit and rapidly growing area of high rise hotels, cheap tacky gift shops, bars and restaurants, very busy and not my idea of a pleasant holiday, although I would recommend Champions bar to anyone visiting, particularly if they like quizzes and raucous entertainment ...
...Season from La Pineda into Salou at a cost of 680pta (c£3.50) for 2 adults, 2 kids into Salou, a taxi (usually air-conditioned) 1300ptas (c£5.50) for the return journey if you can't cope with the long queues and sweaty bodies on the local bus service. La Pineda is also home to Aquopolis a fabulous water park hosting a range of fun rides and swimming pools including wave machine, crazy golf, childrens play area, numerous eateries at reasonable prices ... Read review

Advantages: Salou, Port Aventura (the best European theme park), Tarragona, Cambrils, 1 hour to Barcelona
Disadvantages: Disadvantages?????

...facilities. ### Ok, but Salou is a SPANISH CITY, isn’t it??? ### Many people, especially the British, think that Spain is only ONE nation, but they (you) are wrong. Catalonia is a different nation (Independentists say Catalonia is not Spain) and we have a political autonomy. - "The Generalitat is the institution in which the self-government of Catalonia is politically organised. The Generalitat's powers are designated by the Constitution (Spanish ...
...Statute of Catalonia.- ~Is Salou a Spanish city? -Yes, it is- or -No, it isn’t- (Both answers are right) ~Is Salou a Catalan city? Yes, it is, of course. (The best answer ;-D) ### Well, but you speak Spanish, don’t you??? ### Yes, we do. I speak Catalan (my mother tongue), Spanish, some English (I must apologise for my English) and German. Under the Spanish Constitution, the Catalan language and two languages more (Galician and Basque) are official ... Read review

Advantages: Cheap, Sunny Lots to do
Disadvantages: None

...ample for your general needs. Salou itself is a lovely town with a gorgeous, long sandy beach. There are plently of facilities at the beach itself; peddle-boat hire, sun-bed and parasol hire, toilets, showers, volleyball nets, gym, ice-cream vendors and even a funfair which is open until late at night. There are plenty of shops and stalls in the town which are definately aimed at the tourist market; watch out for religious figurines in a sea-shell!! ...
...is a must. Beyond, Salou itself, there is ample public transport facilities to allow you to explore the region. Buses in the area are both frequent and reasonably priced; so much so that I really wouldn't bother hiring a car to come here. The nearby city of Tarragona makes for a good day out with its Roman Ampitheatre (for all you 'Gladiator' fans) and old town, and takes just 20 mins by bus to get there from Salou centre. Barcelona is also a must ... Read review

Advantages: modern, friendly staff, excellent food
Disadvantages: maids were not very efficient, lifts took forever

...was great value. Visiting Port Aventura is a must if you are in Salou. It is a great day out for all the family - the big and little kids! The choice is rides is also very balanced from scary (Dragon Khan - 8 loops) to soft kiddy rides. I would recommend you wear soft and comfortable shoes because if you stay to watch the show at midnight then you will be walking an awful lot. We actually got blisters the next day which were very painful! We had visited Salou once before, so we knew the general area - it is a very touristy area but that also means there is so much to do there - lots of shops, ice cream places, bars and restaurants. The last time we visited the euro had yet to be issued so it was much cheaper but Salou is still value for money especially as we were half board. If you offered a day trip to Andorra it is lovely, we went... Read review

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Advantages: Cheap, value for money and good if you hate flying
Disadvantages: Lengthy journey, don't expect 4* luxury

...- I don't know if they are still using the same place, if so, it looks a bit of a Greasy Joe Cafe, but the food is edible and the toilet facilities are clean. Arrival at resort relies on location and traffic. For Lloret, Calella, Blanes or Malgrat arrival is normally about 8.30-9am, for Salou, closer to lunchtime. Be prepared for a wait for your room - we have found from experience that rooms generally aren't ready for you until after 2pm, given that the previous occupants will only recently have vacated them - again, a little forethought and preparation can make a lot of difference here - we pack our swimwear, towel and sun creams on the top of our suitcase so that we can access them easily and go and wait around the pool or beach in comfort. If you have an apartment booked, you will be asked for a £50 deposit, which is refundable... Read review

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