Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
no language barriers |
| Disadvantages: |
not to everyones taste |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Salou is situated in the Costa Dorada region of mainland Spain.It is roughly a two and a half hour flight from most uk airports or alternatively a day and a half from central britain on a coach. The resort is served by Reus airport,from which it is roughly a 20 minute transfer to resort.
The airport is small and dingy and is surrounded by a petro-chemical plant. First impressions will not be good,but dont let it worry you . As we reached the baggage carousel, just as tempers were getting frayed, a person in a Woody Woodpecker outfit appeared and calmed all the squalking kids down.
THE TOWN
If you are looking for a taste of real
Spain then you are probably better going elsewhere as a strong British influence prevails throughout the Town. From the main beach the main "strip" runs through the Town on a gentle incline.Many British bars can be found here,along with restaurants,souvenir shops and quite a few apartment blocks.There is much more to
Salou than the main strip though,with restaurants and bars down countless backstreets.
SHOPPING
All the usual Spanish tacky stuff is here,plastic bulls,knock off Barcelona shirts and beach towels. Alcohol from the shops is a very reasonable price, as are the cigarettes.If buying cigarettes in large quantities the tobacconists nearest to the main beach will sometimes give you free extras,such as sports bags or radios .Vendors in some of the souvenir shops can be a bit pushy if they see you brousing.. Dont put up with it. Walk out and buy your stuff elsewhere. Cash machines are located all over the town. They accept all major cards and the instructions will come up in English. Be careful in the newsagents with your kids. Unlike the UK the Spanish do not place pornographic magazines on the top shelves.
FOOD AND DRINK
Where do i start ! There are literally hundreds of restaurants here catering for most tastes . English food,Indian,Chinese, burger bars (yes,there is a mac donalds) Italian and Spanish .There are far too many British pubs to mention,needless to say you will never be further away than 100 metres from one . Local beers are San Miguel, Mahou and Estrella . All are good and are cheaper than the imported stuff .
ACCOMODATION
There is a vast array of appartments and hotels availiable but choose carefully. A lot of the accomodation in the middle of the town is VERY noisy. Also, high rise blocks on either side of the streets face each other so dont expect much privicy . Dont let your
travel agent let you believe Cap Salou is the same resort. it is not, its 2 miles away !
BEACHES
We found two beaches within walking distance of most of the hotels. The main beach is very large and sandy. The sea is very shallow . If a child gets lost the local Police have a loudspeaker system on the beach which describes the childs appearance in about 5 different languages.This can be very reassuring if your little uns wander off . The quieter beach is further north. just as nice but without the speakers . Sunbeds are availiable on both beaches and watersports are plentiful
AROUND AND ABOUT
Port Aventura is the main Theme park that brings people here and it does not disapoint . lots of rides and shows to suit all ages and the queues are small.
Two water parks compete around the resort. Costa Caribe is next to Port Aventura. The rides are good but it can get very busy. Aquapolis is a short bus ride away . It has a free Dolphin show and is less busy but the rides are older .
very helpful
helpful
helpful
