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Miami
Platja | Cambrils
| Salou
| Tarragona
| Calafell
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Sitges
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Barcelona
| Sant
Pere de Ribes
COSTA DORADA (Golden
Coast)
The coastal part of the Costa Dorada is bathed
in a Mediterranean light of great rarity. It has beaches protected
from the northern winds by the pre-coastal part and whose
finest sand softly enters a sea of clear and shallow waters.
In the summer the average temperature ranges
between a minimum of 21º C and a maximum of 28º
C, with a soft breeze that keeps the atmosphere fresh. The
winters are very mild with clear and sunny days that make
the whole coastal area one of the most favoured places to
spend some unforgettable holidays or live there.
 When
the fine weather arrives in the coastal villages from the
small fishing villages to the large tourist centres, they
become full of life and colours. These things offer the visitors
all that they have dreamt of in a holiday during the rest
of the year.
The inner regions of the Costa Dorada are a
land of contrasts, from the low mountainous area of the pre-coastal
Catalan chain of mountains to the coastal plain that caresses
the sea. Also let us not forget the valley formed by the river
Ebro in the south. This river forms a large delta where it
flows into the sea, the sight is spectacular; there is the
intense green leaves of the hazelnut threes and the grapevines;
the grey of the olive trees and the ochre and brown of the
Cistercian Monasteries; all under a clear blue sky.
The inland areas of the Costa Dorada are a
real paradise for lovers of adventure sports: climbing, hang-gliding,
mountain biking etc. Also for the visitor there is the charm
of the villages that look unchanged with the passage of time
and the people in the street, who always have a welcoming
word for the newcomers.
The Costa Dorada is full of vitality and festivals.
Traditions that have transcended the passage of time have
been handed down to people to display the great cultural wealth
of this region. The foremost of these traditions are the 'Castells'
(human towers), which are difficult to build but beautiful
to see. The 'Castells' are accompanied by the 'Grallers' who
play the 'Gralla' (kind of flageolet), a wind instrument that
is closely connected to the popular Catalan tradition. Another
folk tradition is the 'Diables' (Devils) a spectacle that
combines lights, fireworks, sound and colour.
The annual festive celebrations have
both a religious and rural origin. At this time of the year
the towns and villages of the Costa Dorada decorate their
street, are full of life and parties, and are filled with
people from all over the world. It is at this time there can
be seen the 'Gegants' (Giants), the 'Cap-grossos' (Bigheads),
the 'Ball de Bastons' (Dance of the Sticks), and a diversity
of beasts whose origins are from the different world and time.
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