Tarragona Itinerary: How To Spend A Perfect Day In Tarragona
Looking for the best things to do in Tarragona? This is my ultimate guide, including a itinerary for how to spend a day in the Catalan city.
Sitting on Spain’s sparkling Mediterranean coast, the city of Tarragona is the Costa Dauarada’s capital - and its best kept secret. Here are the best things to do in the city, including how to spend the day in Tarragona.
Located on the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, travel to the autonomous region of Catalonia is often dominated by the area’s most prominent city: the ever-popular Barcelona, some 62 miles away.
Yet Tarragona is undoubtedly this coast's cultural and cosmopolitan hub, a cooler and far more charming city.
This is partly due to the long history and world heritage status, partly due to the coastal topography; history meets modern city in Tarragona and then rubs shoulders with some of Europe’s finest beaches. The olive groves and vineyards of the Montsant Natural Park are nearby, too, creating an enticing mix of all the ‘best parts’ of the Spanish coast.
And it’s entirely possible to experience it all in a day.
On my visit to Tarragona, I was pleasantly surprised to find the historic centre compact, incredibly walkable, and full of design-led hotels. As such, it’s easy to get around and there’s lots to see along the way.
Wander between pretty plazas to visit centuries-old ruins, amphitheatres, and cathedrals. Or get lost in its narrow, cobbled alleyways, packed with cafes and restaurants serving up delicious seafood dishes.
A city often overlooked in favour of nearby coastal towns or bigger cities, Tarragona is well worth a visit. It buzzes with life from morning to night, busy but never crowded, a lovely mix of locals and discerning travellers seeking a day trip or city break on the golden Costa Daurada coast.
So, here is my guide to spending the perfect day in Tarragona.
Getting to Tarragona
Fly | The closest airport is Reus, a short 15-minute transfer to Tarragona. Direct flights to Reus are available from multiple UK airports and airlines, but I personally recommend Jet2 flights, which include 22kg of hold luggage, 10kg of hand luggage, and transfers.
Jet2 also has a range of Costa Daurada holidays to nearby Cambrils and Salou, and Tarragona is an easy day trip from both resort towns.
Train | Tarragona is an easy day trip from Barcelona. A direct train connects both cities, and the journey takes around an hour. Ticket prices vary drastically depending on the time of day and how far in advance you book but expect to pay around £30 for a return ticket.
Tarragona train station (Camp Tarragona) is located seven miles outside the city and is connected by a regular bus from the station. Taxis are also readily available. It takes around 15 minutes to reach the city centre, so factor this into your timings.
Road trip | Looking to visit the Costa Daurada on a road trip? Combine a trip to this coast with neighbouring Costa Brava for an epic northeast Spanish adventure. Or, as we did, take a campervan further south and explore the gorgeous region of Andalusia.
Where to stay in Tarragona
While this itinerary covers the perfect Tarragona day trip, there’s a lot to see and love in this vibrant city. Alongside Malaga and Ronda, it’s one of my favourite places for a Spanish city break.
So, if you’re looking for a longer break and a boutique Tarragona hotel, my favourites are:
H10 Imperial Tarraco: this is my personal favourite. The rooms are airy and spacious, and balconies have sea views. There are two pools, a roof terrace bar, a gym, and a small spa. Plus, the decor is stylish and sleek. Highly recommend.
Corsini Apartment: a lovely central apartment with three bedrooms, home-from-home amenities, and plaza views. Reviews are excellent.
Apartamentos Astoria: these fully equipped apartments are modern and beautifully decorated, with the perfect location between the beach and the city centre. Highly rated, choose from one or two bedrooms.
Getting around Tarragona
Tarragona is, for the most part, a flat city and the historic centre quite small.
Luckily, most of the main attractions are only a short distance from one another, through a maze of narrow alleys and plazas, and the old quarter is easily walkable.
The port district of El Serrallo, on the other hand, extends around 3km beyond the centre, downhill along the pretty seafront promenade. You can walk or cycle along the Passeig Marítim Rafael Casanova, which takes you there from the centre and gives beautiful views over the beach. Or jump on the bus, which takes around 25 minutes.
Best Tarragona Tours + Activities
Tarragona: Roman Heritage Guided Walking Tour (best for history and expert guidance)
Tarragona: Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt & Tour (best interactive tour)
Tarragona: City Exploration Game and Tour (best self-guided tour)
Tarragona: Cathedral Entry Ticket (best for cathedral queue jump)
From Barcelona: Tarragona & Sitges Full Day Tour with Pickup (best tour from BCN)
A one-day Tarragona itinerary
Morning
Coffee + Balcó del Mediterrani
This city enjoys a slow start to the day, so embrace the Catalan morning coffee ritual and head to Sil Café on Rambla Nova. This is the city’s 150-year-old main street, lined with shops, which buzzes into life much later in the day.
Though quiet first thing, it’s absolutely the best place to start a day in Tarragona. Its unassuming position leads to one of the best viewpoints in the city: the famous ‘Balcó del Mediterrani’.
In this beautiful, pedestrianised boulevard, a canopy of palm trees sway over the tiled pavements, and a curved balcony provides a tantalising glimpse of the coast.
According to local legend, touching the railing around the balcony (‘tocar ferro’) brings good luck…
From here, look out onto the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea with its string of golden beaches. Further down the coast, the port district of El Serrallo and its luxury yachts glimmer in the distance.
Roman Amphitheatre
For those seeking signs of the city’s ancient past, there’s lots of history on offer.
Tarragona was the oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian Peninsula, established in the 3rd century BC. Then, the city was called Tarraco, a major administrative city and port for the Roman Empire.
Today, Tarragona is most famous for its extensive collection of Roman ruins and in 2000 achieved World Heritage status.
Countless historical sites remain, enough to easily occupy an entire morning exploring. The crumbling ruins of walls, viaducts, and towers are scattered throughout the city, often sitting side-by-side with modern residential and business areas.
Some ruins are fragments, little sections of ancient walls that hint of the past.
Others are impressive cultural gems: the theatre that dominates the seafront, the old city gates, the medieval tower, and the grand circus.
So, from the balcony, head first to the ancient Roman Amphitheatre.
These ruins are home to some of the best architectural sights in the city and it would be remiss not to experience this important part of Tarragona’s history. The 2nd century AD theatre held 14,000 spectators in its heyday and was the scene of fights between gladiators and wild beasts and more gruesome public executions.
Tip / this Roman heritage guided walking tour is the best way to experience all of Tarragona’s ruins and learn about its fascinating history.
Tarragona Cathedral
Leave the Roman ruins behind (for now) and head to Part Alta, the old town district of Tarragona and its historic centre.
This is my favourite part of the city, where a maze of narrow alleys meets shaded terraces and pretty plazas.
Pass through the winding streets until you’re on Calle Major (here). This long stretch is one of the straightest streets and a lively place to be in the late morning as shoppers mingle between stores. Be sure to visit Mucca Da Latte Gelato (here) for a sweet treat on way; they serve some of the best ice-cream in the city.
The best part, though, is the view at the end, as the street climbs very gently uphill towards the breathtakingly beautiful Tarragona Cathedral.
Sitting proudly on the city’s highest point, where a Roman temple once stood, Tarragona’s Cathedral is a stunning complex of ornate cloisters, intricate carvings, and grand archways.
Stroll around the 12th-century building to see its towers and spires, and, if you can, visit inside, where the soaring ceiling and stained-glass windows are oh-so-perfect.
The cloister garden is one of the prettiest spots, a lush little haven hidden behind the stone walls.
Tickets / cost £10 per person; buy your tickets in advance here.
Lunch
By now, all this exploring will undoubtedly have worked up an appetite.
There are plenty of restaurants to choose from in Tarragona, most spilling onto busy plazas outside. While many eateries are best described as traditional tapas bars and casual cafes, there are also stylish options combining authentic dishes with exceptional food.
One such gem is El Llagut, a small tavern tucked away in the corner of pretty Plaça del Rei.
Run by a husband-and-wife duo, this unassuming restaurant serves delicious seafood and rice dishes, all paired with wine from the nearby Priorat and Montsant region.
This is a place for a leisurely lunch; sit back and enjoy slow-cooked food on the terrace with the backdrop of ancient ruins and the Spanish sunshine.
For starters, I recommend the mussels and friend artichokes (so moreish), and for the main, the masqueta, a rice dish similar to paella with Romesco peppers and clams. While for dessert, the lemon sorbet is sharp, cold, and refreshing.
Tip / If seafood isn’t your thing, head to nearby Casa Balcells. They serve sharing plates and tapas for lunch and have a mix of meat, veggie, and seafood dishes.
Afternoon
It’s time to leave the historic quarter behind in favour of an afternoon by the sea. And for that, you have two options:
Discover Tarragona’s beach scene, followed by dinner in the city.
Explore the harbour district El Serrallo, followed by dinner in the port.
Which you choose will likely impact where you’ll have sundowners and where you’ll eat, so bear that in mind during your planning.
1. Head to the beach
Our first option is incredibly inviting: an afternoon soaking up the sun on one of Tarragona’s beaches.
Whilst most famous for its history, Tarragona is a seaside city at heart, home to a stunning coastline that runs for some 15km.
Dotted with multiple beaches, the sands around Tarragona are soft and pristine. And though not quite as pretty as the coves of the nearby Salou coast, sun worshippers should still be sure to bring a beach towel.
You can find a complete list here but, for me, the best beaches within easy distance of Tarragona centre are:
Platja Arrabassada
Platja del Miracle
Savinosa Beach (also nudist-friendly)
After a few hours of sunbathing and paddling, it’s time for a refreshing drink. And there is no better option than a glass of vermut.
Tarragona Tapas/Drinks Bars
Similar to vermouth but with more pronounced herby flavours, this is the local’s choice of afternoon aperitif. Served chilled and long (sometimes over ice with a slice of orange), vermut is made from local white grapes and is honestly absolutely delicious.
My advice is to head from the beach back into the old quarter, where the bars, plazas, and terraces buzz with visitors and locals alike by late afternoon.
The best bar, I think, is Tarakon in Plaça del Fòrum (read the reviews here). It serves glasses of vermut and small plates on a very pretty terrace near the cathedral.
Equally brilliant, especially for wine lovers, are these Tarragona bars:
Espaivi (reviews here)
Lola Bistro (reviews here)
El Tamboret (reviews here)
Each is modern and cute in equal measures, with moreish sharing plates, brilliant local wines, and a lively vibe.
Tip / A word of warning on vermut: do be careful. Dangerously drinkable, it is also deceptively potent, as this traveller can attest to!
Suitably refreshed, if you have the appetite for a little more sightseeing, take a stroll through the 1st-century Roman Circus.
Built for chariot racing, much of the walls, gateways, and tunnels are still intact today.
The best part, though, is the roof terrace (avoid the thousands of stairs and take the elevator), especially at sunset. Golden hour, with views over the city and Cathedral, is stunning, and was one of my favourite experiences in Tarragona.
With evening fast approaching, it’s time to experience more of Tarragona’s incredible food scene.
Retrace your steps to the Cathedral where you’ll find Casa Balcells, an incredible Mediterranean restaurant serving sharing plates, tapas, paella, and traditional Catalan cuisine.
The food here is some of the best I’ve eaten in my travels across Spain, whilst the cathedral view from their outdoor terrace and upstairs restaurant is gorgeous.
2. El Serrallo harbour district
Your second option for the afternoon is the harbour district of El Serrallo, one of the biggest ports in Europe - a good 2km/30-minute walk - from Tarragona’s centre.
Personally, I’d recommend a stroll along the wonderfully named Passeig Marítim Rafael Casanova promenade that links the centre with the port. As you wander, you’ll have panoramic views over the bright blue Med and its sandy beaches as you make your way from the bustling centre to the harbour.
However, there is a local bus if you’re all walked out.
El Serrallo is a colourful district, situated on the water’s edge.
With a long history as a fishing port, these days, fishing boats mingle with luxury yachts in the harbour, and around the marina are hotels, bars, and eateries. Yet El Serrallo retains its authentic character - still a working port, the day’s catch is brought in here before heading to market.
Spend a chilled afternoon wandering around the harbour and take in the wonderful sea views of the gently lapping Med. Make your way past its pastel-hued buildings as you head towards the roof terrace of Selvático Beach Club for sundowners (the cocktails here are pretty special).
By the time the sun sets, the port starts to get lively, and it’s time for dinner.
As you might expect, seafood is king in El Serrallo, and there are plenty of eateries to choose from. My top pick, however, is waterfront El Posit, a restaurant with an impressive seafood menu that includes delicious fried anchovies, cod fritters, oysters, and monkfish stew with romesco sauce.
There are plenty of meaty options too, including roasted pork ribs (a big portion and highly recommended by a few members of our group) and Iberian ham croquettes.
How much time do I need in Tarragona?
The burning question - is a day in Tarragona enough?
The short answer is yes, and it’s possible to see the best parts of the city in a day. And if you’re staying in nearby BCN or the resort towns like Salou, I highly recommend a day trip to Tarragona. Just be sure to give yourself plenty of sightseeing time.
However, Tarragona is also perfect for a city break or long weekend.
A slower, less-crowded, charming alternative to Barcelona, spend a long weekend here. Slowly explore the winding streets and Roman sites and indulge in Tarragona’s booming foodie scene. Plus, with extra time you’ll also be able to explore mountaintop village Siurana and the Priorate wineries.
No matter how much time you have, be sure to add Tarragona to your Spain ‘must-visit’ list.
Disclaimer: my trip to Tarragona was kindly provided by Jet2Holidays and Costa Daurada Tourist Board. However, all opinions are my own, based on my genuine experiences. There are also affiliate links in this post, but I only link to experiences I truly believe will enhance your visit to Tarragona.
