- Pine grove
- How to get to the cheapest resorts in Spain
- La Pineda beaches
- Water park and other entertainment
No wonder the Costa Dorada in Spanish means "golden coast". And this is not only about the sand of all shades of the precious metal, generously covering the local beaches. Millions of tourists visit the Gold Coast every year, because holidays in the cheapest resorts in Spain can be no worse than on private expensive beaches or on islands owned by movie stars.
Spain for the Russian tourist is a paradise in all respects. Firstly, you don't have to fly far, and secondly, the local cuisine is very attractive, and the wines are not inferior to French or Italian wines. Many hotels in local resorts operate on an "all inclusive" system, and the infrastructure of cities is clearly "sharpened" for tourist needs. If we add here the rather loyal attitude of the Spaniards to the issue of issuing visas to Russian citizens and the rich opportunities for the excursion component of the vacation, rest in Spanish inexpensive resorts turns out to be useful, profitable and very attractive.
Pine grove
The Mediterranean resort of La Pineda is located in Catalonia near Tarragona and 100 km from Barcelona. Its name comes from the Spanish word "el pino" - "pine", because the town really was once buried in pine groves. Today La Pineda has four beaches, dozens of hotels and restaurants and many interesting tourist routes in the surrounding area, offered by local companies to foreign guests.
Experts consider the resort one of the cheapest in Spain and the most suitable for families with children of all ages. The beaches of La Pineda differ from others in the Costa Brava with their particularly gentle entrance to the water, shallow sea off the coast and an earlier onset of the swimming season relative to neighboring resorts. All conditions for recreation have been created for young vacationers on the coast. Children's clubs are open along the sea and shallow pools are built, where the little ones can splash around for their pleasure under the supervision of animators. Cafes and restaurants in La Pineda have in their menus dishes prepared according to the wishes of children's nutritionists, and in most hotels there is a babysitting service.
How to get to the cheapest resorts in Spain
La Pineda and the entire Costa Brava are located close to Barcelona and the international airport of the capital of Catalonia should be chosen as a destination when looking for flights:
- You can get from Moscow to Barcelona both directly and with connections. It often happens that the second option is significantly cheaper than the direct option.
- Direct regular flights from the Russian capital to Barcelona airport are operated by Ural Airlines, Iberia and Aeroflot. High season round trip ticket prices are 250, 270 and 300 respectively.
- In order to fly away cheaper, you can use the services of other carriers that make flights from Moscow to Barcelona with connections. For example, Air Baltic or Air Moldova are ready to take you to the Mediterranean Sea, with transfers in Riga and Chisinau, respectively, for only 220 euros.
- A direct flight takes 4.5 hours, a connecting flight depends on the route and the duration of the transfer.
From the airport to the city you will be quickly and inexpensively delivered by suburban trains departing from the platform, access to which is right in Terminal 2. Passenger buses also leave for the city from 6 am to 1 am. The cost of train and bus tickets is approximately 5 euros.
You can get from Barcelona to La Pineda by bus, taxi or train (15, 120 and 30 euros, respectively).
La Pineda beaches
The resort officially has four beaches, each of which has all the necessary infrastructure for a comfortable and pleasant stay.
Playa de la Pineda has managed to preserve areas of the natural landscape of the Mediterranean coast of Catalonia. The infrastructure is represented by changing rooms, cafes, children's playgrounds. You can rent a sun lounger and an umbrella. The length of the beach is about 2.5 km.
The continuation of this beach is Playa de Els Prats. Residents of nearby complexes prefer to relax here, including many Russian tourists who rent apartments in this area of the resort. Hotels have been built on the border of the beach, and the center of the recreation area is replete with cafes, restaurants and playgrounds. You can hide from the heat in a small green park with benches for rest.
The central beach is located opposite the main street of the city. It is most visited by locals and especially by youth companies.
Playa del Raco, the cleanest beach in La Pineda, has been awarded the European Blue Flag award for its commitment to ecology and environmental sustainability. There is a small diving site here, but as elsewhere in the Mediterranean Sea, diving on this beach is interesting only for beginners.
Water park and other entertainment
On the central street of the most inexpensive Spanish resort on the Costa Dorada, a water park has been built, which occupies the first lines in the ranking of similar structures in the region. It is called "Aquapolis" and in its arsenal there is a large swimming pool with artificial waves, three-tiered and vertical water slides, a special play area for the little ones and several cafes and restaurants. A special pride of the organizers is the dolphinarium, where the smartest marine mammals on the planet stage a show every day.
Not far from the neighboring resort of Salou is the most visited amusement park in Europe, Port Aventura, which can be reached from La Pineda by a special tourist bus.
