Golf holidays - Costa Daurada
Perhaps unknown to many, just south of Barcelona lie miles of golden sands lapped by the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea; an area aptly named the Costa Daurada (or 'Costa Dorada' in English): perhaps Spain's biggest holiday secret? There are plenty of high quality Golf Clubs lurking just inland, so it's a great place for golfers too.
The Costa Daurada is alive with places to visit an things to do off the golf course. There are the long sandy beaches for a start and a day trip to Barcelona is another option for a full day of rest. On the historical side there is the amphitheatre and archaeological museum at Tarragona or the impressive two-tier acquaduct at Les Ferreres to investigate along with the Roman villa at Centcelles if you want to delve a little deeper into the past. More light-hearted entertainment is available at the ubiquitous water parks and white-knuckle rides around the province: there's a very large one close to Lumine Golf Club, if you've had an up-and-down round and would like another one?
Where to stay: Port Cambrils or Tarragona?
Along huge tracts of Spanish seaside property development has (sadly) been a little overdone and uncontrolled. However and as ever, there are a couple of little havens between the concrete cities that we have found where a more refined holiday is possible. Our favourites on the Costa Daurada are the ancient town of Tarragona that dates back to Roman times and the much more recently constructed pleasure port of Port Cambrils. These two venues offer contrasting styles of golfbreak, each making an ideal base for a Costa Daurada golf holiday in its own way: more details below to help you choose between ancient or modern.
Costa Daurada golf courses
There is easily enough golf on the Costa Daurada for a good week's holiday and you could add in some of the Barcelona courses too if you really wanted to spoil yourself!
The big draw for golfers are the two (and a half) courses at the Lumine golf complex that really are exceptional. The Lakes course will test your accuracy and patience to the limit: the Hills course will have you marvelling at the imagination of the designer and the Ruins are nine-holes of archaeological fun! Testament to their quality is the frequent visits of the European Tour Qualifying School; if it's good enough for those guys and gals...
A little south of Port Cambrils is Bonmont Golf Club, a private establishment that will will treat you to some fresh mountain air and spectacular views. It as a real treat to play and some of the twists and turns to the layout take abit of getting to know, so you may well find a second round is called for...
The region's 'Old Course' is to be found at Costa Dorada Golf Club and it lives up to its traditional expectations, offering old-fashioned golfing fun in a very un-manufactured style. The layout is a very natural one that makes full use af all the variety that this contoured terrain has to offer.
If you take the drive south, quite a long way into the neighbouring province of Castillon, you will find the Panoramicá golf course. This must be one of Bernhard Langer's finest creations and is a real hidden gem in the middle of vast orange groves.
Where to stay: Port Cambrils
Port Cambrils is one of those Spanish rarities: a restrained seaside resort that has been developed with care and thought. Hats off to Cambrils Council for maintaining the centre of Port Cambrils as an open square and keeping a close eye on the local builders! That is not to say that Port Cambrils is a rustic mariners haunt; it is a modern development that has grown steadily and sympathetically along the seashore, retaining an airy plaça facing the sea in the centre of town. This appealing town centre is backed by low-rise houses and flats; taller stuff is set even further back and limited to just four or five stories - so no eyesores in sight!
Port Cambrils is very popular with yachties and tourists in the Summer months. This means there are all the usual tourist accessories to be found: cafés, bars, shops and plenty of restaurants (with multi-lingual menus). Just everything is a touch classier than in other nearby resorts.
Where to stay: Tarragona
The town of Tarragona on the other hand has been around for a very long time. The Romans were here in the 200s and made it their regional capital 'Tarraco'; vestiges of their settlement are still to be found amongst the narrow streets of the old town and there's a well-preserved amphitheatre too, overlooking the sea right in front of the Husa hotel. There is a contemporary side to Tarragona too, with a couple of wide boulevards full of shops and restaurants where the everyday townsfolk are to be found going about their business. Today it is one of Catalonia's major ports so there is a lot of commerce down below the old town that is perched on its vantage point at the top of the hill. The town does have a small stretch of shingly beach and two marinas (head for the southerly one as the northerly is a little run down).
Tarragona is a haven for foodies too - golfing gourmets will relish it here. The old citadel around the cathedral is composed entirely of narrow lanes crammed with tapas bars and some broad plaças rimmed with restaurants and cafés all serving until late, in the true Spanish style. Tarragona is a relatively small town, so you can find your way around very easily and get out to the golf courses each day without becoming embroiled in huge traffic jams: perfect for golf holidays on the Costa Daurada.
Getting to the Costa Daurada
The Costa Daurada could not be easier to get to with so many flights to Barcelona every day and to the lo-cost airport just outside Tarragona - Reus. From Barcelona it will take less than an hour (depending on traffic) to get to Tarragona and just a little longer to Port Cambrils.
Golf holidays on the Costa Dorada by car
It is also feasible to drive down to the Costa Daurada for your golf holiday. It will take at least one full day behind the wheel travelling across France. The advantage of taking your own car on a golfing holiday is not to be underestimated: electric trolleys, no airport hassles with your golf clubs and you will also be able to bring back more than you would be allowed flying.
Or alternatively if you would rather cruise than drive consider the luxury quasi-liners that slip across the inky blue from Portsmouth to Santander or Plymouth to Bilbao. From either port it's a lovely drive alongside the the Pyrenees to Tarragona (why, you could even take in the delights of Cerdaña en-route).
