Better than Salou or Lloret del Mar. Lloret de Mar or Salou: which is better to choose?

Lloret de Mar and Salou are two pretty popular resorts near Barcelona. In terms of popularity among Russian tourists the leader is the city of Salou, but Lloret de Mar rightfully takes second place after this resort. Therefore, it is not so easy to immediately determine which is better to choose - Lloret de Mar or Salou. We will try to compare these 2 resorts to help you choose the most suitable holiday destination.

I will say right away that Lloret de Mar is a good base for group excursions to France. From here you can go on excursions:

Lloret de Mar or Salou: location and transport
The city of Lloret de Mar is located noticeably closer to Barcelona than Salou, but in both cases the capital of Catalonia can be reached without problems by public transport. But still, in terms of location, we personally prefer the city of Lloret de Mar, since next to it there are such interesting resorts as Calella, Blanes, Tossa de Mar, Santa Susanna, as well as the city of Girona, which has its own airport and is connected by direct transport links to cities in France.
In addition, we prefer the surroundings of the city of Lloret de Mar, which is surrounded by beautiful forests and picturesque beaches and coves.

Hotels in Lloret de Mar or Salou
You will find a wider choice of hotels in the city of Salou. Lloret de Mar has only a couple of dozen decent hotels, while Salou offers several times more options for accommodation. In general, the nature of the hotels in both cities is quite similar - these are small hotels, intended mainly for spending the night, changing clothes, having breakfast and relaxing by the pool.
However, it is worth remembering that some cheap hotels in Lloret de Mar can be filled with noisy young people.

Lloret de Mar or Salou: beaches
It seems to us that the beaches of the city of Lloret de Mar are more beautiful, which, in addition to the two main beaches, has several picturesque bays located nearby. However, Salou offers long and wide beaches that are great for families with children. In addition, the sand grain size on the beaches of Salou is noticeably smaller than on the beaches of Lloret de Mar. It is worth noting that the beaches of Lloret de Mar and Salou are quite well equipped with various amenities.

Lloret de Mar or Salou: holidays with children
If you are going on holiday to Spain with children, then it seems to us that you should choose the city of Salou. Still, it is a calmer city with excellent beaches. But the most important thing is that next to this city there is a wonderful amusement park called Port Aventura, which is considered one of the best of its kind in all of Europe. In addition, this city has several shopping centers and other places where you can go with children.
As for the city of Lloret de Mar, it is also quite suitable for families with children, since in the vicinity of the city there is a water park, a dolphinarium, a gnome park, a cat museum and other interesting places. But still, a large number of young people are unlikely to please those people who decided to spend a relaxing holiday with the whole family.

Lloret de Mar or Salou nightlife
In respect of nightlife The best, of course, is the city of Lloret de Mar, which is literally littered with nightclubs. Lloret de Mar is a desirable destination for many clubbers. There are more than a dozen famous nightclubs and several dozen bars open until late at night or early in the morning.
Salou also has a few nightclubs, but overall the atmosphere at night is less noisy than Lloret de Mar.

Lloret de Mar or Salou: excursions
If your main purpose of traveling to Spain is to visit interesting places and sightseeing, then you'd better go to Lloret de Mar. Although Salou also has many interesting places and is a good Starting point for excursions, after all, Lloret de Mar and its surroundings offer much more interesting sights. In addition, next to Lloret de Mar is the city of Girona, from which you can travel to French cities such as Paris Marseille, Cannes and Nice.

From all that has been said above, it follows that Lloret de Mar is best suited for active young people and for those people who want to devote their holiday to sightseeing. If your goal is a beach holiday or a holiday with children, then the best place for you will most likely be the city of Salou.

We have selected for you 10 cities that are deservedly popular among tourists and local residents.

An ideal place for lovers of a relaxing holiday and families with children: there are three large sandy beaches and few noisy discos. True, the sea may not be warm enough for children, because the Costa Brava is the coolest coast.

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For those who prioritize swimming and sunbathing, the beaches of Mar Gran, Mar Menuda and El Codolar await you. During the season, they are all filled to capacity with vacationers, but you can rent a boat and move to one of secluded coves, of which there are plenty in the vicinity of the resort.

The main attraction is the Vila Vella fortress, built in the 12th century to protect against pirates. Inside is the Museu Municipal - one of the best art museums Spain. The collection is diverse: from Roman mosaics to Chagall paintings.

How to get there? The resort is 105 kilometers from Barcelona Airport. The only way to quickly cover this distance is to take a taxi (about €100), to save money, you can first get to Barça, from there take the train to Blanes, and then transfer to a bus going through Lloret de Mar (you will spend 2-2.5 on the way hours, spending about €10 on tickets).

Lloret de Mar is a universal resort; families with children, party-goers and elderly people relax here with equal pleasure. One of the reasons for its popularity is great beaches. The longest of them is Lloret (1.5 kilometers), Santa Cristina, protected by two hills, has the calmest sea, Boadella is recognized as the most picturesque.

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The best place for a stroll is the Santa Clotilde Gardens, designed in the Italian Renaissance style. Other interesting sights include the Castle of Sant Joan, the former Benedictine monastery of Sant Pere del Bosc, the Church of Sant'Roman and the Maritime Museum.

How to get there? The resort is 90 kilometers from Barcelona airport. An economical option is a bus (ticket price from €15), but you need to take into account that it does not run at night. Most quick way to get to - take a taxi, but such a pleasure will cost about €150).

Suitable for families with children, marked with the Family Tourism Destination sign. The local beaches meet international standards of cleanliness, are equipped with everything necessary, and have children's facilities. playgrounds and clubs for kids. The main city beach is Llevant, also close to the center are Ponent and Capellans, and Llarga beach is located a little further. If you're traveling without small children, it's worth getting outside the city and visiting one of the wild beaches located in bays.

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Be sure to take the time to visit PortAventura World, considered one of the best amusement parks in Europe: PortAventura Park with attractions, Caribe Aquatic Park and theme park Ferrari Land. Another interesting attraction is the lighthouse, along the way to which there are 3 observation platforms.

How to get there? The resort is located 110 kilometers from. You can get from the airport to Salou in 2-2.5 hours by bus; a ticket costs about €15 one way. The second option is to come to Barcelona Sants train station and take the high-speed train to Salou. The journey will take you about an hour, tickets can be purchased for €15.

Tarragona was the capital of Tarraconian Spain; in memory of those times, many interesting architectural sights have been preserved, included in the list World Heritage UNESCO. This resort is famous for its golden sand beaches, its festivals and national holidays celebrated on a grand scale, as well as delicious Catalan cuisine.

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The best beaches of Tarragona: Del Miracle, De L’arrabassada and Dels Capellans; nudists relax on De La Savinosa, Fonda and De La Roca Plana.

An excellent vantage point overlooking the sea, the city and the ancient amphitheater is called the Balcó del Mediterrani (Mediterranean Balcony). Other interesting sights: Roman Forum, Cathedral, Archaeological Promenade, Castellarnau Palace, Canals Mansion, Balsells House - you can. In the vicinity of the city, it is worth seeing the Poblet monastery, the Castell de Tamarit castle and the Les Ferreres aqueduct, which locals nicknamed the Devil's Bridge.

How to get there? The resort is located 100 kilometers from Barcelona. From El Prat airport you can get to Tarragona in an hour by bus (€15). From Barcelona Sants train station high speed trains, which will take you to your place in half an hour (€40).

Excellent beaches + a lot of interesting sights - this is the secret of popularity.

The best beaches Urbanova and Postiguet are considered. But here’s why it’s worth leaving them for a while and going for a walk: the Santa Barbara fortress, the MACA Museum of Contemporary Art, whose collection includes paintings by Dali and Picasso, the Explanada de España alley, the Mercado Central market, Cathedral St. Nicholas, Gothic Basilica of St. Mary, city hall building.

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How to get there? Most convenient option- buy air tickets directly to Alicante, without having to fly to Barcelona or other cities with transfers to trains or buses.

The resort is popular among Russian-speaking tourists, and among its permanent residents there are about 3,000 of our former compatriots (this is the largest diaspora in Spain). You can forget about the language barrier - in Torrevieja, magazines and newspapers are sold in Russian, there are Russian-language TV channels and cinemas.

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The climate of Torrevieja is also attractive: it never gets too hot here (average air temperature in summer is +25 °C). The sun shines 320 days a year, and it does not rain for more than two days in a row.

The main beach of the resort is La Cura. It is small, only 375 meters long and 20 meters wide, so during the season it is difficult to find free space. Los Naufragos is another popular sandy beach, awarded " Blue flag"for cleanliness. It is ideal for families with children: you can hide from the sun under the palm trees and there is a water park. In the southern part of the resort there are small picturesque beaches of Ferris and Piteras, which are chosen by snorkeling enthusiasts.

On the outskirts of the city there is the famous lake Salada de Torrevieja, the water of which turns pink in the rays of the setting sun. By medicinal properties water and mud, it is similar to the Dead Sea in Israel. Not far from Torrevieja there is an interesting National Park Molino del Agua.

How to get there? Nearest international Airport located in Alicante. From there there are buses that will take you to your place in 50 minutes and €7.

The most party resort of the beach and the beachiest of the party resorts in Spain! It is often called the “Spanish Las Vegas” for its abundance of clubs, bars, casinos and discos. There is also the name “Spanish New York” - there are many skyscrapers in the city (the record holder is Gran Bali, whose height is 210 meters).

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The beaches are recognized as one of the best not only in the country, but throughout Mediterranean coast. The two most popular, located in the central part of the resort: Levante and Poniente, between them, in a quiet bay, lies small Malpas. There is an observation deck on the cliff separating the two largest beaches.

Benidorm is called their Mecca not only by fans of noisy parties, but also by fans aquatic species sports In particular, the resort is considered one of the leading diving destinations in the country: in addition clear water and the wide variety of its inhabitants is facilitated by the abundance of schools of any level and equipment rental points.

The most interesting sights of the Old Town: the Church of St. Jaime, the Iberian settlement of Tossal de Cala, the ruins of the Torre Morales Escaletes tower. Discos and nightclubs are concentrated on the promenade and outside the resort - on Avenida Comunidad Valenciana. There are many similar establishments in the vicinity of Levante beach.

How to get there? The nearest international airport is near Alicante. A taxi from the airport to Benidorm will cost you about €65, a bus ticket costs about €7.

This city has retained the spirit of a typical fishing village, which it was not so long ago. This foundation is layered with the features of many cultures, because a quarter of the population of Fuengirola are foreigners, most of them from Argentina, Morocco and Scandinavian countries. The resort attracts lovers of comfortable beach holiday, hiking and picturesque landscapes.

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The beaches of Fuengirola are considered one of the best in Spain, they constantly receive the Blue Flag for cleanliness. The resort's coastline stretches for 7 kilometers and bears the proud title of “the king of the Spanish sea promenade.” The seven main beaches are: El Ejido, Santa Amalia, San Francisco, Los Boliches, Torreblanca, Las Gaviotas and Carvajal.

Recently, Spanish resorts have been gaining more and more popularity among our compatriots. The secret of this popularity is simple: Spain offers relatively inexpensive options recreation, while being a European country, with European foundations and concepts of security. At the same time, in addition to exclusively beach holidays with all its components, Spain also offers excellent opportunities for cultural recreation.

One of the most popular destinations- this is Barcelona and resort coasts, surrounding the city. Among the numerous offers travel companies dominated by Lloret de Mar and Salou. Thanks to an extensive base of hotels cooperating with tour operators, these two cities are also the most affordable places to stay.

Lloret de Mar is located north of Barcelona, ​​on the Costa Brava, and Salou is almost the same distance, but to the south, on the Costa Dorada. Which coast do you prefer?

First of all, it should be noted that, in addition to Salou and Lloret de Mar, both of these Spanish resorts offer many other, more private, thanks to the lack of mass tourism, towns and coasts. However, if you still prefer popular places, where there is always a lot of movement and life, where you will not be bored, and where there are more tourists than local residents, then Salou and Lloret de Mar are quite suitable.

If we talk about transport, you can easily and conveniently get to both Lloret de Mar and Salou from the airport by ordering a transfer in Barcelona. In the future, you will be able to travel to Barcelona by public transport. There are trains and buses from Salou to the Catalan capital. You can get from Lloret de Mar by bus, which will cost a little more than the train, or by train, but with a transfer through the neighboring town of Blanes.

Considering the infrastructure, it is impossible to single out one of the two resorts. Both Salou and Lloret de Mar have a developed network of entertainment venues. Both cities have many tourist shops, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and shops. There are playgrounds, pharmacies and spa hotels.

Both Salou and Lloret de Mar offer excellent summer opportunities sports recreation. On the coast there are diving clubs, yacht centers and surfing centers.

Also, speaking about the resorts of Costa Brava and Costa Dorada, one cannot fail to mention the quality of the beaches. Both Salou and Lloret de Mar have clean, spacious sandy beaches, provided with everything necessary for a comfortable beach holiday. However, Lloret de Mar, like the entire northern coast of Catalonia, boasts an unusually bright and beautiful coastline. Ancient fortresses on the rocks, green vegetation and pretty bays serve as an extraordinary decoration of the resort.

Salou, for its part, attracts the attention of tourists with the nearby Port Aventura amusement park. This largest park Spain, representing excellent opportunities for family vacation. Most tourists vacationing in Barcelona and its environs strive to get to Port Aventura. Lloret de Mar also has amusement parks and centers are a water park, a botanical garden, a dolphinarium.

When it comes to cultural opportunities, the entire Catalan region is of historical interest. Near Salou there are Tarragona, Reus, Sitges, cities that will be interesting to visit during excursions. Lloret de Mar and others resort towns- descendants of ancient settlements, in which museums, fortresses and castles are still preserved and delight the eyes of tourists. In addition, you can easily and conveniently travel to Barcelona.

Whatever resort you choose, excursions in Barcelona are a mandatory part of your summer program.

I have been to Salou twice - in September 2011 and in July 2013. It is a small resort town, in normal times the population is about 30,000 people, in the season - about 300,000

The resort offers holidays for every taste - wide sandy beaches, an excellent promenade for walking, singing fountains in the evenings, many cafes and clubs. Also from Salou you can get to Barcelona (2 hours by bus), Port Avetura amusement park (15 minutes) and other parts of Spain.

There is an excellent company in Salou, Bus Plana, which organizes inexpensive excursions in Russian (sometimes 1.5-2 times cheaper than Russian tour operators like Natalie Tours). They have several ticket sales points, and employees often sell excursions directly at bus stops.

I liked Salou more than Lloret de Mar, which I visited in 2012. Main advantages:

1. In Salou there are sandy beaches and a gentle slope into the sea, while in Lloret de Mar there are small pebbles and a rather steep slope, after 5 meters it is no longer possible to reach the bottom.

2. The proximity of Salou to Port Aventura (only 20 minutes, it takes 3 hours to get from Lorret de Mar).

I recommend everyone to visit this amusement park. Even if you don’t like the rides themselves, everything is very beautiful there, you can walk or watch themed performances (cowboy show, bubble show, etc.) Also in the park there is the Shambhala ride - the tallest roller coaster in Europe.

It was scary, but we still rode it. This is an experience of a lifetime!!!

We stayed both times at Best Mediterraneo 3*, a good option in terms of price-quality ratio.

We were in Salou on several excursions and went to Barcelona. Below are photos from Montserrat.

And this is the view while climbing the mountain.

We did not ignore the vineyards of Torres, a famous world wine producer.

Most Russian-speaking tourists prefer to holiday in Spain at the resorts of the Costa Brava and Costa Dorada. But these two tourist region are seriously different from each other, as they offer completely different holidays.

Holidays in the Costa Brava will be more enjoyable for those who cannot sit still. Museums, natural views, architectural monuments, proximity to Barcelona’s attractions - you can’t do it all in a week!

Costa Dorada, on the contrary, is aimed at the “lazy” tourist and young parents. The latter will definitely like the gentle entrance to the sea and the proximity of one of the largest amusement parks in the world, Port Aventura.

Content

Comparison of pros and cons

Location of coasts on the map

Costa Brava

Main resorts:

The Costa Brava (meaning “wild rocky coast” in Spanish) is part of the Balearic Sea coast north of Barcelona. Officially, its borders start from the city of Blanes and end at the Spanish-French border.

The only “own” airport of the Costa Brava is in Girona, but 98% of tourists fly to Barcelona and get to the resorts using public transport or transfers.

Costa Dorada

Costa Dorada is located in the province of Tarragona, in the northeastern part of Spain. The "Golden Coast", as this coast is often called because of the golden color of the sand, stretches from Tarragona to Barcelona.

Main resorts:

Climatic features

Costa Brava

Lloret, Blanes and Tossa De Mar are always a couple of degrees cooler. It is influenced by the mountains and the cold current that comes here from Gibraltar. The water takes a little longer to warm up, so the swimming season begins only at the end of June and ends at the end of September.

Majestic cliffs, densely covered with mighty pines and firs, secluded bays and snow-white beaches. You won’t find anything like this in other regions, so for those who love beautiful views For hiking, we recommend staying in the north.

Costa Dorada

Costa Dorada has a slightly milder and warmer climate. Thanks to its southern location, it receives less rain from the Pyrenees. Swimming season here it starts earlier and ends a little later. Therefore, in June and October it is better to relax in Salou or Tarragona.

Since the entrance to the sea is shallow, the water also warms up much better than in the resorts of the Costa Brava. And the sand here is finer, so it sticks better and kids like it. There is so much entertainment here that neither kids nor amateurs will be bored. active rest and thrills.

The resort infrastructure is growing and improving every year. There are many more hotels with animation and food that our tourist is used to. The same applies to nightclubs, noisy discos and entertainment centers.

Major resorts

Costa Brava

Perhaps the brightest and busy resort region is considered to be former Trading port, now a paradise for vacationers - . Nightclubs and discos for every taste, British bars, beach attractions and noisy party life - everything is created for a carefree youth holiday.

An excellent vacation spot is. 3-kilometer golden beach, picturesque bays, medieval buildings, botanical gardens and wonderful nature create an atmosphere of comfort. Also, trains to Barcelona run constantly from here.

From northern resorts just a stone's throw away south coast France. By renting a car, you can easily reach Nice and the Principality of Monaco in 6 hours. And good transport links to Barcelona will give you the opportunity to get to know these beautiful city and its attractions.

Costa Dorada

Tarragona Cathedral is a majestic building built in the 12th century. In the temple you can see sculptures of the 12 apostles, Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. The cathedral is active, so in addition to its architecture, it is also notable for the fact that it allows you to plunge into the local religion.

Excursions to the Roman Amphitheater, to the castles of Vilavortuni, Miravet, Siurana and others will not only be educational, but also very interesting for both children and adults.

The main place of entertainment and an outstanding attraction of all Spanish coast It is considered to be a real city of attractions, large-scale colorful shows, celebration and joy.

Why is the Costa Dorada more expensive than the Costa Brava?

There are several reasons for slightly higher prices:

1. More chain hotels offering food
2. Higher demand with the same supply
3. Weather