Somewhere for the weekend... Tarragona

WHY GO NOW?

WHY GO NOW?

Until now, the elegant Catalan city of Tarragona, the most important Roman town in Spain, has been eclipsed as a weekend destination by its larger neighbour, Barcelona, an hour up the Mediterranean coast. Now, Ryanair's new route to Reus makes it an accessible and attractive place for a short break - a combination of cultural attractions and Mediterranean landscapes.

DOWN PAYMENT

Ryanair (0871 246 0000, www.ryanair.com) begins its twice-daily flights between Stansted and Reus tomorrow. Flights this weekend are available for around £85 return. Since Tarragona is only 10 miles from Reus airport, a taxi is worth considering; expect to pay around €15 (£11). A bus connection to Tarragona is likely to be laid on, for a fare of about €5 (£3.50), but at the time of going to press details had not been confirmed.

INSTANT BRIEFING

Most of Tarragona's Roman and medieval remains are contained within or close to the walls of the old city, which were built about 200 years before the birth of Christ. Outside the walls are two main thoroughfares, the Rambla Vella and the Rambla Nova, and this combined area, the upper part of town, is where visitors to Tarragona spend most of their time.

There are also some attractive beaches, within the city itself and stretching for several miles to the east. The old fishing quarter, Serallo, was established in the 19th century and is worth visiting for its fish restaurants. It lies along the seafront beyond the two railway stations, a short taxi ride from the Rambla Nova. The railway buildings have cut it off from the rest of the city and allowed it to retain a village feel.

The main tourist office is at Carrer Major 39 (00 34 977 250 795), just before the steps to the cathedral. It is open 10am-2pm and 4pm-7pm from Monday to Saturday and 10am-2pm on Sundays.

REST ASSURED

The best hotel in town, for its location as well as its facilities, is the Imperial Tarraco at Passeig Palmeres (00 34 977 23 30 40, www.husa.es). It is poised above the beach and the Roman amphitheatre, with excellent views from every balcony. Double rooms start at €77 (£54) and singles at €71 (£49) including breakfast.

Set slightly back from the beach at Via Augusta 95-97, and with a lovely swimming pool for use in warmer weather, is the Hotel Astari (00 34 977 23 69 00), where doubles are €63 (£44) and singles €51 (£35); breakfast is an extra €6.10 (£4).

The Hotel Lauria is well-positioned at Rambla Nova 20 (00 34 977 236 712, www.hlauria.es), a block from the observation balcony that overlooks the Mediterranean; it has doubles at €58 (£40), singles at €40 (£28), with breakfast an additional €5.50 (£4).

If you don't mind being on the edge of the main attractions, there are stylish facilities at the Hotel Ciutat de Tarragona at Placa Imperial Tarraco 5 (00 34 977 25 09 99, www.sbhotels.es), where doubles start at €78 (£54) and singles at €62 (£43) including breakfast.

At the other end of the financial scale, and right in the heart of the old city, the Hostal Forum at Placa de la Font 39 (00 34 977 231 718) has doubles at €32 (£22) and singles at €18 (£13).

MUST SEE

Tarragona was occupied by the Romans three centuries before the birth of Christ, and many of their monuments remain. Most impressive of those within the city itself is the amphitheatre, just outside the walls and built into the curve of the hillside close to the beach. It is open 9am-5pm from Tuesday to Saturday and 10am-3pm on Sundays; entrance costs €1.94 (£1.35), although it is possible to get an excellent view from the road at the side without paying the entrance fee.

When they were built, the city walls were more than two miles long, but only half a mile of them remains. The fortifications encircle a number of Roman remains, which in many cases have been completely eclipsed by the modern city. One of these is the Circus, where chariot races regularly took place. The underground passages of the Circus are worth exploring, and are accessible from the History Museum, housed in the adjoining Praetorium Tower (open 9am-7pm from Tuesday to Saturday and 10am-3pm on Sundays, admission €1.94/£1.35).

The Archaeology Museum is next to the Tower at Placa del Rei 5 (00 34 977 23 62 09, www.mnat.es), and contains an interesting selection of mosaics, statues and artefacts found in and around the city. It opens 10am-1.30pm and 4pm-7pm from Tuesday to Saturday and 10am-2pm on Sundays; the admission charge of €2.40 (£1.70) is waived on Tuesdays. The entrance ticket for this museum will also get you into the Necropolis Paleocristians at Avenida Ramon y Cajal 84 (00 34 977 21 11 75, www.mnat.es), although at the moment the main collection is undergoing restoration, and the small photographic exhibition that there is may be of limited interest. Much more satisfying is a trip out to the Aqueducte de les Ferreres: take bus 5 from Placa Imperial Tarraco, get off just after the motorway bridge, and take a short walk to the aqueduct.

Tarragona's old city is dominated by the cathedral. Entrance is through the cloisters at the back, and costs €2.40 (£1.70); the ticket includes access to the cloisters and museum as well as the cathedral itself, between 10am and 5pm. From 16 November, the cathedral will only open 10am-1.45pm from Monday to Saturday. Worshippers may slip in through the front door between 9.30am and 10am, while Mass is being celebrated in one of the side chapels, and enjoy a view of the building in the half-light, without the distraction of other visitors.

There is an interesting walk around the north side of the city, between the old Roman walls and those built by the British in 1707 during the Spanish War of Succession. For such a scenic promenade, it has sadly short opening hours: 9am-5pm from Tuesday to Saturday and 10am-3pm on Sundays, admission €1.94 (£1.35).

MUST BUY

The best area for browsing is in the streets between the Ramblas, especially Via August; most of the area is pedestrianised and the shops stay open well into the evening. For a large choice of shops under one roof, there is a modern shopping complex, Parc Central, off Avinguda de Roma, just beyond the Parc de la Ciutat, a 20-minute walk from the city centre. It contains a hypermarket and several cafés, as well as most of the best-known Spanish fashion stores, and is open 10am-10pm from Monday to Saturday and noon-2am on Sundays. There is also an impressive food market at the Mercat Central on Placa Corsini (8am-2pm daily except Sundays).

MUST EAT

For a typical dish, look out for romesco sauce: a mixture of olive oil, garlic, almonds and wine, often served with fish. Unsurprisingly, the best area for the very freshest fish - and the paellas and rice dishes that are also typical of the region - is Serallo.

There are also plenty of restaurants in the old city: for the largest concentration in a single place go to Placa de la Font. The choice includes cafés such as Mistral (00 34 977 23 72 22), tapas bars such as Jeronimo (00 34 977 25 30 46) and La Penya (00 34 977 23 99 20), and more formal restaurants such as El Pigot (00 34 977 21 77 66).

INTO THE NIGHT

Tarragona is not the liveliest city after dark, at least outside the summer tourist season, but the most popular meeting spot is the area around the pleasure port. Here there are a number of bars, including the popular Meson del Mar, where the locals are likely to be found drinking late into the night. More late-night entertainment is found in the bars along Pau de Protectorate; but don't turn up too early or the place will be deserted and the shutters still closed.

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