Guide to Costa Dorada

Beaches

If 'busy doing nothing' is your holiday mantra, you'll love it here. Sandy beaches lasso the coastline. Blue seas nuzzle the shore. And dozens of rocky coves hem the cliffs.

Salou's long golden sweep is by far and away the most popular beach hangout. Washed by clear, shallow waters this Blue Flag winner is a real hit with families and in the height of summer is packed out with holidaymakers. It's backed by a lovely palm-lined promenade and offers up plenty in the way of facilities – sunbeds, showers, watersports, the works. And at one end there's even a fairground.

The beach at Cambrils also deserves a mention. Extending for nine kilometres, you'll never have to worry about finding a spot all to yourself here. Likewise in La Pineda. At two and half kilometres long, it's not short on space. Running alongside the beach there's the Passeig de Pau Casals – get an ice-cream and flip-flop your way along this attractive wood-decked prom.

Sitges, meanwhile, has more beaches than it knows what to do with. Along the main drag there are eight to choose from. Behind the Atlantida disco you've got a further four. There's another couple beside the marina. And just for good measure, there's one tucked behind the church. You get the picture. Some of the beaches are reserved for gay sun-seekers. And if you're after a tan minus the spaghetti strap marks, Sitges has got two nudist strips, as well.

Completing this sandy show is Barcelona where you can team up some sightseeing with some chill out time on the beach. Take your pick from Nova Icaria, Bogatell, Mar Bella and Barceloneta.

Eating out

• 'Caters for all tastes' is one of those phrases that gets bandied around quite a lot. But the Costa Dorada can actually live up to the claim. From chorizo to chips – and everything in between - the choice here is infinite. Take Salou, for example. While it does have a good clutch of tapas bars and authentic Spanish restaurants, it's more geared up to British palettes. You're just as likely to see toad-in-the-hole as you are paella here. And there's plenty in the way of fast food joints, too. For something a little more traditional though, Cambrils is the place to head. It's still a working fishing port and each evening small, brightly-coloured fishing boats weigh anchor in the harbour as fishermen bring ashore their catch of the day. A lot of this straight-from-the-net fish ends up in the local restaurants baked in salt, lightly grilled or transformed into lip-smacking specialities like 'suquet' – a Catalan fish stew. The town's seafood restaurants are revered throughout Catalonia and the Spanish flock here to sample the culinary creations – a good advert if ever there was one. It's the same story up in Sitges. The glass-fronted restaurants along the seafront prom are always packed with Spaniards tucking into steaming plates of paella. If fish isn't your thing, give 'butifarra' or 'fuet' sausages a whirl. Often served with white beans, they're Catalan favourites. If rustic fare doesn't do it for you, Barcelona's chock-full of sophisticated, cutting-edge eateries that wear their Michelin stars with pride. So that's foodies sorted. Wine buffs, meanwhile, will be pleased to know that this is 'Penedes' country, the home of sparkling 'cava'. What's more some big name vintners are based here, including the Torres and Cordoniu estates.
  
  
• Old Brown Cow, Salou From fish'n'chips to roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, this well established Brit-pub offers up a real taste of home.
  
  
• Can Bosch, Cambrils Arguably the best restaurant in Cambrils, it's quite pricey but well worth the experience.
  
  
• Casa Gatell, Cambrils One of the top seafood restaurants on the coast offering up outstanding fresh fish, shellfish and rice dishes.
  
  
• Bar Coimbra, Tarragona A favourite with the locals, this traditional tapas bar serves up all the classics like 'jamon Serrano' and 'patatas bravas'.
  
  
• Alkimia, Barcelona For an avant-garde twist on traditional Catalan cooking, check out this chi-chi Michelin-starred number.

Nightlife

• Together with beaches, nights out are what the Costa Dorada does best. All happy hours and neon lights, Salou comes into its own after dark. The liveliest of all the resorts, its main street is packed with British-style pubs, karaoke bars and discos.
  
  La Pineda is lots of fun, too. A long strip of disco bars and cafes runs parallel to the beach, and for hardcore clubbers there's Pacha, a super-club at the edge of town.
  
  The port, down in Tarragona, is another party playground. By day the port area is nothing to write home about. However, arrive by night and you'll see it in its gladrags. Full of funky Spanish bars and glam drinking dens, it's a real hit with locals and weekends in particular are a blast with things kicking off at about one or two in the morning.
  
  Of course, you can always turn the cosmopolitan cheek on the more boisterous resorts and head to Barcelona. Standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of London and Berlin, it's one of Europe's great party cities. Sink a Martini or two down at Port Vell's Maremagnum centre – a shopping mall that bizarrely transforms into a bevy of smart bars, cafes and nightclubs come sundown. Or join the Bohemian brigade in the Barri Gotic old quarter.
  
  The L'Eixample district, meanwhile, is home to a thriving gay scene, as is the resort of Sitges with its bubbly collection of bars, discos and drag queen shows. If all that sounds a bit too much though, then give Cambrils a try – you'll be tripping over dinky little tapas bars and cosy restaurants down every back street.
  
  
• Bar 007, Salou Watch the big-screen sports or grab the karaoke mic and have your X-Factor moment.
  
  
• Pacha, La Pineda All go-go dancers, lasers and foam parties, this is the Costa Dorada's premier super-club.
  
  
• La Fabula, Tarragona Get with the locals at this very Spanish bar-come-disco down in the port area of town.
  
  
• Parrot Bar, Sitges The starting point for many on a night out, make the most of the happy hour at this wonderfully kitsch gay bar.
  
  
• Razzmatazz, Barcelona The mother of all Barcelona clubs, it's spread over five rooms and plays everything from techno to punk.

Shopping

Beach balls. Lilos. Sun-cream. Salou has got bucket and spade shops on tap. It's also got its fair share of perfumeries, electrical stores and cheap leather shops.

But if you want to take it up a notch on the shopping front, jump on the bus into Tarragona. The main street, La Rambla Nova, is packed with exclusive Spanish boutiques where you can spend an indecent amount of time trying on posh togs and shoes.

You'll also find a large shopping mall and hypermarket on the outskirts of the city. Reus is another good bet shopping-wise. Make a beeline for the quarter known as El Tomb de Reus in the centre of town. Much of it is pedestrianised and the streets are lined with clothes shops and coffee houses.

But for the ultimate retail therapy one place stands head and shoulders above the rest – Barcelona. With about 35,000 to its name, it's a shopoholic's dream come true. Don't miss the famous five kilometre-long shopping line which stretches from Las Ramblas all the way up to the Avenue Diagonal. Jump on the Tombus – a special service that runs up and down this extravaganza of a shopping route – and you'll pass by big names like Armani, Versace and Cartier.

For an altogether different shopping experience, wander down to the Gothic quarter where you'll stumble upon gorgeous little antique shops, galleries and ephemera dens. Or maybe take in La Boqueria, Barcelona's best-known market. It launches an all out assault on your senses from the moment you arrive. There are stalls piled high with zesty oranges and lemons. Still-moving crabs and lobsters. And animated traders left, right and centre.

But you don't have to go all the way to Barcelona for a great market. Every Wednesday, Cambrils stages a market in the old town which draws crowds from far and wide. And there's one in La Pineda and Salou, too. From underwear to fake designer handbags, you'll find all sorts up for grabs.

One last shopping tip. If you're prepared to get up early in the morning - and we do mean early – there are tour buses running up to Andorra. A tiny principality in the mountains, it's a duty-free haven. Perfect if you want to stock up on spirits and smokes.