Hola! If you’re looking for a quiet escape from the hustling and bustling streets of Barcelona, Tarragona is waiting for you with open arms. From many Roman ruins and the medieval old town to stunning beaches and gripping events – Tarragona has it all, and even more. It’s a haven for history buffs, a place where history comes to life at its best and surrounds you wherever you go. Are you curious and want to learn more? Keep reading and discover the best things to do in Tarragona, Spain.
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Tarragona, Spain FAQ
Tarragona is a Spanish coastal city located in Catalonia in the Province of Tarragona on Costa Dorada. It’s about 95km from Barcelona, 250km from Valencia, and only a few kilometres from popular holiday destinations like Salou or Cambrils.
Tarragona is one of the most interesting places to visit in Catalonia. Whether you are into history, architecture, culture, food, lying on the beach, or outdoor activities, you’ll find something for yourself here. Tarragona is a city with character and a great vibe that will keep you entertained. Also, the crowds are smaller and prices are more affordable than in Barcelona!
Tarragona is best known for being home to numerous Roman ruins. In 2000, the city was awarded a UNESCO World Heritage site for its archaeological legacy. Tarragona is also renowned for its charming medieval old town topped with Cathedral, and intriguing festival featuring human towers.
Tarragona is a perfect destination for a day trip, nice weekends, and even a home base for longer stays to slowly discover Catalonia. Without rushing, you’ll be able to explore all the main landmarks in just a few hours. But if you want to experience Tarragona even better, we recommend staying for at least 3 days.
Short history of Tarragona
Tarragona has a long and rich history. Everything started in 218 BC when a Roman colony known as Tarraco was founded and transformed into an important Roman stronghold. Various ruins (like an amphitheater, walls, racing track, or aqueduct) that we can nowadays admire in Tarragona come exactly from this period.
Visigoths captured Terraco after the fall of the Roman Empire in 475. In 714 Moors conquered the city and it became an important border city of the Caliphate of Córdoba up until 1013. Later it belonged to the Crown of Aragon and finally to the Spanish Empire.
Things to do in Tarragona, Spain
Roman Amphitheater
The amphitheater is one of the must-see city landmarks and undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Tarragona. It’s located in a nice spot right by the Mediterranean Sea, and is one of the best-preserved Roman amphitheaters in Spain. It dates back to the 2nd century BC when Emperor Hadrianus ordered the building of an arena for gladiator fights, hunts, and merciless public executions. The Amphitheater could fit a crowd of up to 15k bloodthirsty spectators from Tarraco.
The amphitheater is well visible from nearby Parc del Miracle and adjacent streets. But if you want to see it closer, you can visit it too. Entrance costs €5 for a normal ticket, €2.5 for a reduced one, and is free for children under 12 years old. (August 2026). For current prices and opening hours, visit the tarragona.cat website.
Tarragona Old Town streets
Another of the best things to do in Tarragona is exploring its beautiful old town, locally known as Upper Town or Part Alta. It’s a lovely maze of narrow streets and squares lined with restaurants, tapas bars, and cafes. It’s a perfect place to just wander around without a map, discovering all its secrets. Part Alta is the highest part of the city and also the oldest. We think that that’s exactly the place where Tarragona’s character comes out to shine.
At its heart and highest point, you’ll find the Cathedral and Pla de la Seu square. Plaça de la Font is the biggest and busiest square, featuring a Town Hall and many restaurants and bars with outdoor terraces. Other nice squares in Tarragona Old Town include Plaça del Fòrum and Plaça del Rei.
Our favorite place in Tarragona Old Town is Plaça dels Sedassos square. There, you’ll find a huge mural on the façade of the central building, created by painter Carles Arola.
Do you want to admire more street art? Head to Carrer d’en Mediona and also visit some small artists workshops. There’s also a peculiar Carrer de Comte, known as Pillon Street, with a colorful array of painted pylons.
Other places of interest in Tarragona Old Town, about which we’ll write more later, include the National Archaeological Museum, Circ Romà, and the Roman Walls.
Rambla Nova street & Mediterranean Balcony
Rambla Nova is about 1km long main street in Tarragona, stretching from Plaça Imperial Tàrraco square to the Mediterranean Balcony. It divides the historical center from modern areas. Rambla Nova is lined with trees, monuments, fountains, restaurants, cafes, and many beautiful historical buildings. It’s also a place where you’ll find the city’s largest concentration of modern shops.
“Monument als Castellers” is a sculpture that deserves probably the most attention. This bronze life-size sculpture shows dozens of people forming a traditional Catalan human tower.
At the end of Rambla Nova, you’ll find a lovely viewpoint, Mediterranean Balcony (es. Balcó del Mediterrani). From it, you can admire views over the sea, port, train tracks, and Tarragona town beach named Playa El Miracle.
Unfortunately, the Mediterranean Balcony didn’t make much of an impression on us. Probably because we were expecting something similar to spectacular views from a Benidorm viewpoint with the same name? But we can totally get why many people consider visiting this viewpoint as one of the best things to do in Tarragona!
Tarragona Cathedral
At the highest point in the Tarragona Old Town, you’ll find the Cathedral. It’s a Roman Catholic Church that was built between the 12th and 14th centuries in Romanesque and Gothic styles. Its highlights include a large rose window above the front entrance and a 70m bell tower. The cathedral has been a National Monument since 1905.
It stands on the site which was previously occupied by a Roman temple dedicated to Augustus, a Visigoths cathedral, and a Muslim mosque. Such a popular place! And today, visiting it is still one of the best things to do in Tarragona.
In the cloister of the Cathedral, you’ll find the Diocesan Museum showcasing the church’s art treasures like religious paintings, sculptures, and silver. It also features a beautiful garden, perfect for a short, peaceful escape.
Entrance to Tarragona Cathedral and Diocesan Museum costs €12.5 for adults, and €8.5 for children (August 2026). For current prices, opening hours and online tickets visit catedraldetarragona.com website.
Roman Circus
Roman Circus (es. Circ Romà de Tarragona) are the ruins of a 1st-century track used for horse and chariot races. In its heyday, the track measured 325 by 115 meters, and its stands could fit 30k spectators. Nowadays you can visit only a small part of this enormous track, but some of the original structure still remains hidden under old 19th-century buildings. Many consider Roman Circus to be one of the best-preserved circuses in the world.
Entrance costs €5 for all (August 2026). For current prices and opening hours visit tarragonaturisme.cat website.
National Archaeological Museum
National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona is located right next to the Roman Circus, and just a few steps from the Amphitheater. Inside, you’ll learn about Roman history, and discover many excavations and archaeological gems from that period, like sculptures, mosaics, ceramics, ancient clothing, and old coins.
Currently, the Archaeological Museum is closed for renovations (August 2026). In the meantime, you can see a selection of its best pieces at the Tinglado 4 (Shed 4) in the Port of Tarragona. For the latest opening information check out mnat.cat website.
Roman Wall of Tarragona
Back in time, since the 2nd century BC, the Roman city of Tarraco was fortified by the wall. It ran for about 3.5km and initially was made from stones, wood, and earth. Later all of that was replaced by megaliths and reinforced with towers, 3 of which are still standing today. Nowadays, the best-preserved section is roughly 1km long and borders Tarragona Old Town from the north. It’s called the Archaeological Promenade (es. Passeig Arqueologic) and can be walked along.
Entrance to Roman Wall costs €5 for all (August 2026). For current prices and opening hours visit tarragonaturisme.cat website.
More Roman ruins in Tarragona
If you’re a real history buff, you’ll be glad to know that there are even more Roman ruins and sites in Tarragona! Those are for example: Local or Colony Forum (MHT), The Ferreres Aqueduct, Paleochristian Museum and Necropolis, Provincial Forum, or Roman Theatre. To learn more about each of them visit tarragonaturisme.cat website.
El Serrallo neighborhood
Are you looking for one of the most unique things to do in Tarragona? We got you! Move away from Roman Ruins and direct your steps to the El Serrallo neighborhood, an old fishing village located only about 20 minutes on foot from Playa El Miracle.
There, stroll among colorful buildings, experience the flavors of freshly caught seafood in one of many restaurants, and gaze at the shiny yacht in its busy port. If you need a quieter time in Tarragona, that’s an ideal place.
Tarragona beaches
Spending some time on a beach is one of the most relaxing things to do in Tarragona, especially during the summertime. The city boasts 15km of coastline with beautiful beaches featuring fine, golden sand. Tarragona beaches are also known for their mild slope, which sometimes allows walking out in the water up to 200 meters from the beach line.
Playa El Miracle is the main Tarragona beach, located right below the Amphitheater. It’s busy, loud and without any spectacular views.
For a better beach experience, it’s best to move east. There you’ll find beaches located in more natural settings like Platja Arrabassada, Platja Llarga, Platja dels Capellans, or Platja de Tamarit. If you’d like to leave your clothes behind you, head to Cala Fonda or Platja Savinosa where you’ll find nudist sections.
Tamarit Castle & Platja de Tamarit
Finally, we cannot fail to mention our favorite place in Tarragona – Tamarit Castle and its surroundings. It stole our hearts in a heartbeat. The area is located only about 15km from city center, and it’s best to get there by car but you can also take a bus. Visiting is totally one of the coolest things to do in Tarragona, and you don’t want to miss it.
Tamarit Castle (es. Castell de Tamarit) was built in the 12th century and contains both defensive and residential elements like a prison, watchtowers, and a Romanesque church. It looks really spectacular against the setting of azure sea waters. Unfortunately, Tamarit Castle cannot be visited, unless you plan to organize a wedding or a business event there.
On both sides of the castle, you’ll find beaches. Cala Jovera is smaller and more private. Platja de Tamarit is long and wide, filled with golden sand. Both beaches provide excellent views over the castle and the surroundings. It’s an ideal place to spend the day away from the city.
Tarragona Human Towers
Human towers, locally known as castells, is the most popular cultural tradition in Tarragona that has been practiced for more than 300 years. And it originated in Tarragona! What is it about? Large groups of people in matching outfits (Castellers) construct impressive multi-level human towers. Towers usually reach 6-10 levels, depending on the strength of the team, and are crowned with the smallest and youngest participants.
You can see this unique event at some festivals and local events. The most popular one is called Concurs de Castells and takes place every two years in October in Tarraco Arena. For sure, it’s one of the most unique things to do in Tarragona, so if you only get a chance to see it, don’t miss it.
How to get to Tarragona, Spain?
Tarragona is located about 20km from Salou, 10km from Reus or Cambrils, and 100km from Barcelona. The most convenient way to get to the city is by car, bus, or train.
Where to park in Tarragona?
If you’re traveling by car, you can choose from many parking lots in town. We recommend leaving a car in this parking lot right under Rambla Nova, located only about 15 minutes on foot from the Mediterranean Balcony and 20 minutes from Cathedral.
To Tarragona by bus
You can easily reach Tarragona by bus. For example, a trip from Salou will take about 30 minutes, 20 minutes from Reus, and 1h 45minutes from Barcelona. To learn more about bus connections that might interest you visit rome2rio.com website.
To Tarragona by train
From some places like Girona, Barcelona, Salou, or Castellon de la Plana you can also easily get to Tarragona by train. You can check out a map of available train connections on the acprail.com website.
To Tarragona by taxi
The most expensive option, but also the fastest one if you care about time. For example, a trip from Cambrils will cost about €50 and about €35 from Salou. To learn more about taxi connections that interest you visit rome2rio.com website.
Camping in Tarragona
If you’re traveling by camper, campings like Camping Las Salinas, Las Palmeras Camping, or Tamarit Beach Resort might interest you. All are located near Tarragona.
Explore local attractions
Things to do in Tarragona, Spain – Summing up
Rich history, many well-preserved Roman ruins, archeological sites, charming old town, nice beaches… There are so many amazing things to do in Tarragona and for sure no one will be bored here. For history lovers, it’s without a doubt one of the best destinations in Spain. Those who want to escape bustling streets of Barcelona also will be delighted here. We hope you found our guide useful and you’ll have an amazing time in the city, choosing the best attraction for yourself.
Our travel video from Tarragona
Our opinion about Tarragona
For us, a visit to Tarragona was a day trip from Salou where we lived for a few weeks. We visited it in mid-June and during that time the city was still fairly quiet, without many tourists. Exploring everything we wanted took us about 6 hours.
Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Tarragona. What we liked most was slowly strolling among its old town streets and squares – they had such a great vibe! But… Tamarit Castle and beach stole the show for us and that’s the part of Tarragona we’ll remember the longest.
What we didn’t like about Tarragona? To be honest, nothing in particular comes to mind right now!
Restaurants, accommodations, and map
Check out various recommended places below.
Where to eat in Tarragona?
Here are your best, high-rated options in Tarragona:
