Salou
Encyclopedia
Salou is a municipality of the comarca of Tarragonès
, in the province of Tarragona
, in Catalonia
, Spain. The city is approximately 10km from Tarragona
and Reus
on the Costa Daurada and 112km from Barcelona
. Aside from its string of beaches interrupted by rocky coves, and its landscaped promenade, one of its main attractions is the PortAventura
resort, formerly owned by Universal Parks & Resorts
, the theme park division of NBCUniversal. Salou was home to a permanent fairground at the end of the Passeig Jaume I promenade until its demise back in 2001; the ferris wheel was its major attraction. The Dutch movie Costa!
and the television series with the same title were both filmed in Salou.
, it appeared again in an important historic event, when in 1229 the fleet of James I of Aragon
departed from the port of Salou to conquer the Balearic islands
, thus creating the Kingdom of Majorca
and in 1286 Alfons III of Aragon also departed from this port to conquer Minorca
, the last muslim
territory of the Balearic Islands
. Later, Salou became a nest of pirates. After that it was considered an unsafe place, so in 1530 Archbishop of Tarragona
decided to erect a new defence tower, now called Torre Vella. In 1865 the railway station began to operate, opening a new development time, that led one hundred years later to a tourist boom that has brought prosperity to the town. Salou was segregated from Vila-seca
on 30 October 1989 by a decision of the Supreme Court of Spain
.
is a growing theme park resort on the Costa Daurada. The resort includes luxury four star accommodation, a major theme park, PortAventura Aquatic Park and a convention centre. The theme park's main attractions are the Dragon Khan
, a massive B&M
mega-looper, Furius Baco
, which is one of the fastest roller coasters in Europe and The Hurricane Condor a tall falling tower ride which is 100 meters tall. The park also has a grand multi-media show, called the FiestaAventura, every night between the end of June and the end of August in which fireworks, fountains and parade-esque floats feature.
and the south course was designed by green project. The facilities consist of two clubhouses, a beach club, Lumine restaurant, Hoyo 19 restaurant, a pro shop, rental services and a golf school. In the future the area surrounding the golf course will turn into a community with six residential areas and services that include two five star hotels, a sports area and the International School of Salou that will cater for up to 1200 students as part of the Lumine community.
.
s. Watersports, rentals and trips can be arranged on the Llevant Beach.
of the World Rally Championship. In 2011 the round was held on October 20-23. Salou has also held vollyball championships, soccer tournaments, a triathlon and many other competitive sports.
Saloufest is the University sports festival which takes place on two separate occasions in April on an annual basis. The festival is infamous for its wild nature as it was widely reported throughout the local and British media for the students drunken behaviour. In 2011 the festival brought 5.5 million euros into the local economy. The festival includes DJ's and party's at the neighbouring resort's nightclub called Pacha
.
In the future the local government is expected to position Salou as a sport tourism destination and therefore will promote different projects that include first class facilities to provide the city with the necessary resources to become a tourist destination that attracts visitors of reference, especially in low season. They have announced a project that will feature swimming pools, football fields and tennis courts.
Salou is the sub-site for the 2017 Mediterranean Games
for sports such as sailing
.
(which it is connected to by a regular bus service) followed by Barcelona. Reus Airport is mainly served by the low cost airline Ryanair
. The major charter airlines from the Britain
use Reus throughout the summer as a gateway to the Costa Daurada. The airport mainly serves domestic, British and Irish destinations, but other European destinations are also served.
. The destinations from Salou include major cities in Catalonia
such as Tarragona
and Barcelona
as well as a train to the major city of Valencia.
company that serves the area called Plana Bus to destinations such as Cambrils
, La Pineda, Port Aventura, Reus
, Tarragona
and Barcelona
.
services throughout the area including taxi ranks in locations such as opposite the Font lluminosa, Cap Salou and Reus Airport.
Tarragonès
Tarragonès is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain. It is one of the three comarques formed in the 1936 comarcal division of Camp de Tarragona. It lies on the Mediterranean coast, between the comarques of Baix Penedès to the northeast and Baix Camp to the south. Over 60% of the population live in the...
, in the province of Tarragona
Tarragona (province)
Tarragona is a province of eastern Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. It is bordered by the provinces of Castellón, Teruel, Zaragoza, Lleida, Barcelona, and the Mediterranean Sea....
, in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain. The city is approximately 10km from Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
and Reus
Reus
Reus is the capital of the comarca of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The area has always been an important producer of wines and spirits, and gained continental importance at the time of the Phylloxera plague...
on the Costa Daurada and 112km from Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. Aside from its string of beaches interrupted by rocky coves, and its landscaped promenade, one of its main attractions is the PortAventura
PortAventura
PortAventura is a theme park and a resort in Salou, Catalonia, Spain; on the Costa Daurada , approximately an hour drive south of Barcelona. It attracts around 3 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in Spain. PortAventura Park is also the 6th most visited theme park in...
resort, formerly owned by Universal Parks & Resorts
Universal Parks & Resorts
Universal Parks and Resorts is the theme park division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group and General Electric. The division is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the various Universal Studios resort properties around the world...
, the theme park division of NBCUniversal. Salou was home to a permanent fairground at the end of the Passeig Jaume I promenade until its demise back in 2001; the ferris wheel was its major attraction. The Dutch movie Costa!
Costa!
Costa! is a 2001 Dutch film from BNN. It was the first movie that used several famous Dutch soap stars. Other movies that used soap actors, were Volle maan and Honeyz. The television series with the same title was based on the movie. It had the same cast members...
and the television series with the same title were both filmed in Salou.
History
Used as a port by Greeks (who named it Salauris) and RomansRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, it appeared again in an important historic event, when in 1229 the fleet of James I of Aragon
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
departed from the port of Salou to conquer the Balearic islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
, thus creating the Kingdom of Majorca
Kingdom of Majorca
The Kingdom of Majorca was founded by James I of Aragon, also known as James The Conqueror. After the death of his first-born son Alfonso, a will was written in 1262 which created the kingdom in order to cede it to his son James...
and in 1286 Alfons III of Aragon also departed from this port to conquer Minorca
Minorca
Min Orca or Menorca is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. It takes its name from being smaller than the nearby island of Majorca....
, the last muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
territory of the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
. Later, Salou became a nest of pirates. After that it was considered an unsafe place, so in 1530 Archbishop of Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
decided to erect a new defence tower, now called Torre Vella. In 1865 the railway station began to operate, opening a new development time, that led one hundred years later to a tourist boom that has brought prosperity to the town. Salou was segregated from Vila-seca
Vila-seca
Vila-seca is a municipality of the comarca of Tarragonès, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The historical name was Vila-seca de Solcina and since the 80's known as Vila-seca i Salou until Salou was segregated from Vila-seca on 1989, however the municipality includes the urban...
on 30 October 1989 by a decision of the Supreme Court of Spain
Supreme Court of Spain
The Supreme Court of Spain is the highest court in Spain for all matters not pertaining to the Spanish Constitution. The court which meets in the Convent of the Salesas Reales in Madrid, consists of a president and an indeterminate number of magistrates appointed to the five chambers of the...
.
Historic Buildings and Monuments
- Santa Maria del Mar church
- Torre Vella
- Harbour Masters Office
- Catalan Farmhouse
- Monument Jaume I
- Font lluminosa
- Cybernetic Fountains
- Monument to the fisherman
- Old Carrilet "Railway Station"
PortAventura Resort
PortAventuraPortAventura
PortAventura is a theme park and a resort in Salou, Catalonia, Spain; on the Costa Daurada , approximately an hour drive south of Barcelona. It attracts around 3 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in Spain. PortAventura Park is also the 6th most visited theme park in...
is a growing theme park resort on the Costa Daurada. The resort includes luxury four star accommodation, a major theme park, PortAventura Aquatic Park and a convention centre. The theme park's main attractions are the Dragon Khan
Dragon Khan
Dragon Khan is a steel sit-down roller coaster located in the PortAventura theme park in Salou, Catalonia, Spain. Dragon Khan boasts eight inversions; which was a world record until the opening of the ten-loop Colossus in Thorpe Park, United Kingdom in 2002...
, a massive B&M
Bolliger & Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
mega-looper, Furius Baco
Furius Baco
Furius Baco is a hydraulically-launched steel Wing Rider roller coaster located at PortAventura in Salou, Catalonia. Manufactured by Intamin, the ride opened on June 5, 2007 as the 2nd fastest roller coaster in Europe at 83.9 mph, which the ride reaches in 3.5 seconds...
, which is one of the fastest roller coasters in Europe and The Hurricane Condor a tall falling tower ride which is 100 meters tall. The park also has a grand multi-media show, called the FiestaAventura, every night between the end of June and the end of August in which fireworks, fountains and parade-esque floats feature.
Lumine Mediterranea Beach & Golf Community
Lumine Golf Club, Salou (formerly known as PortAventura golf). There are three courses, which are north, south and central. North and central were designed by Greg NormanGreg Norman
Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s...
and the south course was designed by green project. The facilities consist of two clubhouses, a beach club, Lumine restaurant, Hoyo 19 restaurant, a pro shop, rental services and a golf school. In the future the area surrounding the golf course will turn into a community with six residential areas and services that include two five star hotels, a sports area and the International School of Salou that will cater for up to 1200 students as part of the Lumine community.
Teatre Auditori de Salou
The Auditorium Theatre of Salou (Teatre Auditori de Salou) is an important part of the local community in terms of cultural and leisure in the municipality. The theatre plays local events such as political, school and cultural events and has also welcomed famous musicians to the area such as Sergio DalmaSergio Dalma
Sergio Dalma is a Spanish pop singer. He was born as Josep Sergi Capdevila Querol on September 28, 1964 in Sabadell .-Professional career:...
.
Beaches
The Salou Promenade (Passeig Jaume I) is one of the most beautiful landmarks of Salou, and it runs right along the coast adjacent to the Llevant Beach, the biggest beach in the town, although other beaches include Platja de Ponent, Platja dels Capellans, Platja Llarga and Cala Crancs. Salou has 34 Blue Flag beachBlue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
s. Watersports, rentals and trips can be arranged on the Llevant Beach.
Sport Tourism
Salou is used as the base for the Catalunyan roundRally Catalunya
The Rally Catalunya is a rally competition on the World Rally Championship schedule. Now held on the wide, smooth and sweeping asphalt roads around the town of Salou, Catalonia, Spain, it was previously held around the region of Costa Brava...
of the World Rally Championship. In 2011 the round was held on October 20-23. Salou has also held vollyball championships, soccer tournaments, a triathlon and many other competitive sports.
Saloufest is the University sports festival which takes place on two separate occasions in April on an annual basis. The festival is infamous for its wild nature as it was widely reported throughout the local and British media for the students drunken behaviour. In 2011 the festival brought 5.5 million euros into the local economy. The festival includes DJ's and party's at the neighbouring resort's nightclub called Pacha
Pacha
Pacha is a nightclub franchise with headquarters in Ibiza, Spain. The first Pacha club was opened in Sitges outside Barcelona in 1967. The Ibiza club, located in Ibiza Town, is the best known venue today. During 2009 Pacha acquired El Divino, near the marina of Ibiza la Nueva, which will be...
.
In the future the local government is expected to position Salou as a sport tourism destination and therefore will promote different projects that include first class facilities to provide the city with the necessary resources to become a tourist destination that attracts visitors of reference, especially in low season. They have announced a project that will feature swimming pools, football fields and tennis courts.
Salou is the sub-site for the 2017 Mediterranean Games
2017 Mediterranean Games
The XVIIIth Mediterranean Games, commonly known as the 2017 Mediterranean Games will be the 18th Mediterranean Games. The Games will be held in Tarragona, Spain over 10 days from 30 June to 9 July, 2017.-Candidate cities:...
for sports such as sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
.
Climate
Festivities
- Wise Man's Cavalcade (January)
- Cós Blanc (Winter festival, first weekend of February)
- Children's Festival (June)
- Festa de Sant Joan (Late June)
- Nits Daurades (Summer festival, week of 15 August) with beautiful fireworks
- Festa del Rei Jaume I (7 September)
- National Day of Catalonia(11 September)
- Festa de la Segregació (30 October)
Airport
Salou's closest airport is ReusReus Airport
-Incidents and accidents:* On 20 July 1970, a Condor Boeing 737-100 which was approaching Reus Airport, collided with a privately owned Piper Cherokee light aircraft near Tarragona, Spain. The Piper subsequently crashed, resulting in the death of the three persons on board...
(which it is connected to by a regular bus service) followed by Barcelona. Reus Airport is mainly served by the low cost airline Ryanair
Ryanair
Ryanair is an Irish low-cost airline. Its head office is at Dublin Airport and its primary operational bases at Dublin Airport and London Stansted Airport....
. The major charter airlines from the Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
use Reus throughout the summer as a gateway to the Costa Daurada. The airport mainly serves domestic, British and Irish destinations, but other European destinations are also served.
Railway
The Railway Station in Salou is served by the Spanish state network, RENFERENFE
Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF .- History :The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National...
. The destinations from Salou include major cities in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
such as Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
as well as a train to the major city of Valencia.
Bus
There is a busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
company that serves the area called Plana Bus to destinations such as Cambrils
Cambrils
Cambrils is a coastal town in the comarca of Baix Camp, province of Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. The town is nearby the tourist town, Salou and is frequently visited by those travelling by air using Reus Airport and major transport links such as the Plana Bus and the RENFE.-History:-Roman empire...
, La Pineda, Port Aventura, Reus
Reus
Reus is the capital of the comarca of Baix Camp, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. The area has always been an important producer of wines and spirits, and gained continental importance at the time of the Phylloxera plague...
, Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
and Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
.
Taxi
There are plenty of taxiTaxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
services throughout the area including taxi ranks in locations such as opposite the Font lluminosa, Cap Salou and Reus Airport.
Gallery
Sources
- The Book of Deeds of James I of Aragon (available in PDF format)
- Ramon Muntaner, Chronicle, tr. Lady Goodenough (available in PDF format).