According to statistics, Spain ranks first in the world in receiving tourists traveling with families. And among Spanish provinces, Catalonia holds the palm: families make up 60% of all tourists arriving there. To make it even more pleasant for parents with children to relax on Mediterranean resorts, the Catalans have developed a special certificate 'Center of Family Tourism'. This is a kind of quality mark awarded to resorts that meet certain requirements.
The first to receive the Family Tourism Center certificate was the resort of Salou in the province of Tarragona. The coast where it is located is called Costa Daurada - 'Golden Coast'. These are wide beaches with fine golden sand, a shallow clean sea near the shore, and gentle hilly landscapes in a soft haze. Salou is indeed very convenient for holidays with children: there are hotels and apartments for every taste, and nearby is the main magnet of the coast - the famous amusement park 'Port Aventura', one of the largest theme parks in Europe. Now it is called Universal Mediterranea, since it was bought by the American film company Universal.
At Port Aventura, on an area of 34,000 square meters, there are 30 attractions, 75 restaurants and 28 shops, and more than a hundred fun performances take place daily on various stages, from a Polynesian show to a Chinese circus. The park's wildest ride is located in the 'China' area. These are the 'Dragon Khan' roller coasters, twisted into four 'loop-the-loops'. The Costa Caribe water park features water rides: impressive slides, the 'Bermuda Triangle' with artificial waves, 'Woody Lagoon' with water bikes and geysers. In addition, the park has a next-generation cinema showing 3D 'volumetric' films, and two hotels: El Paso and Port Aventura.
On the same coast, Calafell and Cambrils have been declared family resorts. Cambrils has retained the charm of an ancient fishing village and is famous for its seafood restaurants, while Calafell is a quiet and pleasant resort town.
In addition to Port Aventura, on Costa Daurada there is a wonderful place - the Aqualeon safari-water park. More than 400 species of animals from all corners of the world are gathered here, roaming freely. People watch predators from the windows of double-decker English buses. In another part of the park, separate from lions and tigers, the public enjoys water rides. The park is open from June 22 to September 15.
One of the most attractive family tourism centers is the lovely town of Blanes. From Blanes to the French border stretches the Costa Brava coast. In translation it means both 'brave' and 'rocky' shore. This is the most beautiful coast of Catalonia: small coves, or calas, hide among reddish cliffs overgrown with pines. Blanes is a fairly large but very green and pleasant city. The old and new parts of the city are separated by a large rock jutting into the sea right in the middle of the bay. Blanes has two botanical gardens, one of which, 'Mar i Murtra', is laid out on a mountain: it is a kingdom of coolness and exotic plants (3,000 species). You can get there from the fishing port and yacht harbor on a tourist 'little train'.
And nearby, in the village of Palafolls, there is the Marineland entertainment park. It is a dolphinarium, marine zoo and water park all in one. On 65,000 square meters of the park, animal and bird shows take place: dolphins, seals, parrots, penguins, and pelicans demonstrate their talents. Attractions of varying difficulty are intended for adults, while children have their own water park and train.
PROS: family resorts of Catalonia are perfect for a quiet holiday with children.
CONS: in summer these towns (except Tossa de Mar) have a lot of tourists.
To have a great time in Catalonia, it is not necessary to choose one of the family resorts. You can stay anywhere on the coast and visit parks and water parks from time to time. There are also many interesting places in Barcelona. For example, the largest 'Aquarium' in Europe. It has an oceanarium with two underwater tunnels 86 m long, where visitors ride on a moving walkway while around them swim sharks, giant rays, and sunfish. For children there is a play area 'Explore!', where young rascals ride on slides, play with live starfish and frogs, watch bird life and find many more sensible and nonsensical activities. Barcelona Zoo is also a favorite place for children. A real adventure is a walk through the terrarium, which is arranged like a cave in a tropical forest. The city amusement park is located on Mount Tibidabo, and you can get to it by funicular, admiring the views along the way. Children absolutely love everything toy-like but realistic. They adore parks like 'Catalonia in Miniature', which is located 11 km from Barcelona in Torrelles de Llobregat. And no wonder! The 150 most famous buildings of Catalonia are built on a scale of 1:25, and a pleasure train rides between them. In the city of Figueres is the Salvador Dalí Theater-Museum. Adults who take Dalí's eccentricities too seriously sometimes faint here, while children adore exhibits that turn into something else when you look at them through a 'magic tube' or pull a lever. There are water parks in the towns of Roses, Platja d'Aro, La Pineda, Lloret de Mar.