GENERAL AREA  INFORMATION ABOUT CATALONIA

CATALONIA

Catalonia is a small autonomous state measuring 12,000 sq. miles, the gateway between Iberia and Europe, the Catalan people take special pride in their unique identity, with their own language, a rich economy, thriving culture, and a gastronomy which the rest of Spain may rightly envy – the perfect place to experience a bargain country family holiday in an unknown part of Spain. Why not  let Eirescot Catalan Conexion find you the perfect country holiday home for your 2009 family holiday in Spain.

Catalonia boasts an extraordinary mix of landscapes packed into a relatively small area, all of this combined with a moderate Mediterranean climate,  a fertile interior promoting the production of excellent wine, cava, olive oil, potatoes and fruit, over 500 km. of fabulous Mediterranean coastline and a large selection of golden beaches all within only 20 mins. of most of our Catalonian, country holiday homes. Eirescot Catalan Conexion can help you to combine the best of both worlds -  a fabulous bargain country holiday for the family with the coast a mere 20 mins. drive away.

The road network throughout Catalunya and Spain is excellent, having been improved immensely in recent years, so exploring by car is made very easy.  3 major airports (Girona, Barcelona and Reus ) ensure a rapid transfer to your destination. Reus, (our nearest airport)  is only 10 minutes from our 2 most special country holiday rental homes and a maximum of half an hour from the remainder.

BARCELONA (Catalonia’s Capital City)

An elegant and cosmopolitan European city, Barcelona can boast to be top of any visitors list. Bustling and exciting at any time of the day or night! Try a dual centre bargain family holiday  break by combining a weekend in Barcelona (cheapest rates) with a 5 day mid-week country house holiday in the province of Tarragona.

Museums, art, history, architecture, football and shopping, it’s all there in abundance and only just over an hour from where you will be staying by car bus or the very clean & efficient train service.

Barcelona international airport is on the southern outskirts of the city and is just over an hours drive to most of our Spanish country holiday homes. www.timeout.com/barcelona
Tarragona Province
The southermost state of the 4 Catalonian provinces offers huge contrasts in scenery, different types of agriculture, gastronomy,entertainment, beaches, arcitecture and culture - far more in fact than any of its neigbouring provinces. Tarragona has a huge selection of family country holidays both budget and selective to suit all tastes.

From the spectacular beaches of the Costa Daurada to the unspoilt areas of great natural beauty of the interior the province can easily be divided into 3 different types of area:-

The Mountains, The Interior & The Coast

THE MOUNTAINS

To the South you will find the Delta del Ebre Nature Reserve, inland from there the mountain passes (Ports) of the Tortosa-Besseit National Park and to the West the Prades Mountain Range. The later has large forested areas where you will find picturesque villages tucked away, existing in perfect harmony with their surroundings, also famous for it's full-bodied wine. There are some wonderful Spanish country holiday homes hidden away in these areas – details to be published soon.

Between these 2 areas you will find the Sierra de Montsant – a very different type of  Mountain range, spectacular for its majestic rocks, caves and picturesque hermitages that seem to hang in thin air.
The area is famous for rock-climbing, walking & cycling where you will find great bargains for country holiday homes to suit all tastes. More information can be seen on our activities page. link

The cuisine is  influenced by the local ingredients  and will vary from season to season, lots of game during the hunting season, wild boar and deer for example and certainly lamb, goat, rabbit and farm fed chicken & pork all year round The vegetables are an intrinsic part of the national diet and the local fish and shellfish can be found in coastal restaurants serving menu of the day at 9 Euros to our famous Michellin star restaurants in Cambrils or Barcelona. When enjoying a country house holiday with Eirescot Catalan Conexion one of the most economic ways of feeding the family is with a “menu of the day” this can make your family holiday both enjoyable and “easy on the purse”.

The Interior

Between the mountains and the coast you will discover a land of agriculture producing mainly wine, olives, hazelnuts, almonds and olives. The landscape is  dotted with tiny villages & isolated settlements and hills covered with pine forests. Other important features of the interior are the Cistertian Monasteries, Romanesque and Gothic monuments (Churches and Hermitages), wine cellars (bodegas) where you can stop, sample and buy the local produce.
By booking a budget family holiday with Eirescot Catalan Conexion you can chose a country holiday house or hotel within a short distance of one of the following routes:-                                                                                                                      
Cistertian Monasteries – 3 within 20 mins. Santes Creus, Poblet & Vallbona dels Monges – link

Modernist Wine Cellars – throughout the counties of Conca de Barbara, Alt Camp and several others.

Modernist Architecture – Follow  modernist route from Riudoms (his birthplace) to Reus (his adopted town) and finally Barcelona (the City he studied and eventually settled in)

The wine route – staying in one of the Eirescot Catalan Conexion Catalonian family holiday homes,  you are always only half an hour away from the nearest wine region – Baix Penedes, Conca de Barbara, Tarragones, Priorat and Terra Alta - links

Each town or village that you visit has its own unique points of interest such as the ancient village square, fortified walls, casa de la villa (town hall), churches from the 10th century  to the "New" .

 The modernist wine cellars are generally housed in a  18/19/20th century historical buildings, many having been in the style of the modernist architects which serve as social, cultural and commercial centres for the local population. Look out for the “co-operatives” – generally a modernist building where the local farmers take their produce to sell, usually they have a shop where you can buy the products. When staying in one of the local Eirecot Catalan Conexion Holiday Homes you will find local information and details as to how to take advantage of these local sites.

The coast

Where you will also find great contrasts – major towns, beaches, marinas, fishing ports and holiday resorts plus one of Europes’ greatest theme parks – Universals’ Port Aventura & Costa Caribe. You will find towns that have developed rapidly offering a wide variety of services and facilities designed to satisfy the most discerning visitor. Some of these former fishing villages have become real tourist “meccas”, Salou being the most well-known, however you can still find small towns where the main source of income is the sea, the  growth of which has been orderly and controlled and where the objective is to preserve the best of the bygone days of these typical fishing ports – Torredembarra, Altafulla, Tarragona, Cambrils, Ametlla del Mar & Sant Carlos de la Rapita to name just a few.

The beaches are long & wide and slope gently down to the sea with few rocky outcrops. They are some of the cleanest in Europe with golden sand and clear, clean waters where you can chill out or take part in a variety of watersports on offer. Look out for the “chiringuitos” – small wooden huts with seating areas which sell drinks and ice-creams and where in some places you can enjoy a gourmet lunch.
Look out for our Spanish coastal holiday bargains section in the near future – again treat your family to a 2 centre bargain family holiday on the coast combined with a week in a country house holiday home or bargain hotel.

The Climate

The Costa Daurada enjoys a temperate Mediterranean climate with more than 300 sunny days with intense blue skies. Thanks to the mestral winds that blow from the north-east in the winter and in summer, to the garbí, or south-easterly winds, they keep the humidity low and blow away any mist or fog.

Average temperatures are around 7 to 10º C in winter and 20 to 26º in summer though the average temperatures inland from the coast in the mountains are two to four degrees lower.
Most of the rainfall is concentrated in spring and autumn, although short, heavy showers are not uncommon in summer. The rains in this area can be unpredictable and in some cases have reached 400 mm over a couple of days, or even in a few hours, causing a rapid rise in the level of rivers. 

THE 10 COMARCAS (COUNTIES) OF TARRAGONA

The province of Tarragona is divided up into 10 counties – 5 of these counties are on the coast (Costa Daurada) and the other 5 inland. Each county has its own different points of interest, distinct character and individual cultural, gastronomic and touristic flavour. Here we give you detailed descriptions of some of the hidden jewels of Catalunya previously undiscovered, area by area. When you choose the ideal family country house holiday  or bargain rural hotel you can then check out the surrounding area and plan your Catalan, family holiday to the last detail or just set off each day knowing that you are about to discover something out of the ordinary.
Please go to the map to see the counties in more detail - link

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