Once the capital of the Western Roman Empire, the seaside city of Tarragona still has a captivating amount of archeological finds. An amphitheater where gladiators made shows of courage and strength, a circus where legendary chariot races took place, museum of artifacts and archeological passage give visitors a fabulous setting to envision the ancient empire that once thrived here.  Tarragona is an archeological treasure and we have included the city in one of our Wine Tours in Spain.

After enriching yourself with these archeological destinations, you can relax at the beach, an atmospheric fisherman’s quarter called El Serralló or go shopping on one the city´s wide avenues. If you feel like visiting a relaxing hidden treasure, Altafulla is a quaint seaside city near Tarragona with boutique hotels and quiet seashores to walk along.

Fisherman arranging nets in their boats. Coffee, paella and crema catalana awaiting customers in white-washed buildings accented with brilliant blue hues. Children playing in soft waves lapping up on the shore. Painters still at work outside on the street. Feel such visions combine in the unforgettable atmosphere of what was once a haven for Salvador Dali here in Cadaqués. We invite you to experience this piece of heaven with us on Gourmand Breaks Cadaques trips.

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Hidden away from mass tourism, unlike some unfortunate resorts further down the shore by Barcelona, these neighboring locales offer a relaxing break from Spain’s busier spots. On Gourmand Breaks Costa Brava Tours you will enjoy these peaceful fishing villages which have some of the most tranquil seaside walkways in Spain. Visitors get intimate views of a gorgeous blue shoreline while walking past the colorful fishing boats that dot the shore or enjoying meals at several shore-front restaurants.

Calella is also known for its havaneres—old songs Cuban immigrant fisherman sung for over 100 years in local taverns. Before the tradition completely died out in the 1960s, the community started a summer festival to celebrate the custom and it is still popular to this day. On Sant Joan’s Day in June, the seaside village also lights up with exciting fireworks that are especially charming from a terrace overlooking the sea.

As soon as you encounter the entrance to this gorgeously well-preserved monument to medieval Jewish communities in Spain—a graceful bridge arching over the Fluvia River—you will feel like you’re walking into another time altogether.

Still standing today are examples of how Jewish and Catholic communities lived harmoniously together until the Spanish government expelled them in 1492. You will be amazed of how our expert guide will bring the local history secrets alive on our  Catalan Culture and Cuisine Tour . You will admire the churches of Sant Pere, Sant Vicenç, Santa Maria and Sant Martí, that blend into structures of Jewish baths, or the miqwé, and streets of the cobble-stoned Jewish district named the Call.

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Once you’ve visited the Greek and Roman ruins of Empuries, you’ll be expecting a higher standard for all of your archaeological site visits that follow. I mean, how many archaeological sites are literally steps away from an incredibly beautiful blue beach?

On our Barcelona and Empuries Cultural Tour we will take you to this unique site. Three centuries after Greeks established a busy trading post here, Romans of the 6th century B.C. docked here to begin their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. The remains of temples, houses, cemeteries, city forums and more lie outside to tour. Several intricate mosaic floors lye in the same halls they laid in more than 2,000 years ago. Living grape vines still wander around the columns the Roman atriums and offer a sweet snack to summer visitors.

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Picture courtesy of VirtualTourist.com

After a hot summer day, a light mist rolls in from the visible sea shores of Tamariu over hazy hay-wheel dotted farms surrounding the pueblo. Within it winds quaint cobblestone streets with Romanesque walls and arches dripping with hundreds of years of Catalan history. Sprinkled along these passages are shops selling locally made products like wine straight from the barrel, cheese, sausage, dark chocolate and a gelateria where we’ve stopped to have some of the richest ice cream we’ve had in a long time. This is just what we needed—a peaceful stroll through Pals. We cannot hide we’re in love with Pals – it appears on so many of our Spanish Culinary Tours!

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Ever since the advent of the Google image search, I’ve had a habit of longingly gazing at several pictures of my travel destination until the date of my trip. But if you’re preparing a trip to Barcelona and its surrounding areas now, there’s new enticing visual imagery that will beat the Google image search any day: Woody Allen’s new movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

At Gourmand Breaks we love Woody and we love Barcelona, that’s why we have just launched our  Vicky Cristina Barcelona Tour visiting the movie locations here.  We are the first and by now the only travel agency in Spain to have this tour available – the city of Barcelona provides a pretty background to the plot and here at Gourmand Breaks we believe it will be great fun for Allen’s and travel lovers to be able enjoy the Mediterranean culture here, the same as Vicky and Cristina did.
Vicky and Cristina are two American girls, one of which is working on her studies in Catalan culture, and the seductive relationships that entangle them during their trip to Barcelona. While I can’t guarantee you’ll be seduced by Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz or Javier Bardem on your own trip, I will guarantee that the scenery of Barcelona and the Catalan countryside surrounding will, just like it does in this sensual film. Below is a trailer for the movie …

Tours including Barcelona: On The Border: Between France and Spain; Sublime Spain; Long Weekend in Barcelona; Bites in Barcelona; Traditional Catalan Cooking; Fusion, Modern and Contemporary Cuisine; Cuisine and Art; For Chocolate Lovers: A Blissful Affair; Tailor-Made Tours

We told you so

Well, of course, we know what a finely preserved treasure Catalonia is–we’ve dedicated our careers to it! But just in case you need an outside opinion to elaborate on the subject, the New York Times (we’re fans of this publication too) put out a wonderful article this weekend about the quiet aquamarine shores of Catalonia’s peaceful fishing villages. You can read it here and browse its lovely slideshow here.

The quiet villages it references–Cadaqués, Pals, Empuries–are important pieces of our Spanish culinary  tours because they do much more than give our clients a truly relaxing spot to vacation: They give our clients an opportunity to really savor a centuries-old culture undisturbed by the unfortunate overdevelopment that plagues so many other areas in Spain. From the bucolic scenery of farms and vineyards near Pals to the clear tropical-blue shorelines of real fishing villages, you are able to take advantage of the best in traditional Catalan cuisine, wine and personal hospitality.

Browse all of our tours through this area