Spanish Bargain: Tarragona's Las Palmeras

After a horrific 36 hours without sleep and a mind-numbing journey that took me from Classy Cannes to sleeping in a train station in Narbonne to Hectic Barcelona, I finally arrived at my accommodation in Tarragona, Spain.

I've blogged about this wonderfully overlooked destination before (see side bar) but haven't expressed what a great deal Las Palmeras is.

I found this beach resort while perusing Bookhostels.com. I was supposed to be going to Switzerland but I figured if I was near enough to Spain, I should make the effort to visit this enigmatic country. Finding Las Palmeras sealed the deal.


Las Palmeras is a sprawling resort located on the Costa Brava, 7km outside of the city of Tarragona and an hour's train ride from Barcelona. Instead of having a hotel, the resort has many white-washed, clean and comfortable cabins to rent, scattered throughout the landscaped grounds.


Each cabin has it's own veranda (complete with clothes drying hanger - a dirty backpacker's dream), a seperate WC and shower, two small bedrooms, a living area and a fully-stocked kitchen.



Want to see how close these beauties are to the beach? Play away:


What was really amazing was that there was barely any people in this glorious place. You would think that with an endless white sand beach like this, it would be packed.


While most of the people there seemed to be regular caravaners from Denmark and what not, on my first night there I met an American brother and sister who had been studying in Seville. In my no-sleep state they were a welcoming sight for sore eyes, as they treated me to a homemade dish of mushrooms, garbanzo beans and rice. So simple and so appreciated. That meal stands out in my mind in all it's deliciousness.

We followed up the meal with wine and beer on the beach, and later, a drinking game with them and the local stray cat they nicknamed "The Ranger" in Spanish.


My days at this resort was blissful. When I didn't take the bus into town to appreciate Tarragona's Roman relics, I relaxed on the beach, read, ate at the lively on-site bar or shopped for food at the resort's general store.

Best part of it all? It only cost me 35 Euros a night. This was more affordable then many hotels I stayed in and since the cabins comfortably sleep 5, you can imagine what an even more fantastic bargain it would be if you got a whole group of people together.

For further information and for bookings, please visit: Las Palmeras Website.