Villas in Costa Daurada

For a family villa holiday on the Costa Daurada, Salou and Cambrils put you near PortAventura and long, shallow sandy beaches. Miami Platja and L'Ametlla de Mar are quieter, with pine-backed coves, while the Ebro Delta around Deltebre and L'Ampolla suits nature lovers. Most UK flights into Reus are seasonal, so outside summer you may need Barcelona.

Where

Villas: 717
From, per week: £263
Cheapest month: October
Nearest airports: Reus is closest to Salou and Cambrils, but almost all its UK flights are seasonal, summer only. Barcelona El Prat has year-round flights and is around an hour and a quarter from Salou. Flights from London take around two hours.

Where to stay in Costa Daurada

Salou and La Pineda

This is the Costa Daurada's main resort and where many of our villas are. Salou has wide, gently shelving beaches, a long seafront promenade and PortAventura World, with its theme park, Ferrari Land and water park, on the edge of town. La Pineda, next door, has a long sandy beach and is a little calmer. Reus airport is around 20 minutes away.

Best for: Families who want theme parks, big beaches and plenty to do

Not for you if: You want somewhere peaceful in July and August: Salou is the coast's busiest, most built-up resort.

Cambrils

Cambrils is a working fishing port with a busy harbourfront lined with seafood restaurants, and it has as many villas on our site as Salou. The beaches either side of town are long and sandy, and the atmosphere is more relaxed than its neighbour. PortAventura is around 15 minutes by car and Reus airport about 20 to 25 minutes.

Best for: Food lovers and families who want a real town with a harbour

Not for you if: You want the theme parks within walking distance: you will need a short drive or bus to PortAventura.

Miami Platja and L'Ametlla de Mar

South of Cambrils the coast changes, with small sandy coves and rocky inlets backed by pine woods. Miami Platja is a spread-out resort of villas and coves around 30 minutes from Reus airport. L'Ametlla de Mar, further south, is a fishing town with a pretty harbour and a coastal path linking a string of calas. Allow around 40 minutes to Reus.

Best for: Couples and families who prefer coves and a quieter pace

Not for you if: You want lots of nightlife or big attractions on the doorstep: evenings here are low-key.

The Ebro Delta (Deltebre, L'Ampolla, Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Alcanar)

The delta of the River Ebro is a protected natural park of rice fields, lagoons and long, empty beaches, with flamingos and other wading birds. Deltebre sits in the middle, L'Ampolla is a small harbour town on its northern edge and Sant Carles de la Ràpita looks out over the southern bay, known for mussels and oysters. Reus airport is around an hour away.

Best for: Nature lovers, cyclists and birdwatchers

Not for you if: You want classic resort facilities: this is flat, rural country with mosquitoes in warm months.

Torredembarra to Cunit (northern Costa Daurada)

Between Tarragona and the Barcelona border, Torredembarra, Creixell, Coma-ruga, Segur de Calafell and Cunit line a long sandy shore with shallow water. It is the best area for day trips to Barcelona, and Cunit is around 45 minutes from Barcelona airport. Roman Tarragona, with its amphitheatre and old town, is a short drive south of Torredembarra.

Best for: Easy Barcelona access and long sandy beaches

Not for you if: You want dramatic scenery: this stretch is flat and developed, with low-rise resorts and apartment blocks behind the beach.

When to go to Costa Daurada

June and September are the sweet spot: warm sea, long days and fewer crowds than July and August, when Spanish and European school holidays fill Salou and Cambrils and beaches are at their busiest. Mid-summer is hot and humid. May and October are mild and good value, though the sea is cool for swimming and some beach bars and attractions run reduced hours. PortAventura opens on fewer days in winter and its water park is summer only, and many direct UK flights to Reus stop outside the summer season.