La Pineda Holidays
La Pineda Holidays – Perfect for families
Package holidays to La Pineda in the Spanish Costa Dorada region are best suited to families; as a child-friendly holiday location it is simply exceptional. While not as lively as its neighbouring resorts, a great time can still be had by all. During the day, head for the beaches, which are plentiful. Evenings can be spent at the welcoming restaurants and bars.
Being located in the north-east of the country (in Catalonia’s Tarragona Province), the resort is part of the Golden Coast area. There, the soft sandy beaches are among some of the best in Europe. The beaches are clean and safe, and the facilities are excellent. Should you ever wish to really ‘get active’, water sports and other outdoor pursuits can easily be found.
When to go to La Pineda
Because the resort can boast a stretch of 10km of beaches, there is no danger of you flying out there for your summer holiday and finding no room to spread out, relax and enjoy soaking up the sun. The 300 days of sunshine to be had there means topping up your tan is an option at any time of year.
At the resort you can head for the beach and usually spend the whole day there without having to return to your hotel. The fabulous Aquapolis water park is close by, and a mini-train runs to the huge Universal Port Aventura theme park, which is situated at a neighbouring town.
The weather in La Pineda
The resort enjoys a continental Mediterranean climate: hot summers and mild winters. For the highest temperatures plan your one or two-week holiday there for mid-August, when the mercury can rise to as high as 29°C. Throughout the summer season (early June to mid-September) the average daytime temperature is 26-27°C.
Although overall you can expect very few days with rain throughout the summer, the region does sometimes experience the occasional tropical storm. But these are always short-lived and never disruptive enough to blight a fantastic sunshine break.
Up to 10 hours of sunshine daily is what you can expect in summer. The average night-time temperature then is 18°C, sometimes climbing higher in July and August. Unlike some holiday locations, it does not close for the winter, so winter breaks can also be an option if scorching sunshine is not for you. The average winter daytime temperature is 15°C (7°C at night).
Getting the best deal to La Pineda
The costliest breaks at the resort in Spain are at the height of summer (July and August – peak season). Choosing to schedule your family holiday during the off-peak season (May or October) could save you a lot of money on flights and hotels. This could release holiday funds for unforgettable family days out in Barcelona.
During the off-peak periods you’ll have a wider choice of hotels, and room prices can also be reduced during those times. If you really want the best bargain flights and holiday packages at the resort, fly there outside of the school holidays.
When planning cheap holidays to La Pineda; find the best deals Directline Holidays have to offer by looking at the best deals below, or alternatively by visiting our late deals offers.
Airport and transport need to know
Flights from the UK to Catalonia leave regularly from several UK airports. Jet-off from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol or Glasgow to either Reus Airport (REU) or Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN). From London, it’s a two-hour flight.
Both airports are modern, although Reus is the smaller and less developed of the two.
It is a 20-minute drive by taxi from Reus Airport to the resort, and you’ll pay 10 euro (£8.50) for the (12km) journey. The taxis are modern saloon cars and estates with friendly drivers, making them much more preferable to the packed buses. Before that, why not grab a snack at the airport, or enjoy a cool drink after your flight? Reus Airport has a café, after all.
The journey to your holiday accommodation from Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN) takes much longer than from Reus. Allow for a 1 hour and 15 minute drive by taxi or hired car. There is no train station at La Pineda. Tarragona or Salou are the nearest. Take the Barcelona Airport Train to Barcelona Sants (20 min), and then change.
The best beaches in La Pineda
La Pineda holidays can be taken solely as relaxing beach holidays – there is no pressure to participate in sport and leisure pursuits, or to join in with group activities at the resort. Like most of the soft sandy beaches on the Golden Coast in Catalonia (which stretches for an incredible 150 miles), the terrain gently slopes and the sea is shallow and crystalline.
Mums and Dads can fly out to the resort with their children and not have to worry about the beaches being litter-strewn. The local council prides itself on always keeping the beaches spotlessly clean. The resort can boast some of the most pristine, safe and environmentally-friendly beaches in Europe, in fact – as the Blue Flags* there indicate.
* Blue Flags (accreditations) are awarded by the European Foundation for Environmental Education.
Sun loungers and parasols/canopies for hire are easily found along the resort‘s beaches (some are even free, depending upon which hotel you are staying at).
Watersports are easily found too. Choose from snorkelling, scuba diving, parasailing, sailing, surfing, windsurfing, jet-skiing and water-skiing. But all this doesn’t mean you can’t find quiet spots away from the action where you can enjoy doing the crossword in the shade, or to simply lie back on your towel and listen to the waves gently lapping the shore.
For total seclusion, head for any one of the isolated and unspoilt rocky coves that can be found intermittently along the 10km stretch of coast. There you can enjoy completely private sunbathing; or how about grabbing the chance to enjoy a few hours of ‘me time’ alone, reading that holiday bestseller you remembered to pack, or simply doing, well, nothing at all.
