La Pineda, the beaches of Vila Seca

La Pineda and Vila-seca, at the heart of the Costa Dorada, cover an area of approximately 21 square kilometres and have a population of some 14,000 inhabitants. This can increase six-fold in the summer months as visitors flock to enjoy the scenery and the generous Mediterranean climate, particularly in the last decade since Port Aventura theme park has made the town one of the most popular holiday destinations in Catalonia . The main resort facilities are located in the seaside area of La Pineda.

The municipality is divided into two basic population centres - the old quarter or town, known as Vila-seca, and the coastal and beach area, known as La Pineda. The latter, with its 2.4 kilometre-long promenade, is one of the largest open seafront spaces on the Costa Dorada and in Catalonia . In addition to its beaches and promenades, La Pineda also stands out for the services and leisure facilities it offers its visitors. Good examples of these are Universal Studios Port Aventura Theme Park, the Aquopolis Water Park and the Pacha, the largest nightclub at the Costa Dorada.

The coastline of La Pineda, like the majority of the Costa Dorada, has undergone considerable changes to its landscape, mainly due to the 'tourist boom' of recent decades. Its beach area is now largely built-up and has a considerable number of facilities and services. La Pineda Beach is approximately 2,450 m . long with an estimated area of 98,000 square metres . Its southern limit is the point where the Pau Casals Promenade meets the Hotel Donaire (its continuation is the Beach of El Racó). To the north it is bordered by a breakwater located some 350 metres to the east of the Porta del Mar estate (bordering on the Beach of Els Prats). La Pineda Beach combines the best in tourist facilities with the preservation of the coastline and its most interesting ecosystems such as the pines (Pinus pinea), a species that proliferates on this part of the coast and from which the name La Pineda comes. The result is a beautiful, spacious beach with excellent facilities for the holidaymaker and a carefully preserved ecology.

However, that isn't all La Pineda and Vila-seca has to offer. Culture and history, and particularly archaeology, are expressed in the ruins of Callipolis, where an extensive area of villas and thermal baths from this ancient Roman settlement are now under constant study by teams of experts, at a time when the nearby city of Tarragona (9 km), once the capital of Roman Hispania, has recently been designated as a World Heritage site.

In summary, La Pineda and Vila-seca are municipalities that combine their undeniable touristic attractions with a sustainable development programme that emphasises quality of life and preservation of the environment as building blocks for the future of this typical southern European and Mediterranean area.

Text source: www.lapinedaplatja.info