The good news is Reus airport is just 40 mins to L’Ampolla, Barcelona just 1.5 hrs on the autopista (AP7) and Valencia is 2 hrs from L’Ampolla. It is great that Ryan Air, Jet 2 Vueling and other low cost carriers fly daily to these airports.
L’Ampolla is the Best of both Worlds!!! A simple fishing village on the edge of the Ebro Delta that also does Tourism. Famous for sea-food, its beaches and relaxed pace of life. During the summer it has lots of concerts, festivals and special events!!
To Lovers of Sea food and paella…no-place does sea-food and rice dishes like L’Ampolla both in price and quality. Whether to dine in the restaurants or to buy in the fish-markets, the range and quality of the sea-food is excellent.
Big WORD of advice. When out for lunch, ask for Menu Del Dia or Meal of the Day. Served from one to three each day in most restaurants, it is a three course meal including drinks and costs between €10 to €12 per person. Great Value…
The Beaches
Cap Roig is a golden sandy beach tucked into the coast and is perfect for snorkelling. The beach bar or Chiringuito serves divine food. Also you got sun lounge and boat hire.
Avellanes is another sandy beach in the heart of L’Ampolla surrounded by bars and cafes with beach volleyball nets and soccer pitch. Every July there is a beach tennis competition.
The Arenal beach is just 50 metres from Las Palmeras resort, three kilometres of sandy beach that borders the bird sanctuary of Les Olles
Santa Lucia is a wild and wonderful beach of tiny pebbles, perfect to walk on and with spectacular clear water. Popular with nature lovers.
The Delta is a Nature Reserve protected by UNESCO and home to thousands of bird species. There are viewing platforms in Les Olles Lagune in L’Ampolla that gives you a birds eye view of the birds!!!.By the way you can take a boat trip from Deltebre up to the mouth of the Ebro where the river says meets and greets the blue Mediterranean.
The Gypsy Markets are great and you have one in L’Ampolle every Wednesday morning and a real ‘biggie’ in El Perello (5 kms from L’Ampolla) on Saturday mornings. Buy clothes, beachwear, ceramics, olives, fresh vegetables, olive oil, cured ham, shoes, leather goods at incredible prices.
Probably the best Theme Parks in Europe are all within easy distance of L’Ampolla. Portaventura offers thrill packed, high octane rides while Park Caribe and Aquapolis offer marine shows and water adventure you will never forget. Tickets can be bought in Catalan Ways office in L’Ampolla to avoid queuing in the sun. We are a registered agent for all the theme parks in the area sand give you advice on the one that best suits you.
Tortosa is a jewel of a city and just 15 minutes from L’Ampolla. Shopping, the Olde food hall, cafes, Gothic Cathedrals, walks on the river, relax in the park. Each year a medieval festival that takes place during the last fortnight in July when groups from all over the world recreate the medieval world. There is street theatre, spectacle and fun, stage shows and sword play, eating and drinking the kind of food they ate in bygone times.
Check it out on http://www.festadelrenaixement.org www.festadelrenaixement.org
The Port Mountains are a hikers heaven. Just 10km outside of Tortosa. they are a range of Cantabrian mountains and National Park that cover 400 sq kms of fabulous countryside. That have way marked walks for a serious hike or just a casual walk, through a landscape of breath-taking beauty.
Check it out on www.pbase.com/cristianjensen/port
The Terra Alta is magical and just 40 mins drive from L’Ampolla. Famous for wine, cheese, breath-taiking scenery and adventure activities. You have to see the Medieval village of Horta de San Joan where Pablo Picasso lived. He said later ‘everything I know about colour, I learned in Horta’. There is a museum in the village dedicated to the artist open Tuesday to Sunday, mornings only. If you like you can take up out free GPS Adventure Challenge that will bring you both on an adventure and to this wonderful part of Spain. The village is a time capsule and to wander through the Medieval streets is to walk into the past.
A big nose….1 km outside Horta is the fabulous monastery of San Salvador, a vast Gothic church that you simply have to visit.
Miravet is a town on the river Ebro where the dreaded knights Templar hung out once upon a dreadful time… But today they are gone so enjoy the most ecological ferry in the world which brings you across the river to the town. Its part of a natural park, has guided mulit-lingual tours of an ancient monastery and museum and lunch or menu del dia in Restaurant Xim is a must.
Tarragona is a city with a pas… with a Roman amphitheatre and beautiful city centre for shopping and a ramble to remember. It also has a great beach to mix culture with a swim
Barcelona is so famous need we say more??? Its a 2 hour train trip from L’Ampolla and the perfect day excursion. The Hop on Hop off bus service brings you to the Nou Camp, the Ramblas, Guell park, the Olympic stadium and so many other amazing places they are too numerous to mention.
Not many people realise just how beautiful a city Valencia is!!! A city where Medieval architecture blends effortlessly with the new world buildings that you find in the interactive park of Arts and Sciences. Perfect to wander through and Gulliver’s Children’s playground is a must have experience. Not to mention the food! Did you know Valencia is where paella was invented??.
Great Restaurants in the area
L’Iglu is a strange name but if you want the best pizza in Catalunya, with the widest range of toppings and combinations, then this is the place for you. And we did not even mention their hand made chips and pasta….
Casa Montero is to be found in the Yacht Club in the harbour of L’Ampolla and the food is as good as the setting overlooking the harbour and the yachts.
Can Piñana does great seafood and vegetarian paella and the great news is it is beside the playground, so you can dine and the kids can play!!!
Can Llambrich is beside Piñana and offers a really excellent menu del dia
Hotel Sol sits over restaurant LLambrich, and has a wonderful balcony overlooking the sea and does pretty cool pasta, pizza and great salads…
Fata Morgana is near the yacht club and is always busy… Its pizza oven and great range of mean, fish and pasta dishes make it the toast of the town…
Botavara is the restaurant for serious fish and seafood lovers… Found in the harbour go for the lobster, prawns or pan fried cod and sole.
La Barraca is a sea-front restaurant near the Arenal beach and does pan fried prawns in garlic and lemon, cockles in a seafood sauce, lemon steamed mussels. The truly fabulous lobster rice dish is a poem on the palate.
Pepe’s Chiringuito is located on Cap Roig beach and does great cockles, mussels and sardines.
Vanessa’s Pizzeria in Cap Roig is so popular as it does a variety of pizzas and salads and stuff for the kids so it is a particularly good family eatery with good prices
Hotel Pepo is located in Benifallet village on the Ebro River. It is truly famous for its roast meats, lamb from the oven, sauces and food presentation. Really wortas it h a visit
Miralles is to be found in the village of Horta De san Joan and the menu del dia is kind of famous always throws up great choices and possibilities.