Tarragona, located on the Mediterranean coast in the northeast of Spain, is the most southern of the Catalan provinces. From a geographical and a climatological point of view it can be divided into two sections: the coastal area, stretching some 212 km. from Cunit as far as the river de La Senia and consisting of a succession of fine, sandy beaches; and the area inland. The main feature of the coastal area is its calm, blue water, whereas inland the scenery is enhanced by the intense brightness of the sunlight. Here the carob trees, vineyards, hazel, almond and olive trees give an air of grace and beauty. During the summer the temperature ranges from 23º to 25ºC, but the constant sea breezes help maintain a cool atmosphere. The winters are always mild. Other characteristics of the climate of Tarragona are fairly low rainfall throughout the year, and an extraordinarily large number of bright, sunny days during any season of the year.

This typically Mediterranean city was founded by Publius Cornelius Scipio during the Second Punic War (218 B.C.), and it preserves all the characteristics of a great city where the Romans kept their legions. The classical precepts of Vitruvius endure in the Praetorium, Circus, Amphitheatre, Aqueduct, Forum, Theatre, as well as in the walls and towers. The city itself stands on a rocky hill which gradually slopes down towards the sea. From medieval times perhaps the Cathedral is the most representative monument. Tarragona was the metropolitan seat of the Crown of Aragón until the reign of king Jaime II, and then later it became the capital of the ecclesiastical province of Tarragona. The former Roman roads are its present-day streets and squares: the Plaza de la Font stands over part of what was the Roman Circus, and the port is the continuation of a breakwater built by the Romans. Tarragona has been formed thanks to the influence of a succession of generations and cultures. Nowadays it spreads as far as the banks of the river Francolí. Another important part of the city is La Rambla, a residencial area built around 1854 and a somewhat bold vision of modem urban development. The Passeig Arqueólogic is an avenue running alongside the city walls, and the viewpoints known as the Seo and El Balcón del Mediterráneo offer some fine panoramic views of the sea and the surrounding countryside, with the Sierra de Prades and the Sierra de Llabería in the background. The city has some 110,000 inhabitants, and the beaches stretch as far as the mouth of the river Gaiá where the farmhouses blend in with pinewoods and the typical scrublands with the dry land crops. Tarragona is an ideal place to live, with all the advantages of a provincial capital yet none of the inconveniences of a heavily-populated city.

Tarragona has almost doubled in size during the last twenty five years. In the direction of Barcelona and inland its residencial districts have been constantly expanding. In the city centre we find the typical avenue known as La Rambla Nova which runs as far as El Balcón del Mediterráneo viewpoint. Other interesting sites include the very modern Jacint Verdaguer square, La Rambla Vella, the Vía de L'Imperi Romá, and Imperial Tarragona square, the latter being at the heart of all the city's transport systems. An interesting visit can be paid to the typical maritime district known as El Serrallo, where one can watch the fishing boats coming in and witness the fish being auctioned at La Lonja (fish exchange) following an age-old tradition.