I chose the Jardines Paraisol timeshare in Salou, Spain because of its central location between Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid.  The resort is about 75 miles outside of Barcelona in the popular tourist city of Salou.  It was a great “home base” for 5 day trips to other parts of Catalonia, Aragon, Valencia, and Madrid provinces. 

We chose to drive a rental car from Barcelona to the timeshare in Salou, Spain so that we had the freedom to see tons of local castles and other attractions.  But we took the train into Barcelona one day since the train station is just blocks from the timeshare.  That way we didn’t have to worry about the toll roads, parking, etc. in Barcelona. Check out all the places we went using our Northeast Spain 5-day Itinerary.

Accommodations

I chose to go during the off-season in February when the area was not so busy.  In fact, the town is down-right dead during this time.  But it was not a problem and actually made it better for us with the exception of first getting checked into the timeshare.  However, they were very accommodating as to when we would be showing up and getting the key.

Parking is available onsite in a secured garage below the apartments.  We liked the security of the garage and the entry into the apartments themselves. The apartments have one or two bedrooms and sleep between 4 to 6 people.  Our couch had a separate trundle bed underneath, which was perfect for my sister and her friend to join me on the trip.  The apartments are reasonable in size and have a small kitchen and dining area, just enough for our quick breakfasts.

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Food

During the off-season, some of the restaurants in the area are closed.  However, there was a fantastic pizza place and bar right below the apartments called Bar Caminito.  They have more than just pizza; all their food is fantastic (TripAdvisor).

We even started some mornings out with a nice omelet and coffee.  And the owners and people that work there are all wonderful.  There were some other restaurants that were more expensive a few blocks away that were good too, but not as good as our favorite hangout.

Near By Our Timeshare in Salou, Spain

PortAventura Park (Amusement Park) and Caribe Aquatic Park is in Salou, but we did not go there (it may also have been closed for the season).  The city of Tarragona is just 10km away from Salou, a quick train ride for €2.50.  An intact Roman Aqueduct, Roman Amphitheater, Archeological ruins, and Tarragona Cathedral are great attractions to make time for.

Transportation to the Timeshare in Salou

There are over 2000 toll roads in Spain.  So, if you are renting a car, it is good to check the highways before you go to see which ones will be toll roads.  The price is nearly doubled during the summer and quite expensive.  If you do take the toll roads, it’s easy to get in the lane marked ”Automático,” as these are for drivers paying with credit card.  “Manual” lanes have an attendant (but are often backed up) and take cash or credit card.  Most of the other highways that we took were not toll roads.  But the train system along the coast is very reliable and inexpensive. And we took that in to Barcelona for 1 day of our trip to avoid the tolls.

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