Finding a £400 holiday abroad in August is like England winning the Euros: highly unlikely but with infuriating glimmers of hope to keep you unrealistically optimistic. However, finding such a holiday this summer can be done — you’ll just have to be as flexible as an acrobat on timing, able to stay into school termtime and happy with a pre-dawn journey to the airport.
Take easyJet Holidays’ seven-nighter in the Spanish town of Salou, on the Costa Dorada — cheap’n’cheerful but ever so charming. The Costa Dorada (Golden Coast) is the stretch of Catalan coastline south of Barcelona — for this holiday you’d fly into the lesser-known Reus airport. Here, around Salou, Tarragona and Cambrils, you’ll find craggy coastline, profusions of pine trees, sunlit paths (so bring your trainers) and seductive bays in palest powder blue.
There’s a bit of nightlife buzz in Salou (students and twentysomethings fill the bars), but it’s balanced with plenty of family-friendly atmosphere and townspeople basking on the beach. Hotel Salou Beach, your base for this £405pp bargain, does feels somewhat like a throwback to the golden age of Spanish tourism, being a wedding-cake stack of curvaceous white balconies overhanging a free-form pool. But if you like your buildings architecture slightly retro you’ll find it delightful — and it’s mercifully smart, modern and bright inside.
It’s a six-minute walk to the nearest beach, Capellans, a sweep of champagne-pale sand to which locals flock in summer. It’s framed by nature, with crumbling ochre rocks and pines leading to paved clifftop paths.
You could simply ping-pong back and forth between the hotel’s chilled pool terrace and the sandy beaches nearby (also including Vilafortuny, Ponent, Llevant and Llarga), but you’ll get a lot out of exploring the more rugged parts of the sun-kissed coastline too. See it on sailing or kayaking jaunts with Club Nautic Salou or while walking the 5½-mile coastal path from Pilons to the lighthouse on Cap Salou. Along this trail you’ll see Antoni Rosselló’s dramatic Sail sculpture, human-sized succulents and broad Mediterranean views — great for hunting out your beach trip for the following day.
You might also drop by the lovely coastal town of Tarragona, home to Roman ruins and elegant wine bars, or head out for a chic waterfront lunch in neighbouring Cambrils. One must-try dish in Salou is fideua, a cousin of paella made using vermicelli noodles and a rich seafood broth. If you’re tempted to go further afield there is wine-tasting just inland around the Priorat region (about an hour’s drive from Salou), which is all vine-striped hillsides and russet-roofed farmhouses.
There is quite a lot bundled into this package, but the trade-off for that sparkling price is a room-only board basis. If you are desperate for breakfast at your digs you could add it on for £63pp for the week, but we’d probably opt for a wander into Salou, where there is a handful of bakeries and brunch spots on your doorstep — perhaps even go for a takeaway croissant and coffee on the beach.
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What you get for your £405pp
• Return Luton-Reus flights with easyJet, departing on August 31
• 23kg hold luggage
• Shuttle bus transfers
• Seven nights’ room only with balcony or terrace (easyjet.com)
Feeling flush? If you’re inspired and have more cash to splash try one of these …
The £700 holiday
Golden Costa Salou has three swimming pools
Maybe you want more from your hotel. How about a child-free environment with three swimming pools (indoor, outdoor and rooftop) and a spa? That’s what you’ll get at Golden Costa Salou, which stands on La Pineda beach, the other side of the Cap de Salou. This two-mile stretch of sand is known for its blue-flag cleanliness and has a quieter, more family-focused scene than Salou — more mini-golf and waterparks than bars and restaurants. There is also a bar hosting live music after dark.
Details Seven nights’ half-board from £656pp, including flights and transfers, departing on August 31 (firstchoice.co.uk)
The £1,000 holiday
Monica hotel is a minute’s walk from the beach
Four miles by road west of Salou, beachy Cambrils is known for being a little quieter and more couples-focused than its lively neighbour. Here, Monica Hotel has a lovely, grassy garden in which to lounge, with palms and pools for adults and children. There’s also a chic blue-and-white cocktail bar for sundowners and balconies have views of the marina. This stylish, modern hotel is a minute’s walk from the broad, sandy Prat d’En Fores y Regueral beach. Everything from the morning pastries to the hot tub in the spa has a little more luxury layered on, with all the same perks on your doorstep — and Jet2 bundles in an extra night too.
Details Eight nights’ half-board from £937pp, including flights and transfers, departing on August 31 (jet2holidays.com)
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