Cambrils is a working fishing port and beach town of about 37,000 people on the Costa Daurada, a few kilometres south-west of Salou. It suits travellers who want a long sandy waterfront and a harbour where the fleet still comes in, with seafood as the main reason to eat out. It is also a practical base for day trips to Tarragona and Reus. It is part of our Costa Dorada guide.
Quick facts
- Where: Cambrils, province of Tarragona, in the Baix Camp comarca, directly on the coast.
- Residents: 37,042 (1 January 2025, INE).
- Beaches: yes, in town. The tourist board lists Vilafortuny at 1,762 m, La Llosa at about 2,000 m and Prat d’en Forés-Regueral at 937 m.
- Distances: about 7 km to Salou, about 17 km to Tarragona and about 10 km to Reus, all in a straight line (our own calculation from map points, not road distances).
- Nearest airport: Reus, about 12 km in a straight line; BusPlana buses link it with PortAventura, Salou and Cambrils.
- Train: regional line R16 connects Tortosa with Cambrils, Tarragona and Barcelona.
- Language: Catalan and Spanish; Spanish works everywhere.
- Character: fishing port and family beach town. The Costa Daurada tourist board calls it the gastronomic capital of the coast.
Where to base yourself
Cambrils is a long, flat town stretched along the sea, so the choice is mostly about which end of the waterfront and how close to the harbour you want to be.
The harbour and port promenade
This is the part of town with the fishing fleet, the Torre del Port and the Red Lighthouse. It suits couples and food-minded visitors who want to walk to dinner and watch the port. It is also where evenings are busiest in summer, so light sleepers should ask for a room away from the main restaurant streets.
Vilafortuny and the eastern beaches
Vilafortuny lies east of the town centre along the seafront promenade, next to L’Esquirol. The tourist board describes fine, golden sand, calm clear water, a children’s play area and a cycle path along the front. It is the natural choice for families who want to be on the sand every morning and are happy to walk or cycle to the harbour.
La Llosa and the western side
La Llosa is an urban beach about 2,000 m long between L’Ardiaca and Horta de Santa Maria, overlooked by the promenade. Staying here puts you on a long beach with coarse golden sand and a flat entrance, with the harbour reachable on foot or by bike.
If you want theme parks and a big nightlife scene in the evening, stay in Salou and come to Cambrils for dinner. If you want city sightseeing, base yourself in Tarragona.
Things to do
Cambrils is a place for an unhurried few days rather than a long list of monuments. The harbour, one small tower, one remarkable garden and the beaches fill a short stay; bigger sights are a short trip away.
The fishing harbour
The tourist board describes a working port with 13 trawlers, 4 light boats for sardines and anchovies and 7 trammel boats for sole, red mullet and cuttlefish. The Fishermen’s Guild dates back to at least the 18th century. The boats come in in the late afternoon, except on Sundays, and the catch of sardines, hake, monkfish and prawns is sold at the market the same afternoon. Times shift with the season and the weather, so treat the unloading as something to look out for rather than book.
The Cambrils tourist board also runs guided harbour visits, the Route of the Senses, which must be booked in advance and is described as suitable for families. For a longer outing, Pesca Turismo lets visitors go out with professional fishermen early in the morning, and a lighter version uses a tourist boat that approaches the fishermen while they cast their nets.
Red Lighthouse and the Torre del Port
The Red Lighthouse on the Moll de Ponent was built to complete a port of refuge. According to the tourist board, works began in May 1933 and lasted until 1957. It is the classic sunset and harbour photograph.
The Torre del Port is a 17th-century coastal watchtower in the middle of the port promenade. The town’s own museum pages say it passed into private hands in 1894, that a second floor was added in 1948 and that the council bought it in 1993. It is classified as a national cultural asset and opens only intermittently for temporary exhibitions, so ask at the tourist office at Passeig de les Palmeres 1 before you plan around it.
Parc Samà
About 5 km from Cambrils towards Montbrió, Parc Samà makes a good half day away from the sea. The tourist board describes it as a historic, botanical and zoological park of 14 hectares, classified as a Cultural Asset of National Interest and part of the European Network of Historical Gardens. The modernist design is attributed to Josep Fontserè with the collaboration of Antoni Gaudí. The park is tied to the story of the Marchioness of Marianao and to emigration to the Americas and return from them.
Inside you will find more than 800 palm trees, a lake with ducks and turtles, a waterfall with exotic birds, an Indian labyrinth of about one hectare and a wine-cellar museum. The tourist board page we read gives no opening hours or prices, so confirm both with the tourist office before you go.
Beaches and places nearby
The coastline runs for several kilometres of urban sand with a promenade behind it. The three beaches below are described on the Costa Daurada tourist board’s pages.
- Prat d’en Forés-Regueral is 937 m long, a mix of fine and coarse golden sand with a gentle slope into calm, clear water. It is the beach closest to the town centre and sits beside the yacht club, which runs water sports courses.
- Vilafortuny is 1,762 m long with fine golden sand, a children’s play area, beach bars, sunbed hire and a ramp and amphibious chair for people with reduced mobility.
- La Llosa is about 2,000 m long with coarse golden sand, a lifeguard post, a children’s playground and a nautical school.
The tourist board lists four Cambrils beaches with the Blue Flag but gives no year on those pages. The flag is renewed each season, so check the current list before relying on it. Night-time rod fishing is allowed on these beaches from 9 pm to 3 am, which is worth knowing if you plan a late evening swim or walk.
Skip these beaches if you want a wild cove: this is an organised family coast with a built-up front.
Within easy reach:
- Salou, about 7 km away in a straight line, for its beaches and as the gateway to PortAventura.
- Tarragona, about 17 km away, the nearest city, for sightseeing.
- Reus, about 10 km away, the nearest large town, for a city day out.
- Mont-roig del Camp, another coastal town of the Baix Camp comarca.
Other town guides nearby: Torredembarra (about 30 km in a straight line).
On CostaMap near Cambrils: PortAventura World (8.5 km).
Food and drink
Seafood is the reason many people come. The fleet lands sardines, hake, monkfish and prawns, so look for the day’s catch on the menu and ask the kitchen what came in. The tourist board’s harbour guide recommends rice dishes made with Ebro Delta bomba rice and a noodle dish with galera shrimp, adapted from the food fishermen cooked on board.
The galera is the subject of a gastronomic festival that the tourist board says takes place in February, with around fifty chefs, some of them Michelin-starred. We have no year for it, so check the dates with the tourist office.
We do not name individual restaurants, because we could not check their current quality. A simple rule works well: choose places in the streets behind the front, where locals eat, and look for fish and rice dishes made to order rather than long photo menus.
Where to stay
Expect a mix of hotels, apartments and campsites along the coast, aimed mostly at families and at people who come back every summer. We did not read a lodging listing for Cambrils, so we do not quote prices. In general, prices rise in July and August and fall in winter, so book early for a summer week. If you want to leave the car behind, choose somewhere within walking distance of the promenade and a bus or train stop.
Staying right at the harbour is more atmospheric but noisier on summer evenings. The eastern beaches around Vilafortuny are calmer and better for families with small children. If a theme park is the main aim, Salou is closer to the gates.
Getting there and around
By air, fly into Reus airport, about 12 km in a straight line from the town. Aena lists BusPlana buses from the airport to PortAventura, Salou and Cambrils, timed to flight arrivals, and a separate service to Tarragona. We did not find journey times on that page, so check the operator’s timetable before you travel.
By train, the regional R16 line connects Tortosa with Cambrils, Tarragona and Barcelona, according to Rodalies de Catalunya. The line is 172 km long in total; the page gives no journey times for the Cambrils stops.
By car, you are close to Salou and Tarragona, and a car makes Parc Samà and the inland villages much easier. In the town itself you can walk almost everywhere along the front, and a cycle path runs beside the beaches. Parking near the harbour and the beaches is tightest on summer evenings and weekends.
Best time to visit
Summer is the classic beach season, with the promenade and harbour restaurants at their busiest. June and September give you the same coast with fewer people, and the walking and cycling are pleasant in spring and autumn. In winter many beach services close or reduce hours, but the harbour and the town continue to work. For forecasts and monthly climate figures, check AEMET before you book.
FAQ
Is Cambrils worth visiting?
Yes, if you want a working harbour, seafood and long town beaches without the theme-park crowds of Salou. It is less suited to travellers who want big nightlife or a lot of monuments.
How far is Cambrils from Salou?
About 7 km in a straight line, our own calculation from map points. The road and bus journeys are a little longer.
Which Cambrils beach is best for families?
Vilafortuny has a children’s play area, beach bars, calm clear water and a ramp for people with reduced mobility, according to the Costa Daurada tourist board. Prat d’en Forés-Regueral has a similar play area and is closest to the centre.
How do I get from Reus airport to Cambrils?
BusPlana runs buses from the airport to PortAventura, Salou and Cambrils, timed to flight arrivals, according to Aena. Check the operator’s timetable for the day you land.
What is Parc Samà?
A historic garden and park of 14 hectares, about 5 km from Cambrils towards Montbrió, with more than 800 palm trees. It is classified as a Cultural Asset of National Interest and was designed by Josep Fontserè with the collaboration of Antoni Gaudí.
Sources and freshness
Last checked: October 2026. Sources: INE, population of Tarragona municipalities; Cambrils tourism, Parc Samà; Cambrils tourism, gastronomic route and harbour; Costa Daurada tourist board, Cambrils with the five senses; Costa Daurada, Vilafortuny beach; Costa Daurada, Prat d’en Forés-Regueral beach; Costa Daurada, La Llosa beach; Ajuntament de Cambrils, Torre del Port; Cambrils tourism; Aena, Reus airport buses; Rodalies de Catalunya, line R16; OpenStreetMap Nominatim, coordinates; AEMET.
Main photo: Manuel pino, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Nearby on the Costa Dorada
Cambrils on the map
Places worth knowing near Cambrils
How this page is maintained. CostaMap is written and maintained by an AI editorial system built by ebizapple. Facts are drawn from primary sources — town halls, museums, port and heritage authorities and the Spanish archaeological record — and where sources disagree, we say so rather than smooth it over. Photographs marked as ours are taken on location. This page was last reviewed on 28 October 2026. Opening hours, prices and transport change; check the official source before you travel.