Costa Dorada live webcams

The golden coast

The Costa Dorada, Costa Daurada in Catalan, is the coastline of the province of Tarragona, named after its fine golden sand. In the north, Calafell and Torredembarra have long, open beaches and relaxed seafronts. In the middle, past the Roman city of Tarragona, the long beach of La Pineda leads to Salou and Cambrils, the resorts most British and Irish visitors know, with the PortAventura theme park just behind them and Reus airport a few miles inland. South of Cambrils the coast breaks up into small coves and pine woods around L'Ametlla de Mar, a fishing town famous for its tuna, before the flat rice fields and lagoons of the Ebro Delta, one of the great bird-watching places of Europe.

Who runs the cameras

Several of these webcams belong to the towns themselves. Salou council streams live video of Llevant beach and the little cove of Capellans; Torredembarra's tourist office has two live cameras over La Paella beach and the seafront, and its marina adds a third; L'Ametlla de Mar's tourist board streams its beach and fishing port on YouTube, and Vila-seca council does the same with La Pineda beach. In the Ebro Delta, the bird charity SEO/BirdLife streams a reserve lagoon live with sound. Above Cambrils harbour a feratel camera pans across the beach and the marina, while 3Cat, Catalonia's public broadcaster, publishes still pictures with the latest weather from Calafell, Tarragona, Cambrils, L'Ametlla and Amposta, on the Ebro. Many of the views can also be replayed as a 24-hour time-lapse from Windy.

When to watch the Costa Dorada

The coast is on Spanish time, one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland all year. Its beaches face south and south-east, so mornings bring low sun on the water and the calmest sea, and on summer afternoons a sea breeze usually ruffles the bays. The sea is warmest in August and coolest in February and March, and easterly storms bring the big waves in autumn and winter.