Calafell is a beautiful village on the Spanish coast. Throughout the whole year lots of tourists visit this Mediterranean climate place to enjoy their vacation. If you are looking to relax in the sun while also exploring amazing sights, then Calafell is the place to be! After reading this blog you will know more about Calafell’s environment, nightlife, culture, public transport, housing, health care and some words to get you started.

City overview

Calafell on Catalonia’s Costa Dorada is a historic hilltop town 1.5 km from its coastal counterparts Segur and Calafell Beach. The area is a popular holiday destination, located between Tarragona and Barcelona, about 47 km from Reus airport and 60 km from Barcelona airport. From among Calafell’s monumental heritage it is worth highlighting the medieval castle with its walled enclosure, the Romanesque church of Santa Creu, from the Lombardic age -11th century- and with remains of mural paintings.

Calafell has a population of 25,444 people and is an area of 20.4 km2. There are over 20 bars in Calafell and 6 clubs to have an entertaining night out. Calafell is the ideal destination for those looking to combine a beach vacation with the chance to explore the Costa Dorada and some of the area’s wonderful medieval and Roman towns, including Calafell itself.

Environment

Calafell is a perfect destination if you are looking for that Mediterranean weather and the beautiful coastline, but a little less crowded place than Barcelona.Summers in Calafell are short, warm, muggy, and mainly clear; winters are long, cold, windy, and partially cloudy; and the weather is dry all year. The temperature normally ranges from 4°C to 28°C throughout the year, with temperatures rarely falling below 0°C or rising over 33°C. The warm season lasts for 2.9 months, from June 20 to September 17, with an average daily high temperature of over 25°C. August is the hottest month in Calafell, with average highs of 28°C and lows of 20°C. From November 20 to March 23, the cool season lasts 4.1 months, with an average daily high temperature below 17°C. January is the coldest month in Calafell, with an average low of 5°C and a high of 14°C

The average percentage of the sky covered by clouds in Calafell varies significantly during the year due to seasonal variations. Calafell’s clearer season starts around June 15 and lasts for 2.7 months, finishing around September 5. In Calafell, the clearest month of the year is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly overcast 85 percent of the time. The cloudier season starts around September 5 and lasts 9.3 months, finishing around June 15. Calafell experiences the most cloudy weather in October, with the sky being overcast or mostly cloudy 44 percent of the time.

There is also a lot to do and see outside of Calafell. You can visit the big cities along the coast of Spain such as Barcelona or Valencia. If you are looking for some amazing nature spots in Catalonia you should visit Aigüestortes i estany de sant maurici national park, Pedraforca mountain, Montserrat or Cap de Creus. These beautiful places will make you fall in love with Catalonia.

Culture and Nightlife

Calafell is located in the center of the Baix Penedès region; gateway to the Costa Daurada, its economy is heavily dependent on tourism. There are also notable historical sites such as the Iberian Citadel and the Casa Barral Museum. The charming town offers typical small-town amenities and services, with a selection of shops, bars and restaurants. For more options, just walk down the hill towards Segur and Calafell beach, where you’ll find a shopping center, open-air markets and tourist shops in the area called La Platja, the old fishing area or towards the new Marina de Calafell.

For eating out there are lots of choices, all tastes are catered for. Besides delicious local seafood catches, you will also find a good selection of international restaurants. A signature dish of the region that you must try is Fideua with Allioli, a delicious shrimp stew dipped in garlic sauce. Restaurants in Calafell are rather cheap as well! You can order Fideua for the small price of €18.

Even though the nightlife in Calafell is not as buzzing as in Barcelona, you can really enjoy a night out. Carrer de Monturiol is where all the fun is after midnight. In this street you can find multiple bars and clubs to go out and enjoy the Spanish nightlife. In contrast to Barcelona, in Calafell they play local, Spanish music so you can get to know the Spanish clubbing scene.

In Catalonia there are 12 public annual holidays. St. John is a holiday on the 24th of June and is the biggest party of the year. During this holiday you can really absorb the Spanish culture and party all night long. The following are national holidays in Catalonia during 2022:

Public transport

Next to several bus stops in the village, Calafell among other cities in Catalonia has a train station. The train services are provided by the company Renfe. Renfe has an app called Renfe Cercanias available for Android and iOS. With this app you can easily plan your train journey by selecting the date and train station you want to travel to. Besides this app, you can of course use Google Maps as well to plan your trip.

This train station is connected to other villages and cities on the Mediterranean coastline (see image below). The train goes in two directions: one towards Sant Vicenç de Calders and the other in the direction of Barcelona. To access the train you have to buy a train ticket at the station. Without it you cannot surpass the gates on the station. These tickets are very cheap. You can for example go to the airport and Barcelona for only €5,50. Besides the ticket being cheap, the ride is also beautiful! While you are on your way to your next destination, you can enjoy the view of several beaches along the coast of Spain.

Barcelona is only one hour away from Calafell, so you can also spend your free time visiting La Sagrada Família, the stadion of FC Barcelona or view the beautiful work of Anton Gaudi. You can swiftly move around in Barcelona with the 8 metro lines that go through the city. Other nice cities in the area are Vilanova I la Geltrú and Sitges. Vilanova is a great city to go shopping with stores such as ZARA and Bershka. Sitges has a beautiful environment to explore and it is famous for its Carnival.

Aside from taking the train there are other ways to explore Calafell and its surroundings. In Segur Calafell you can rent electric scooters and bikes for affordable prices. With a scooter or bike you can spend the day touring across the Boulevard or you can take your journey uphill to see the medieval parts of the town Calafell.

Housing

If you are looking to rent a living space in Calafell, there are plenty of websites to help you find available apartments and rooms in the area. Prices are very reasonable in Calafell and surrounding villages, much cheaper than housing in Barcelona for example. You can rent rooms for as little as €300 per month and apartments for only €600 per month. Some people that work in Barcelona actually rent rooms in Calafell because it is way more affordable. Furthermore, many landlords rent out their apartments because for them it is their second residence. They live in towns land inwards and spend their summers in their apartment near the coast.

Below are some useful website for renting apartments and rooms in the area of Calafell:

When you are searching for a living space in Calafell, you should pay attention to the address of the apartment or room. The reason for this is because on one side of the train tracks (land inwards) Calafell gets really steep. So if you work on the coastline of Calafell and you rent a room land inwards, you have to keep in mind the steepness of your walk or bike ride to work.

It is good to know that in Spain security is taken very seriously. Most houses and apartments have some sort of fences or bars to lock the windows and sliding doors. Also door alarms are not just for expensive looking houses. Furthermore, it is not usual to invite strangers over to your house, because people are afraid that they might get robbed. So if you rent a room in someone’s house, it is good to keep this in mind.

Healthcare

The Seguridad Social is in charge of healthcare in Spain. This is the Spanish state’s health insurance fund, which also handles different employee sickness benefits and unemployment benefits. As an employee, you are automatically registered with the Seguridad Social by the employer, including your family members.You will be given a number and an insurance card once you have registered. With this you can be helped at the doctor’s office, the hospital, and other facilities. Dental care is relatively minimal. You can insure yourself through a private health insurance policy to get reimbursed for things like dentist visits and other extra services.

If you work for a company, it is likely that the company has a contract with Mutua, a group insurance coverage for employees. The Mutua works together with the Seguridad Social. This company is also liable for payments if an employee becomes ill or has an accident at work.You can of course also seek alternative healthcare in Spain. Homeopathic medications are sold in pharmacies, and there are many skilled therapists in all kinds of fields. In case you have a medical or other emergency you can call one of the emergency numbers in Spain listed below.

Some words to get you started

Catalan is the most spoken language in Calafell, but Spanish will also get you a long way. Some locals speak a little English but you can’t count on getting by in Calafell without learning a little Catalan or Spanish. Therefore, here are some words and sentences to get you started in Calafell