By rail or road: five of the best car-free getaways from Barcelona

You may have heard that Barcelona isn't such a desirable travel destination these days. Between the throngs of tourists crowding the streets, soaring summer temperatures and a lack of affordable housing, many of the locals have had enough. The past couple of years have seen the Catalan capital grabbing the headlines not for its footballing prowess, tasty tapas or whimsical architecture, but for its water pistol-wielding protesters railing against overtourism.

Travellers, meanwhile, are caught between wanting to holiday in what is still one of Europe's most exciting cities for culture and food and the worry that they might not be welcome there.

But now the summer is over, the tourists are dissipating, and there are myriad ways to experience the city while taking the pressure off the main spots. Most locals (myself included) agree that October, November and even December are our favourite months here. The August heat-and-tourism waves are but a distant memory, and the weather stays gloriously sunny and balmy well into autumn (the sea is often at its warmest at this time of year too), making this the ideal time to snack on tapas and sip vino in Barcelona's sunny squares, or head off the beaten track in the Catalan countryside.

And there is more to Catalonia than Barcelona, of course.

Having lived in the city since 2010, I escape it as often as I can -- whether to one of the coast's 101 blue-flag beaches, or inland to the region's countless medieval villages, wineries, Michelin-starred restaurants and hiking routes. Better still, I'm able to do all this without a car, thanks to the excellent public transport system. Here are my best suggestions.

1.

Sant Sadurni d'Anoia

The green, gently rolling hills of the Penedes wine region, southwest of Barcelona, are where 95 per cent of Spain's cava is made. Its epicentre is Sant Sadurni d'Anoia, a small town with 12,000 inhabitants and more than 80 wineries. As well as high-volume fizz producers such as Cordoniu and Freixenet (the latter is right by the railway station and the first thing you'll spot on arrival), Sant Sadurni is also the place to go for some premium bubbles.

The Cordoniu winery is one of many in the region

ALAMY

My favourite is the Llopart winery (appointment only, from ?28; llopart.com). The short taxi ride from the station is a small price to pay to wander among the vines and visit the country mansion inherited in the 14th-century by an ancestor of the Llopart family, before getting tipsy on the top-notch bubbly they have been making here since 1887. For less of a schlep, Mestres, Recaredo and Juv? & Camps are in the town centre and well worth a visit.

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Steady yourself between winery visits with a hearty lunch at La Cava d'en Sergi , where specials include the soupy lobster paella and crispy suckling pig with green apple chutney and red wine sauce (mains from ?15; lacavadensergi.com).

Recover at the only hotel in town, Hostal Sant Sadurni, an impeccably clean, no-frills guesthouse in the town centre (room-only doubles from ?83; hss.com.es).

How to get there

Take the train (1hr) from Passeig de Gracia or Sants Station to Sant Sadurni d'Anoia (from ?4.50, buy tickets at the station)

o Read our full guide to Barcelona[1]

2. El Vendrell

Where the Penedes region meets the Mediterranean, El Vendrell is a former Roman settlement turned beach resort. In the 12th century the town was a trading hub on the Via Augusta, the main Roman road that crossed the Iberian peninsula, and the ancient remains from that era can still be seen in the town's archaeological museum.

History buffs will want to check out the Church of Sant Salvador, with its beautiful Renaissance and baroque architecture and 18th-century organ. There is also a museum dedicated to the celebrated Catalan musician cellist and conductor Pau Casals (?7; paucasals.org).

Le Meridien Ra Beach Hotel & Spa is one of the most stylish resorts on the Costa Dorada

But that's not why I go to El Vendrell. Le Meridien Ra Beach Hotel & Spa is not only the most elegant stay on the Costa Dorada, it is also home to one of Spain's largest spas (B&B doubles from ?150; marriott.com).

The newly renovated 7,200 sq m wellness facility includes a huge terrace with hydrotherapy areas; 35 treatment rooms, including a pink Himalayan salt cabin; and a rooftop with panoramic views of the Mediterranean. On the golden sands of Catalonia's Costa Dorada, the resort is in a former sanatorium, popular for the high concentration of healing minerals in the sea air. With its roomy, sea-facing suites and sprawling beach club, Le Meridien Ra is where I go to catch my breath.

It stays open year round, making it an ideal winter wellness getaway.

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How to get there

Take the train (1hr 30min) from Passeig de Gracia or Sants Station to El Vendrell or Calafell (from ?7, buy tickets at the station)

3. Tarragona

An often-overlooked southern Catalonian city, Tarragona has all the hallmarks of a travel hotspot. Smaller, sleepier and with a fraction of the tourists, it is like a miniature version of Barcelona.

The golden beach is almost two miles long and is half-empty most of the time, while the historic district is full of narrow, winding alleyways with barely a selfie stick in sight.

There's an impressive 12th-century cathedral, but the real draw is the 2nd-century Unesco-listed Roman amphitheatre, which once hosted gruesome gladiator battles in what was the Roman Empire's regional capital of Tarraco (?4; tarragona.cat). Granted, there is no Sagrada Familia, but fans of modernist architecture can take the train two stops to Gaud?'s birthplace of Reus to get their fill. Learn about his life and work at the Gaud?

Centre (?10; reusturisme.cat), before marvelling at Reus's modernist architecture.

The Roman amphitheatre in Tarragona is a Unesco-listed site ALAMY

The food in Tarragona is good too. In the port, La Xarxa serves steaming pans of paella topped with fresh seafood (mains from ?17; laxarxarestaurant.com), although I prefer El Terrat, where the Moroccan-born chef Moha Quach makes playful tasting menus -- think blue lobster, served with butter-glazed artichokes, garum and caviar -- from locally sourced seasonal ingredients (tasting menus from ?74; elterratrestaurant.com).

The poshest hotel in town is the surprisingly affordable beachfront H10 Imperial Tarraco, with its stylish rooms and a Soho House-worthy rooftop with swoony Mediterranean and amphitheatre views (room-only doubles from ?90; h10hotels.com).

How to get there

Take the train (1hr 10min) from Sants Station to Tarragona (from ?7.50, buy tickets at the station)

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o 14 of the best affordable hotels in Barcelona[2]

4. Sant Pol de Mar

Blessed with more than two and a half miles of beaches, Barcelona is one of the few big European cities where you can go for a swim without leaving town. That said, if you have been here you will know the artificial city beaches, built for the 1992 Olympics with imported sand, are actually a bit rubbish.

I tend to steer clear, opting instead to board the trains that trundle up and down the coast to Garraf, Gava, Ocata, Viladecans or -- if time allows -- Sant Pol de Mar.

Sant Pol is where I go for the clearest water without venturing to the Costa Brava, and the sandy beaches are so expansive they never get crowded, even in high season. It is also a culinary destination. While Carme Ruscalleda's three-Michelin-starred Sant Pau closed in 2018, her son Ra?l Balam has converted the space into the bistro-style Cuina Sant Pau (mains from ?19; cuina-santpau.cat).

The fine-dining artistry may have been replaced with seafood paellas and meaty stews, but Sant Pau is still a great stop for lunch, with a three-course prix-fixe menu that's a steal at ?23. A lack of quality accommodation makes the town more suited to day trips than overnight stays, but you will find functional rooms with sea views to die for at Hotel Gran Sol (B&B doubles from ?84; hotelgransol.info).

How to get there

Take the train (1hr) from Sants Station, Pla?a de Catalunya or Arc de Triomf (from ?5, buy tickets at the station)

5. Begur

The Costa Brava, with its hilltop medieval towns and aquamarine coves, is where Barcelona's upper crust own second homes.

They say the area has retained its exclusivity thanks to the absence of a railway line, making it harder for hoi polloi to get here. Harder, but not impossible, since there's a (rather slow) coach service from Barcelona.

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Begur is the spot I keep coming back to. The town is known for its the 16th-century castle, labyrinthine cobbled alleys, sun-drenched plazas and popular, postcard-perfect beaches -- Aiguablava is impossibly picturesque and perennially packed, while Sa Riera is marginally less idyllic but slightly less overrun.

I come to gorge myself at Toc al Mar, an unassuming-looking beach shack serving spiny sea creatures newly plucked from the Med and paella so perfect it will become the standard by which all your future paellas are judged (mains from ?20; tocalmar.cat).

Finca Victoria has 38 rooms and a stunning swimming pool

This year Begur has raised the stakes with the opening of Finca Victoria, a 38-room stunner of a hotel just off Sa Riera beach with dreamy sea views, a superb restaurant and a swimming pool that would not look out of place in The White Lotus (room-only doubles from ?164; hotelfincavictoria.com).

For guests arriving in Begur by bus, the hotel can arrange complimentary transfers or a local taxi service.

Once there, whizz around on the complimentary ebikes.

How to get there

Take the Moventis bus (about 2hr 30min) from Estacio del Nord or the airport (tickets from ?20; moventis.es)

References

1. ^ Barcelona (www.thetimes.com)
2. ^ 14 of the best affordable hotels in Barcelona (www.thetimes.com)