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Last summer a friend of mine asked if I wanted to join her on a road trip to her house in the Catalonia region of Spain. Being that we were in the middle of a pandemic I thought it was a great way not only to get away but also to travel safely. Aside from a few trips to Barcelona I had never been to that part of Spain.

We loaded the trunk and hit the road for a 7-hour drive to Coma-ruga, a seaside resort destination about 1-hour south of Barcelona.

Upon arrival I was taken by the beautiful stretch of beach.

I was able to take daily strolls in the August heat thanks to a handmade straw hat that I picked up while on a trip to the Canary Islands a few years ago. The foliage in Coma-Ruga is incredible. Stunning flowering trees against Spanish architecture with sparsely growing palm trees dotting the beach left me day dreaming.

When I wasn’t strolling the surrounding area, I would spend the morning on the sun-drenched beach. Following the long distressing lockdown, it was easy to find a spot in the sand beneath an umbrella where I could read my paperback and listen to my Tidal playlist.

We spent a day in the neighboring port city of Tarragona, with its towering cathedral and roman ruins. We complemented our visit with a gorgeous plate of lobster paella and a chilled glass of white wine.

When travel begins to pick up again and if you are looking for a hidden destination outside of the more popular Spanish cities, then consider this region.