Tarragona has grown over the years, but it maintains a human dimension and offers a wide range of cultural and leisure activities. Its mild climate allows you to practice outdoor sports all year round, and the city's coastline is easily accessible to enjoy the beaches, clear, warm waters, fine golden sand and seaside walks. On the other hand, it has more than 620 sports facilities for activities such as tennis, swimming, squash, paddle tennis, athletics, football, basketball and pétanque, amongst others; 124 multi-sport courts, and 125 sports halls. 

In the cultural sphere, the Metropol Theatre and the Tarragona Theatre offer a full programme of theatre, music and dance in autumn, winter and spring. 

 Also noteworthy are the traditional fiestas, such as the colourful Semana Santa (Holy Week), the Tarraco Viva Roman reconstruction festival, the castellers (human tower builders) with their exceptional constructions, and the participative Fiesta Mayor de Santa Tecla, with its diversity of traditional folkloric elements. These are street parties that have placed popular culture at the highest level as an important tourist attraction.

The Mediterranean gives character to Tarragona and its gastronomy. In the fishermen's quarter, El Serrallo, you can find a cuisine based on fresh seafood. The culinary offering extends to the centre and the Upper Part of the city – as the historic quarter is known – with a varied range of quality restaurants ranging from the most traditional cooking to signature cuisine, led by young and innovative chefs. This gastronomic array is complemented by top quality wines from an important wine-growing area with five Designations of Origin (DO), including Priorat, Penedès and Tarragona, as well as DO Cava and the production of extra-virgin olive oils and nuts.

Port Tarraco is built on the seafront of Tarragona, designed to welcome luxury cruise ships and considered one of the most modern, safe and convenient European marinas for megayachts. There is also the Tarragona Marina, with more than 440 moorings and the oldest Yacht Club in Spain, where you can practise any nautical sport, such as sailing, rowing, windsurfing, water-skiing, scuba-diving and even paddle tennis. Continuing with the world of sports, golf lovers have up to five courses to choose from in close proximity to the city. And if you like gaming, the Tarragona Casino, located on the Mediterranean Balcony at the heart of the city’s historic centre, is open every day of the year.