Team sports in Catalonia
Pau Gasol and Ricky Rubio are two great NBA players but, before triumphing in the United States, they were the stars of their respective basketball clubs, FC Barcelona and Joventut de Badalona. Such high-level professionals don’t appear out of nowhere and grassroots sport is essential. Catalonia has numerous clubs which promote collective sports with facilities allowing them to be played by both amateur and professional teams. Team sports are popular here.
Football in Cataluña
Team sports on the Costa Daurada
Salou and Cambrils on the Costa Daurada have football, rugby and beach football pitches located next to the Mediterranean Sea for team sports. The Futbol Salou sports complex has 15 pitches with natural, hybrid and synthetic turf and almost 175,000 m2 of facilities available to the 20,000-plus sportspeople who visit it each year. The club hosts training sessions, organises tournaments and summer campuses and also offers accommodation at the Cambrils Park Resort.
You’ll also find a municipal sports area in Cambrils. It has three pitches with artificial turf, two multi-sports courts, an Olympic shooting gallery and an archery range, together with changing rooms and a bar. The Palau d’Esports in the same town has two sports halls, one with a synthetic surface for sports such as basketball, indoor football and handball and the other with terrazzo flooring for skating and roller hockey.
Team sports on the Costa Brava
On the Costa Brava towns such as Lloret de Mar and Blanes provide first-class facilities in a fabulous Mediterranean setting. Lloret de Mar has three football pitches, two with artificial turf and one with natural grass, all of which are equipped with floodlights and seating for at least 400 spectators. It also has two sports halls, the largest being the municipal one, with a multi-sports court and specialised halls, and the El Molí sports hall, which has two courts with parquet flooring.
The Ciutat Esportiva in Blanes is another top-class municipal facility, with more than 7,000 m2 of surface area, over four floors and six standard-sized courts that can be adapted to most team sports, including indoor soccer, basketball, handball and roller hockey. They are also suitable for volleyball, badminton, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, tennis, martial arts and so on.
Football in Calella
Team sports on the Costa Barcelona
In the metropolitan area of Barcelona, the facilities in the city of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, less than 20 minutes from the centre of the Catalan capital, are a perfect choice. The municipality has football pitches that can be reached by public transport, such as those in Santa Eulàlia and Feixa Llarga. The latter forms part of L’Hospitalet’s municipal stadium, which hosts sporting events for larger crowds, as it has over 6,000 seats and 5 press boxes.
A 45-minute drive away from Barcelona lies Calella, which has two football pitches, the municipal sports pitch, 102 x 60 metres in size with natural grass, and the Camp de Futbol Mar, which is literally next to the beach, with artificial turf covering an area totalling 95 x 50 metres.
A little further to the north, 50 minutes from the Catalan capital and also on the Costa Barcelona, you’ll find a football paradise. Soccerland Catalunya in Tordera is an area covering 150,000 m2 with 14 excellent-quality, natural grass pitches surrounded by nature. The facilities are kept in perfect condition all the year round and there’s even a holiday home in an old farmhouse to accommodate teams during their stays. The complex also has leisure, entertainment and picnic areas, a swimming pool and a network of hiking and mountain biking routes.
Could you ask for anything more?
Other experiences in Catalonia
Sport in Catalonia
If you’re looking for the ideal destination for a sporting holiday, Catalonia is the place for you. You’ll find a pleasant Mediterranean climate, first-class sports facilities and accommodation suited to your needs. Sport is much more than physical exercise. Come to Catalonia and see for yourself.
The best routes for experienced cyclists
Catalonia is a bicycle tourism paradise. More than 6,000 kilometres of roads and paths cover the region so you can discover its most privileged spots. You’ll find long routes designed to be covered over one or several days or to be travelled in various stages or circular routes from a base camp. There are also mountain routes through some of the natural settings of Catalonia which are ideal for intermediate-level and expert cyclists.
Take to the sea on the Costa Daurada and the Terres de l’Ebre
The Costa Daurada and the Terres de l’Ebre coastline invites you to sail and enjoy the feeling of freedom and at oneness with the sea. Sailing is a very popular water sport in the Catalan Mediterranean due to the pleasant climate and the coastline packed with plenty of beaches and coves where you can drop anchor. If you’re a sailing lover, there are lots of marine resorts and sailing clubs on the Costa Daurada which will teach you how to tame the wind and the waves on different courses.
A bicycle getaway with the family
From the Pyrenees in the north to Terres de l’Ebre in the south, following the Mediterranean coastline or delving into the wealth to be found inland, Catalonia provides a chance to enjoy a thrilling ride on two wheels with the whole family. As well as more demanding routes for experienced cyclists, there are also itineraries with gentle slopes and lanes that are suitable for everyone.
Fresh water descents in Catalonia
Do you want to go down rivers with descents of over six metres? Have you ever tried rowing down an Olympic-length race course? In Catalonia, if you go rowing or canoeing, you can combine your training at excellently equipped facilities with the thrill of descents and the excitement of new experiences.
Catalonia, a destination for triathletes
If there is something that makes Catalonia stand out, it’s the varied landscape and the pleasant temperatures throughout the year, making it an excellent choice for preparing the triathlon season. You’ll find everything you need in the towns on the Catalan coast; these are the links between the roads and trails in the natural parks, the roads that wind along the seafront, the waters of the Mediterranean and the outstanding sports facilities.
Swimming facilities in Catalonia
Are you looking for somewhere new to train and improve your technique in the water? Catalonia offers you outstanding facilities such as outdoor and indoor Olympic swimming pools suitable for competitive and synchronised swimming, diving and water polo. Some of these facilities are also equipped with platforms and diving boards for practising jumps and somersaults.
Elite tennis in Catalonia
It’s no coincidence that Catalonia has the largest number of tennis courts in Spain. With a history of racquet sports dating back over 100 years, it’s one of the pioneering locations where you can develop as a professional tennis player or simply enjoy a good match.
Catalonia, a huge golf course
Enjoy an authentic golfing experience in Catalonia. A total of 40 courses located beside the Mediterranean or surrounded by mountains and nature that are well-connected with Barcelona and the other Catalan capital cities. Most of them have received numerous international prizes such as the World Golf Awards, certifying them as high-quality courses to enjoy this sporting discipline on.
Live motor sport at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Catalonia is the birthplace of numerous motor sport greats, including the Márquez brothers, Dani Pedrosa, Maverick Viñales, Pedro de la Rosa, Marc Gené, Álex Crivillé, Pol Espargaró, Sito Pons and Sete Gibernau, among many others. It also hosts first-class competitions such as the Spanish F1 Grand Prix and the Catalan MotoGP Grand Prix.
Get a bird’s eye view of Catalonia doing a parachute jump
The beauty of the Costa Brava seen from its cliffs is spectacular, but it can be marvelled at from even higher up. Your chance to do so is provided by SkyDive Empuriabrava, a must-visit for adrenaline lovers. With their help you can reach an altitude of 4,000 metres and enjoy the thrill of falling through the sky with a parachute over a unique natural setting.
The most technical fencing in Catalonia
According to the records, fencing has been popular in Catalonia since the 13th century. This sporting discipline has a long-standing tradition in the region and nowadays places such as the Amposta Sports Technification Centre in Terres de l’Ebre continue to instruct fencing professionals.
Reach for the sky in Catalonia
The varied terrain of Catalonia, dotted with the high peaks of the Pyrenees and mountain ranges and ridges, makes it the ideal location for climbing. Even the legendary Californian climber Chris Sharma succumbed to the spell of this area many years ago and decided to settle and put down roots here.
Running events in Catalonia
Taking part in a marathon and covering 42,195 m is a major test for any athlete. In Catalonia the Barcelona Marathon has become increasingly popular year after year and it’s now the fifth largest in Europe in terms of the number of runners, after Paris, London, Berlin and Stockholm.