Insanely beautiful Spanish seaside city with theme park named cheapest for Brits

A Spanish seaside city is branded a have-it-all destination for families this summer, with beaches, an extra-long promenade and its own theme park.

Salou in Costa Dourada has been dubbed Spain's best valued all-inclusive break for families in 2025, and there's more than enough to do for a seven or 14-night getaway. Just over two hours from London airports, the flight is also a quick one for anyone with young children.

Travel Supermarket compiled a list of cheapest European destinations and Salou made the cut. The comparison website said: "You’ll have a good range of options for great-value all-inclusive breaks, too. Chilled Cambrils, lively Sitges and lovely Calafell are all top choices, as are Salou and La Pineda. Base yourself at either if you’re travelling with the family: PortAventura World, the home of Ferrari Land, as well as a theme park and water park, is less than 10 minutes’ drive from both resorts."

Tourists have two main beaches to choose from, with Platja de Llevant being the main one. It is set-up for visitors and includes all the usual amenities, such as toilets and showers, but also has volleyball pitches and playgrounds. Playa de Ponent is another highly-rated and clean beach with lifeguards, bars and restaurants.

Is it crowded?

Spain has long suffered with overtourism, with big cities such as Barcelona and Seville squeezed to capacity in high season. And Salou doesn't necessarily escape the hustle and bustle of tourists, especially in the summer. On average it attracts two million visitors per year, with its theme park being a major draw in itself. It is also named as one of the biggest tourist areas on the Costa Dourada coastline.

Salou consistently comes out on top as being an affordable holiday hotspot. Love Holidays offers family-orientated hotels for £269 per person in July, with full-board options up to £469.

Package holiday firm TUI also offers similar prices, including hotels with kids clubs for around £383 per person in the May half-term. Some half-board options also include free kids places, which can almost slash the price of a holiday in half. All inclusive options come in at around £600 per person, but there's still the option for kids to travel free, which will reduce the overall cost.

What do reviews say?

TripAdvisor is brimming with positive reviews about the city's beaches, including Playa de Ponent, with one person adding: "More traditional local Spanish Beach, than the other beaches in Salou. You feel like you are in a different resort.To the right of the Port, going up to Cambrils. Clean golden sand, gradual shallow water, safe for children.

"There's a children's play area, Locals often meet at the weekend to have children's Birthday Parties, bringing their own tables ,chairs & food." However, reviews weren't as glowing for Port Aventura's aqua park, with one tourist branding it "overcrowded" in September last year.

She said: "Very disappointed. Queues were very long we queued for 30 mins for one ride then gave up. Enjoyed the lazy river but again had to queue 30 mins to get a float. No sunbeds left, park was very over crowded - they need to rethink how many people to let in at a time. Cleanliness standards were very poor - toilets especially."