It’s difficult not to like charming Tarragona, perched seaside on the edge of the pretty Costa Dorada just south of bustling Barcelona. For one thing, there are all the ubiquitous Mediterranean cafés, plenty of aromatic tapas bars touting bubbling pans of Spanish paella, and a seemingly endless array of sun-kissed cobbled plazas to wander. For another, Tarragona boasts some of the most fascinating Roman ruins in all of Iberia, drawing history buffs eager to glimpse the relics of ancient Tarraco—now a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the crumbling El Pont del Diablo aqueduct abuts a glorious amphitheatre and circus. And then there are the beaches, edging their way into the Balearic Sea from Salou to La Pineda and packed to the brim with family-friendly waterparks, sprawling hotel resorts and charming coastal markets, all overlooked by a Mediterranean balcony. After dark, be sure to quiz your Tarragona tourist guide about the clubs and pubs of El Port, where expats and locals gather to sip sangria to the sunset.