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Exhibits covering the whole history of science, from the Big Bang to the computer age, are housed in this museum, one of the most modern in Europe. Highlights include an interactive tour of the geological history of our planet, an area of real Amazonian rain forest, and a planetarium.

At the end of the Platja de Sant Pol in Sant Feliu de Guíxols is the start of a beautiful, coastal path that winds north through shady tamarind trees with views of rocky coves and the Mediterranean. Around the headland and down a stairway, you will find the fabulous beach of Sa Conca, voted the sixth best in Spain.

With its wide sandy beaches and shallow waters, the Costa Daurada differs from the northern Catalonian coastline. The sleepy town of Torredembarra is a pleasant and rarely busy family resort, but the jewel in the crown is undoubtedly Sitges. It’s the summer home to Barcelona’s chic crowd, as well as being a popular gay resort (Top 10 Gay Hot Spots in Sitiges). All this gives it a cosmopolitan and frenetic feel, but the town never reaches the tacky excesses of some of the Costa Brava’s resorts

This long-established gallery exhibits one of the finest line-ups of international contemporary artists in Barcelona.

A perennial favourite are croquettes; tasty fried morsels of bechamel, usually with ham, chicken or tuna.

A 11 km (7 mile) run with thousands of participants.

A 10 km (6 mile) run through Barcelona’s centre.

An eclectic range of gadgets and gifts in a shop that doubles as an exhibition space for upand-coming designers and more established artists.

This giant delta is a patchwork of paddy fields. The wide expanse of the River Ebre is a nature reserve for migratory birds and has scores of bird-watching stations.