Mataró will once again host a stage start of the Volta a Catalunya on the Camí de la Geganta, a regular occurrence in the last decade, as it did so uninterruptedly between 2014 and 2019. For the first time on the route of the Volta in 1943, this will be the sixteenth time that Mataró will be present as a stage start or finish. The last finish was in the historic 100th edition in 2021, with a victory to remember for triple world champion Peter Sagan.
- 128.956 residents (2022, Idescat)
- El Maresme
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Mataró, capital of the Maresme region, enjoys a privileged location: situated between the sea and the coastal mountain range, it is only 30 minutes to the north of Barcelona and is very close to the most popular tourist towns in the region. The city has been able to gather and preserve traditions, history, heritage, culture and natural environment to offer it to its visitors today.
A stroll through the town centre reveals a wide range of quality shops and restaurants, including the traditional markets of El Rengle and Plaça de Cuba, with the best "Collits a Casa" ("home-grown") products from the farmers of the Cinc Sènies, the agricultural area.
This offer combines with an attractive and pleasant environment where you can be surprised by samples of the rich heritage: the Roman legacy of the ancient city of Iluro, the beauty of the Baroque complex of the Capella dels Dolors in the basilica of Santa Maria or the Nau Gaudí, the first work of the modernist architect Antonio Gaudí and currently home to the Museum of Contemporary Art where the Bassat Collection is exhibited, are just a few examples. This first-rate heritage can be discovered on guided tours or with the free audio guide service, available in five languages (Catalan, Spanish, English, French and Russian).
If you go to the seafront, you'll find beaches with "Q" tourist quality certifications and all the services you need for a good swim. The gastronomic and leisure offer in the maritime area is complemented by the Port of Mataró, a marina with more than a thousand moorings that offers nautical and underwater activities all year round.
If you love the mountains, you can go walking and hiking or cycling in the Parc del Montnegre i Corredor and, if you are an adventure lover, enjoy the Vertical Forest in the Parc Forestal.
Mataró is a city to discover all year round, but in summer the activity intensifies: at the end of July, the city explodes with the Festa Major de Les Santes, declared a Heritage Festival of National Interest. Giants, fireworks, concerts, the Nit Boja ("Crazy Night") and ‘castellers’ (human towers) performances are some of the main activities that take place there.
