Mataró is a city in Catalonia, Spain.

Get in

Take a train from Barcelona airport; travelling time is 1 hour. One-way tickets are €2.25, and a T-10 Zone 3 ticket is €17.40 for 10 trips in either direction. All trains leaving the airport pass through Mataró; they depart half-hourly between 6am and 11pm.

Taxis from the train station to hotels in the center of Mataró are approximately €3.

Get around

It's small enough to walk just about anywhere in Mataro. If you're feeling particularly lazy though - the Mataro Bus network has 10 different lines and a very clearly laid out map at every bus stop (EUR 2.00 per journey or you can use a T-10 single zone card).

See

Some Roman ruins.

Various architectural works by Puig i Cadafalch.

Do

• Hire a boat at the marina.
• Run or swim at the beach.
• Rock climb on the artificial wall in one of Mataró's parks.

Buy

The buzzing market at Placa de Cuba (every Saturday morning) is good to pick up fresh fruit and veg - as well as to soak up the atmosphere.

Eat

• Pizzeria Lluis, Baixada Escaletes 10, 93 796 29 68. Great food, friendly staff and quite cheap—pasta dishes for €5-6. They only have menus in Catalan, though, so you may need to ask the staff for advice.
• Nou Mundial, ☏ +34 93 789 15 97. Camí Ral, 548. This bar and restaurant serves a variety of good food, including pizza (€8-€9), paella (€10-€15), seafood and tapas. They cope surprisingly well with large groups of foreigners with no reservations. 
• La botigueta del Malambo Camí Ral 540. 93 798 80 59. Food to take away and products from Argentina. Weekend menu 11.95€.
• Cavall D'Or, Camí Ral, 624, 93 757 87 10. Cheap and tasty Chinese food, such as Sizzling Chicken Plate for €6.45.

Sleep

• Xanascat the National Network of Youth Hostels for all of Catalonia. Rates from €15 to €24
• NH Ciutat de Mataró, ☏ +34 937 575 522, ✉ nhciutatdemataro@nh-hotels.com. Camí Ral, 648. Room rates from €57 to €125. 
• Hotel Castell de Mata, ✉ info@hotelcastelldemata.com. State highway II, Km. 649. tel 937 901 044 or 937 901 045. fax 937 551 117. Room rates €72. 
• Alberg Can Soleret. Rda. Països Catalans. tel 937 575 707 or 933 026 162. fax 937 579 015. email cansoleret@accac.es. This youth hostel is some distance from the city center. Beds from €16.