Mataró is a city of 127,000 people (2018) in Catalonia. Mataró is the birthplace of noucentista architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch, who designed the ajuntament (town hall) and several other notable buildings in the town. Nearby the town are the archaeological remains of the Roman villa of Can Llauder.
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 06:00 and 23:00.
Taxis from the train station to hotels in the centre 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:
- Casa Coll i Regàs
- Casa Parera
- Casa Sisternes
- El Rengle
- La Beneficiència
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.
- [dead link]Nou Mundial, Camí Ral, 548, ☏ 34 93 789 15 97. 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.
Drink
Sleep
- Xanascat the National Network of Youth Hostels for all of Catalonia. Rates from €15 to €24
- NH Ciutat de Mataró, Camí Ral, 648, ☏ 34 937 575 522, ✉[email protected]. Room rates from €57 to €125.
- Hotel Castell de Mata, State highway II, Km. 649, ☏ 34 937 901 044, 34 937 901 045, ✉[email protected]. Room rates €72.
- [dead link]Alberg Can Soleret, Rda. Països Catalans, ☏ 34 937 575 707, 34 933 026 162, ✉[email protected]. This youth hostel is some distance from the city centre. Beds from €16.