Vila-seca
Tarragona · Cataluña
Vila-seca (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈbilə ˈsɛkə]; literally 'Dry-town') is a municipality of the comarca of Tarragonès, in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain. It has a population of 23,917 (register office, 2025) . The historical name was Vila-seca de Solcina and since the 80's known as Vila-seca i Salou until Salou was segregated from Vila-seca on 1989, however the municipality includes the urban areas of La Plana and La Pineda. Vila-seca has a large petrochemical complex shared with Tarragona and La Canonja, including Repsol complex in El Morell makes one of the greatest petrochemical areas of Europe like Ludwigshafen am Rhein.
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Origins
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History
Different remains show that the city was populated during the times of Ancient Rome. The population settled in Vila-seca after the reconquest in 1162 when King Alfonso II of Aragon gave these lands to Ramón de Olzina. Its donation to this family was confirmed by King Peter II of Aragon in 1208.
During the Middle Ages, there was another town known as Vilaseca del Comú, which neighboured Vila-seca as owned by the Olzinas. The former belonged to the Archbishop of Tarragona until 1525, which the unification of the two towns was decreed, created the city of Vila-seca as it is known today.
Vila-seca actively participated in the defense of the port of Salou, gaining on several occasions ownership of it. The port was a strategic military position and an important source of income. For a long time, it was considered the port of all of the people who made up the Comuna del Camp, until King Ferdinand II of Aragon banned its use. Vila-seca then became the main port, leading to the city suffering several attacks from Berber pirates. A watchtower and a defense tower were built to protect the city from corsair attacks.
During the Reapers' War, the city was occupied by troops under King Philip IV of Spain. Many of the city's defenders were executed and both the church and townhall were burnt down. Vila-seca's population also suffered large losses during the Peninsular War.
At the end of the twentieth century, Salou separated from Vila-seca, becoming its own municipality.
Monuments
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What to visit
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Gallery
Festivals
September 2026
Festivals this month
- No festivals recorded this month.
Rest of the year
- December: Fiesta patronal: Esteban (26)
What's on
Street market
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Gastronomy
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Trails and hiking
•GR 172 De la Mussara a Bellprat - Etapa 02 (GR 172, 21 km)
•El Camí IT6TR5 El Camí Central: de Castelló de la Plana a Montserrat (CC-C)
•Catalunya E26 (GR 92, 28 km)
Services
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Famous people
•Helena Casas, Ciclista española
•Elena Maseras, médica española
•Mireia Montávez, cantante española
•Adrià Arjona, futbolista español
•Xavier Grasset i Foraster, periodista español
•Joan Maria Pujals i Vallvé, político español
Town hall
Alcaldía: Pere Segura Xatruch
Web oficial: http://www.vila-seca.cat/
Town hall of Vila-seca
Alcaldía: Pere Segura Xatruch Web oficial: http://www.vila-seca.cat/
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How to get there
- 🚗 11 km from Tarragona (about 8 min by car)
- 🚗 106 km from Hospitalet de Llobregat, L' (about 75 min by car)
- 🚗 110 km from Terrassa (about 78 min by car)
🧭 Travelling around the villages of Spain: a practical guide — Opening hours, transport, money and customs, before you set off.
- ✈️ 6 km from Reus airport (about 4 min by car)
- ✈️ 101 km from Barcelona-El Prat airport (about 71 min by car)
Practical info
🅿️ Where to park
- Where to park · 0.2 km away
- Where to park · 0.2 km away
- Where to park · 0.3 km away
🏧 Nearest cash machine
- Caixabank · 0.3 km away
- Banco Sabadell · 0.3 km away
- Caja de Ahorros del Mediterráneo · 0.4 km away
⛽ Nearest petrol station
- MKT · 0.7 km away
- Seroil Energy · 0.8 km away
- Repsol · 1 km away
ℹ️ Tourist office
- Patronat Municipal de Turisme · 0.1 km away
- Tourist office · 0.5 km away
- Tourist office · 2.8 km away
🔭 Viewpoints
- Viewpoints · 2.8 km away
- Viewpoints · 3 km away
- Viewpoints · 3 km away
🏖️ Where to swim
- Playa Paraiso · 2.5 km away
- Sesamo Beach · 2.5 km away
- Piscina lúdica de la Plana · 2.6 km away
Buses
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Pharmacy and health
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Wall and news
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Obituaries
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In loving memory
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Videos
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