Salou

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Image:Salou Beach Spain.jpg Image:Torre Vella.jpgSalou (Greek Salauris) is a seaside resort and tourist center in Catalonia, about 10 km from Tarragona on the Costa Dorada, Spain. Aside from its string of beaches interrupted by rocky coves, and its landscaped promenade, one of its main attractions is the Port Aventura complex, a large Universal Studios theme park.

Used as a port by Greeks and Romans, it appeared again in an important historic event, when in 1229 the fleet of James I of Aragon departed from the port of Salou to conquer the Balearic islands, thus creating the Kingdom of Mallorca and in 1286 Alfons III of Aragon also departed from this port to conquer Minorca, the last muslim territory of the Balearic Islands. Later, Salou became a nest of pirates. After that it was considered an unsafe place, so in 1530 Archbishop of Tarragona decided to erect a new defence tower, now called Torre Vella. In 1865 the railway station began to operate, opening a new development time, that led one hundred years later to a tourist boom that has brought prosperity to the town.