Mataró is a lively Mediterranean port city of 131,000 people (2025) and capital of the Maresme region, on the coast just northeast of Barcelona. It combines long sandy beaches and a modern marina with a compact historic centre that preserves Roman remains from ancient Iluro, Baroque heritage around the Basilica of Santa Maria and notable Modernista works such as Gaudí’s Nau Gaudí and buildings by Josep Puig i Cadafalch. Today it is a medium‑sized commercial, cultural and university hub, well connected by train and road and active year‑round with festivals, markets and coastal leisure.
Understand
[edit]Mataró’s history spans from Roman Iluro—a key port and administrative centre founded around 80 CE—to a medieval market town that broke feudal ties in 1424. Maritime trade drove prosperity as unofficial beaches bypassed Barcelona’s tariffs, funding emigration to the Americas; returning indianos sparked the 1848 railway—Spain’s first—and textile boom, making it an industrial powerhouse.
Modernisme flourished with Gaudí’s experimental brick Nau Gaudí (1890s), Puig i Cadafalch’s ornate Rengle market and La Confianza shop, plus Enric Sagnier’s neoclassical expansions. The Civil War devastated factories, but post-war recovery built a commuter city tied to Barcelona’s orbit.
Today’s residents shape a bilingual Catalan-Spanish culture of beachgoers, students and market traders, with year-round rhythm from the Mercat de la Plaça Granada, Festa Major de Sant Jordi fireworks and maritime festivals. The Maresme plain offers mild Mediterranean climate, fertile orchards and commuter ease, blending urban buzz with coastal ease 30 minutes from Barcelona.
Tourist information
[edit]- 1 Oficina de Turisme de Mataró, Carrer de la Riera, 123, ☏ +34 937582698.
Get in
[edit]By plane
[edit]Barcelona El Prat Airport - BCN IATA is about 1 hour away by car. Barcelona city lies between the Barcelona airport and Mataró, so if you plan to go by car, it can take well over 2 hr in the rush hour. By train, travelling time is around 1 hr 30 min and you must switch trains at Sants station. Take line R2NORD to Sants. There, you must change to R1 , direction Mataró-Maçanet/Massanes. One-way tickets are €4.60 (August 2023).
Girona/Gerona/Costa Brava airport GRO IATA is about 1 hour away by car. Going by bus/train is possible, but probably is easier to go to Barcelona and then from Barcelona to Mataró.
By train
[edit]Mataro is served by Rodalies-RENFE Rodalies-Renfe trains. It's on the line R1 that goes from Molins de Rei to Maçanet/Massanes, crossing Barcelona city. A ticket to-from Barcelona costs around €4.6 (August 2023).
The train line Barcelona - Mataró was the first train line in Iberia peninsula, inaugurated in octuber 28th, 1848.
1 Mataró Railway Station (Estación de tren de Mataró), Av. del Maresme, 166. . Taxis from the train station to hotels in the centre of Mataró are approximately €3.
By bus
[edit]- Moventis - Casas (web in spanish and catalan only), ☏ +34 93 580 67 00. Telephone service: M-F 09:00-13:00, 15:00-19:00.
- The bus lines C-10 and E11-1 , E11-2 do the route Mataro - Barcelona
- The C-20 goes north to nearby villages of Llavaneres and St.Vicenç de Montalt
- The C-30 goes south to Vilassar de Dalt, with stops in Cabrera, Vilassar de Mar and Premia de mar.
- The 865 goes from Mataró to Bellaterra (UAB university)
- The N-80 is the night bus between Barcelona and Mataró. There a bus every hour from midnight until 05:00, with stops in almost all villages along the route.
By car
[edit]You can get to Mataró by:
- C-32 : Free motorway. It comes from Barcelona to the south, and from Blanes and Costa Brava to the North.
- C-60 : It comes from Granollers and connects with the AP-7 (the motorway to France).
- The N-2 goes parallel to C-32 but along the coast, crossing all villages.
- Several local roads
By boat
[edit]Mataró has a sports port with a marina. It has 1080 docking places for boats up to 18 m long. It also has fuel service open 24 hr, a big boat area and hosts a sailing school. Channel 9 VHF is available to boats.
- 2 Port de Mataró, ☏ +34 937550961, [email protected]. services
from €15/day depending on the boat.
Get around
[edit]By bus
[edit]The Mataró Bus network has 8 different lines and a very clearly laid out map at every bus stop (€1.7 per journey as of January 2026).
- Line 1 : Railway station - Cerdanyola - Mataró Hospital
- Line 2 : Mataró Hospital - Cerdanyola - Railway station
- Line 3 : Camí de la Serra-Vista Alegre-Rocafonda
- Line 4 : Cirera-Molins
- Line 5 : Railway station-Via Europa-Hospital de Mataró
- Line 6 : Institut Català Salut - Ctra. de Mata
- Line 7 : Pl. Tereses - Cerdanyola
- Line 8 : Rodalies - Galícia
Parking
[edit]Parkings in City Centre:
- 3 Parking Plaça de les Tereses (access by carrer Santa Teresa), ☏ +34 93 756 7182, +34 673 410 313. Su-Th 06:00-23:00, F Sa 03:00-00:00. 330 places, EV charging station. €3/hr, €36/day.
- 4 Parking Saba Plaça Santa Anna, Camí Ral - Pl. de Santa Anna, ☏ +34 93 557 5627. Open 24 hr. 304 places, EV charging station. €3.25/hr.
- 5 Parking Saba Casc Antic, Camí Ral de la Mercè, 254 -260. Open 24 hr. €3/hr.
- 6 Parking Saba La Riera, La Riera, 69-77. Open 24 hr. 153 places €3.9/hr.
- 7 Parking Miquel Biada, carrer Miquel Biada / Carrer Tetuan. Free. Max 1 hr 30 min with time disk..
- Blue zone areas in the streets: There are parking places in the streets , painted un blue. You has to pay at the parkimeter. Maximum time is 1 hr 30 min. Usually evenings, and weekends are free.
By bike
[edit]- There is a growing network of bike lanes in the city, however many time the bike lane just ends and you are in the middle of a street.
- Have in mind that the city is not flat, so the further away from the beaches, the step the streets became.
- Cicling south of Cami del mig and Cami de la Geganta is ok.
- Bike lanes map in Mataro city hall web
See
[edit]
Map of Mataró
- 1 Plaça Santa Anna. This is the city centre and you can find many shops, bars, restaurants and terraces.
,_fa%C3%A7ana_sud,.jpg)
- 2 Nau Gaudi, c/ de la Cooperativa, 47, ☏ +34 937 412930, [email protected]. Tu-Sa 17:00-20:00, Su 11:00-14:00. The industrial building of the textile cooperative "La Obrera Mataronense" is the only witness to the project of 30 homes and a social building, with an assembly hall and a factory, which was commissioned to a recently graduated Antoni Gaudí, and which only partially executed (1883). The interest of this youthful work lies, more than in its architectural quality, in the significance of Gaudí's participation in a project of this kind, and that he occupied it between 1877 and 1882 with a series of preliminary sketches and studies on the operation of cooperatives.
- 3 Casa Coll i Regàs, Carrer d'Argentona, 55, ☏ +34 682156765, [email protected]. The Coll i Regàs house is a modernist building designed by the Catalan architect Josep Puig i Cadafalch in 1898 and commissioned by the entrepreneur Joaquim Coll i Regas, a major textile manufacturer Mataro (Barcelona). Exponent of the significant elements of decorativism that characterized the modernist movement was declared in 2000 a Cultural Interest, in the category of historical monument. Today it is owned by the Fundació Iluro of Mataró. €9 guided tour on Saturday.
- 4 Ca l’Arenas (art Museum of Mataró), c. d’ Argentona, 64, ☏ +34 937 412 930, [email protected]. Th F 17:00-20:00, Sa 11:00-14:00, Su and holidays (October 12, November 1 and December 6 and 8) 11:00-14:00. born from the legacy of the artist Jordi Arenas i Clavell in his hometown and is the specific extension of the Museum of Mataró specializing in art, with special attention to the artistic activity of the city of Mataró (Maresme). Cultural activities such as exhibitions, workshops, conferences, talks and audiovisual screenings are held therey.
- 5 Museum of Santa María (Casa Escolà), Carrer de la Beata Maria, 3. It is a construction of the fifteenth century, completely modified and of which only a Gothic window is preserved on the facade.
- 6 Casa Serra Arnau (Can Serra), El Carreró, 17-19, ☏ +34 937 582 401, [email protected]. Tu-F 17:00-20:00, Sa 11:00-14:00, Su and holidays (October 12, November 1 and December 6 and 8) 11:00-14:00. Can Serra is the section of Mataró Museum dedicated to the city’s history, with a permanent exhibition with two main themes: the Roman period, then the Middle Ages until the present day. It was built by Jeroni Serra Arnau, the first trustee of the town in Corts, it was built in 1565. The building, in Renaissance style, preserves the original structure with a wide entrance from which the stone staircase and the large central room on the first floor that maintains the original wooden roof.
- 7 Can Marfà Knitwear Museum (Can Marfà. Museu del Gènere de Punt), Passatge de Can Marfà, 1, ☏ +34 93 758 24 01, +34 93 758 26 42, [email protected]. Th-Sa 17:00-20:00, Sa Su 11:00-14:00. it is devoted to the knitting and hosiery industry. It is situated in one of the three-storey warehouses of the former Marfà factory in Mataró, the most important Knitted fabric factory in Spain before 1936. free.
- 8 The Prison (La Presó), Muralla de la Presó, 2, ☏ +34 93 741 29 30, [email protected]. Tu-F 18:30-20:00, Sa 11:00-14:00 and 18:00-20:00, Su and public holidays 11:00-14:00. Public holidays when closed: 1 and 6 January, Good Friday, 1 May, 24 June, 27 July, 15 August, 11 September, and 25 and 26 December.. Open in 1863 as a prison, today is a contemporary art museum. It was built by the architect Elies Rogent in 1851.The structure of this building clearly follows the historicist criteria of the same architect, author of the neo-Romanesque building of the University of Barcelona (1863-70) and of the restoration of the Ripoll Monastery (1886-93). In the case of the Mataró Prison, Rogent follows the canons of medieval constructions of a civil nature, typical of the western Mediterranean, in the Late Middle Ages.The building ceased to function as a prison in 1967.
- 9 Basilica of Santa María de Mataró. It was founded in 1675, with references to its existence dating back to the year 1008. It is declared a Cultural Property of National Interest. Before the current temple there was a Romanesque church and even before that a temple of Roman origin. There is a guided visit to the Dolors Chapel (Chappel of the sorrows)
- 10 Genovese city wall (Muralla dels Genovesos). Built between 1569 and 1600.
- 11 Monument to Arquera Layetana.
- 12 Hermitage of St. Simon. Hermitage of St. Simon (Ermita de Sant Simó) is a small Spanish parish church located in the east end of the Royal Road, in the faubourg of Havana, in the municipality of Mataró, comarca of Maresme. Dating to 1611, the seaside chapel is well-known along the Catalonia coast. It has a single nave in keeping with ancient seafaring tradition. The Feast Day is 28 October.
- 13 Roman villa of Can Llauder (Torre Llauder), ☏ +34 937 582 401. Guided tours in English, every Sa at 18:00. Built in the first imperial period (1st century BC) and remodeled at the beginning of the 3rd century AD, the villa had a rich decor of marble and mosaics, with traces of stucco and paint. It was owned by several wealthy owners who possibly resided in the villa with his family and their slaves. An inscription has been found linking it to Gaius Marius. The villa was used until the Middle Ages when it fell into disrepair and ruin. . Free.
Do
[edit]Sports
[edit]- Hire a boat at the marina.
- Run or swim at the beach.
- Rock climb on the artificial wall in one of Mataró's parks.
- Mountain bike in the Parc del Montnegre i el Corredor with lots of routes and trails.
- Road cycling The route from Barcelona to Mataro along the coast in the N-II road is one of the favourites by road cyclers, its completly flat. However if you enjoy climbing there are several ports in Orrius and Dosrius.
- 1 Parc Forestal. Visit the mountains above Mataró and enjoy a typical Mediterranean forest.
- 2 Tarannà Parc Forestal, ☏ +34 663 348 794. It has great views over the city and the sea. Informal and terrace over no pavement. Access preferably by car. No public transportation near. from €25.
Beaches
[edit]
- 3 Varador Beach (Platja del Varador). Visit the Varador Beach. You can bath, sunbath or just stroll around. Note that top-less is legal in Spain.
- 4 Seaside promenade (Passeig del Callao). Walk around the promenade with many food and drink options.
- 5 Club Natació Mataró, Passeig Marítim, 92, ☏ +34 93 796 29 02. is a Catalan sports club from Mataró, Barcelona created in 1932. It is active in swimming, water polo, table tennis and triathlon.
- 6 Sant Simó Beach (Platja de Sant Simó). It is bordered to the southwest by the Sant Simó stream, which separates it from Callao beach, and at its northeastern end, it is open to a breakwater area up to the municipal limit of Sant Andreu de Llavaneres. Oriented to the south-southeast, it is 884 meters long and has an average width of 23 meters, made up of very coarse sand and a very steep entrance to the water. It has a lifeguard service and Red Cross, a watchtower, showers, kiosks, sports and sanitary facilities. Part of the beach is nudist.
Events
[edit]- Les Santes : Jul 24th to Jul 29th. Mataró's Festa Major, known as "Les Santes," honors the city's patron saints and has been celebrated since the 19th century. It is considered one of Catalonia's best major festivals due to factors such as its historical significance, civic recovery, liturgical elements, and innovation. The festival's success is attributed to the enthusiastic public participation, dedicated collaborators, and the devotion of the citizens, which permeates all aspects of the celebration. Divided into four stages, the festival includes pre-events, the official call by the mayor, the main celebration on the patronesses' feast day, and a concluding epilogue. The festive spirit truly comes alive in the streets of Mataró during Les Santes.
Buy
[edit]
The buzzing market at Plaça de Cuba, every Saturday morning, is good to pick up fresh fruit and veg, as well as to soak up the atmosphere.
Food
[edit]- 1 Plaça Gran food market (Mercat Plaça Gran).
- 2 Plaza de Cuba food market (Mercat de la Plaça de Cuba).
- 3 Cerdanyola food market (Mercat de Cerdanyola).
- 4 Palau food market (Mercat Del Palau).
Shopping
[edit]- 5 Mataró Parc shopping Mall (Centro Comercial Mataró Parc).
- 6 Shopping Centre Can Solaret (Soleret centre Comercial).
- 7 Plaça Santa Anna shopping area. Plaça Santa Anna, la Riera and nearby streets is the downtown Mataro shopping area
Eat
[edit]Budget
[edit]- 1 Champanillo Mataró, Camí Ral, 548. tapas bar
- 2 Cafè del Mar, Carrer de Santa Rita, 1, ☏ +34 622 735 284 (WhatsApp or Telegram). W-Su. Restaurant and cultural events.
- 3 La Morera, Avinguda del Maresme 507, ☏ +34 937 960 754. Regional cuisine. €25.
- 4 Restaurant Venezia, Av. del Port, 43. Pizza, burger €25.
Mid-range
[edit]- 5 Restaurant la marina, Passeig del Callao, 100 (in front of the beach), ☏ +34 625329281. Fish, shellfish and paella restaurant.
- 6 Balú, pl.Santa Maria 6, ☏ +34 93 232 9901. Bar and restaurant, daily menu, terrace. €20.
- 7 El 9 Farcell, Carrer de Montserrat, 43, ☏ +34 931 354 623. €25.
- 8 katsumi, Plaça d'Espanya, 18, ☏ +34 937 412 138. Japanese - Sushi €25.
- 9 Restaurant Can Bruguera, Camí de la Cornisa, 39, ☏ +34 93 790 36 43. It is located in the middle of nature. wot had a large parking lot. Its cuisine is based on grilled meats and typical Catalan products, and serves breakfasts.
Splurge
[edit]- 10 Restaurant Can Dimas, Passeig del Callao, 152, ☏ +34 93 790 32 09. Su–Th 13:00–16:00, F Sa 13:00–23:00. Seafood at the beach, paella.
- 11 La Marineta, Carrer de Cuba 76, ☏ +34 935 12 60 22. Tu-Sa 13:00-15:30, 20:30-23:00.
- 12 Restaurant Sesam Negre, Carrer la Rambla, 40, ☏ +34 937 551 801, [email protected]. M–Sa 13:00–16:00; M–Th 20:30–23:00; F Sa 20:30–00:00. Japanese
Drink
[edit]- 1 The Drunk Monk, Via Europa, 30, ☏ +34 616047170. Beer bar with beers from many countries.
- 2 La Lola Mataró, Baixada de les Espenyes, 4, ☏ +34 699971216. Bar, tapas, vermouth, music, events.
- 3 The King's Taverns, C/Pablo Iglesias, 18 (in a small passage behin de building), ☏ +34 937 58 82 10. Su M closed; Tu W 17:00-24:00; Th 17:00-01:00; F Sa 17:00-03:00. sport, live music,
Beach bars
[edit]- 4 Callao Club, Passeig Marítim.
- 5 Xiringuito Sarandonga, Passeig Marítim, ☏ +34 629 68 52 18, [email protected].
- 6 Xiringuito Bonic, Sant Simó beach, ☏ +34 635 450 397.
Coffee and breakfast
[edit]- 7 Xurreria Rosita, Pl. de Santa Anna, 5, ☏ +34 937960054. Specialised in churros with chocolate. A traditional place.
- 8 Petits Délices, Carrer Nou, 50, ☏ +34 931418258, [email protected]. Specialised in cakes and pastries. They also have vegan cakes.
- 9 Natural Café Mataró, Carrer Sant Cristòfor, 12. Sweet breakfast and afternoon cakes
- 10 Omnia Cafe Bar, Palmarola, 4, ☏ +34 937224291. Breakfast and coffee bar, also lunch and dinner
- 11 El Jardí Vegan Bar, Camí Ral 334.
- 12 Cafeteria Luana, Av. del Maresme, 315.
- 13 Caffè il Forno, La rambla, 10, ☏ +34 626 517 683.
- 14 La Pausa, Carrer de Sant Josep, 42.
Disco & dancing, night clubs
[edit]- 15 Cocoa Mataró, C/ Francesc Layret, 35, ☏ +34 616960713. 00:00-06:00. Big disco club with laser lights, DJ, house music, pop music coctel
- 16 Classic, Carrer Francesc Layret, 39, ☏ +34 616 960 713.
- 17 Sala Privat, C/ Francesc Layret, 16, ☏ +34 616 96 07 13. 00:00 to 06:00. Disco for people aged between 25 to 35
- 18 Miracle Mataró, C/ Carrasco i Formiguera, 46. Disco club.
- 19 Clap, c/ Serra i Moret, n4, 1r., ☏ +34 937 98 36 32, [email protected].
- 20 Tajator, C/ Pablo Iglesias, 48, ☏ +34 636 745 504. F Sa 22:00-5:00.
- 21 Kahiki, Carrer Carrasco I Formiguera 35, ☏ +34 930 29 67 94. Th 22:00-02:30, F 21:00-03:00, Sa Su 18:00-03:00.
Sleep
[edit]Budget
[edit]- 1 Alberg Can Soleret, Carrer Torrent de les Piques, 52, ☏ +34 937 575 707, +34 933 026 162, [email protected], [email protected]MULTIPLE EMAIL. This youth hostel has 60 places and is at some distance from the city centre but close to shopping centers Soleret and Mataro Parc. Beds from €16.
Mid-range
[edit]- 2 Hotel Atenea Port, Passeig Marítim, 324 (at the port), ☏ +34 932 226 006. Hotel with bar, restaurant, wellness center, air conditioning and parking. €80-150 (Aug 2023).
- 3 URH Ciutat de Mataró, Camí Ral, 648, ☏ +34 937 575 522, [email protected]. Check-in: from 15:00, check-out: until 12:00. Hotel with spa and wellness centre. Room rates from €62 to €160 (Oct 2025).
- 4 B&B Hotel, Carrer de Tordera, 2 (near Technocampus), ☏ +34 937 56 23 00, [email protected]. Modern hotel. from €75.
- 5 Hotel Castell de Mata, Carretera nacional II, Km 649, ☏ +34 937 901 044, +34 937 901 045, [email protected]. Room rates €72.
Go next
[edit]- Barcelona — the capital of Catalonia. A major port on the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Spain, Barcelona has a wide variety of attractions that bring in tourists from around the globe. The many faces of Barcelona include the medieval Old Town, and the unique street grid resulting from 19th-century urban planning. The city has long sandy beaches and green parks on the hills, pretty much side-by-side. It is also famous for a number of prominent buildings, of which the most-known are by the architect Antoni Gaudí, including his Sagrada Família, which became Barcelona's symbol to many.
- Santa Susanna It is a laid-back town set between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountainous wooded backdrop of the Massif Montenegre. It is a popular holiday destination for Spanish and foreign tourists.
- Parc del Montnegre i el Corredor is a natural and historic park. It protects the splendid pine forests of the coastal slope, and the holm oak, oak and cork forests of the interior of the massif. There are Neolithic dolmens, Iberian remains and medieval churches scattered in a diverse landscape of crops, forests and farmhouses.The GR92 runs across the full length of the park
- Parc de la Serralada Litoral The park is a protected area, preserving its unique ecosystems, flora, and fauna. It is a haven for hikers, nature enthusiasts, and those seeking to explore the cultural and natural heritage of Catalonia's coastal mountains.The GR92 runs across the full length of the park
| Routes through Mataro |
| Barcelona ← | W  E
|
→ Canet de Mar → Blanes |
Montseny Natural Park ← Junction  ←
|
N  S
|
→ END |
| Barcelona ← | W  E
|
→ Calella → Blanes |
| Barcelona ← | W  E
|
→ canet de Mar → Girona |