Tarragona Mediterranean Balcony | Balcó del Mediterrani

About Tarragona Mediterranean Balcony

Located at the coastal end of Rambla Nova, the Mediterranean Balcony, Balcó del Mediterrani, that runs along Passeig de les Palmeres is an airy cliff top viewpoint offering splendid views of the Mediterranean, the Tarragona port, Platja del Miracle beach, and the Roman Amphitheatre. The iron railings along the Balcó del Mediterrani were designed by the architect Ramon Salas i Ricomà in 1889.

For Tarragona natives and tourists it is almost obligatory to tocar ferro (touch the iron) of the Balcony of the Mediterranean. This involves a leisurely stroll along the boulevard. Before they were built there was a wall which demarcated the Passeig de les Palmeres and the sheer cliff drop separating the balcony and the crop fields at its feet before the seafront. The name of the balcony was thought up by Emilio Castelar y Ripoll, the president of the First Spanish Republic, who christened it thus when he visited Tarragona in 1863.

The Mediterranean Balcony dates back to the 14th century. It was built as part of a larger fortification project by King Pedro IV de Aragón, who wanted to protect his kingdom from attack by sea. The fort is long gone today but during World War II The balcony also served as an important lookout point when Nazi submarines were patrolling offshore waters looking for Allied vessels coming into port.

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