El Serrallo, the marine district of Tarragona, is located next to one of the Mediterranean’s most important seaports. Fishing and the sea have been central to the neighbourhood since time immemorial.
The district‘s tradition, cuisine and authentic culture are highly valued by the Department of Business and Knowledge and the Catalan Tourist Board, which have earned the town the distinction of being named one of the Marine Districts and Villages of Catalonia. Mediterranean flavour is a special quality of our city, as is seafood, an added value of intangible heritage that must be recognised and preserved. As such, we invite you to discover the unique qualities of Tarragona’s native marine species. We encourage you to try them and enjoy their authentic flavour, healthiness and local origin, and to learn more about the different varieties of seafood, their characteristics, and the benefits of eating them.
In the age of fast food, it is more important than ever to take care of our environment and eat healthily, prioritising consumption of fresh, high-quality, local, zero-km seafood during their respective seasons. Consuming seasonal species also helps to preserve biodiversity and prevent ecosystem degradation, which fosters a responsible and sustainable fishing model.
Arrival of the fishing boats and the fish auction in Tarragona’s fish market
Tarragona’s fishing port is the location of the Fishermen’s Guild headquarters, and home to the fish market, which has been part of the city since 1928. Tarragona’s fish market and port have established themselves as one of the most important seafood hubs in Catalonia.
The Fishermen’s Guild has a fleet of 23 trawlers, 5 purse seiners, 2 small-scale fishing vessels and 2 surface longline vessels. Bluefish (anchovies, sardines, etc.) are caught at night and auctioned in the morning. In the afternoon, whitefish and other seafood species are offered: red shrimp, langoustine, rock octopus, blue whiting, hake, deep-water rose shrimp, grey gurnards, hagfish, monkfish, baby octopus, striped soldier shrimp, sea bream, cuttlefish, European hake, etc. Tarragona’s coast is home to a wide variety of species. Also, twice a week, surface longline fishing boats bring in swordfish, longfin tuna, albacore and more.
The boxes of seafood are auctioned off one by one with in-person and online bidding. From the fish market, each fishmonger has a remote control they can use to bid. Up to 40% of the catch is sold online.
Hours: Monday to Friday from 4.00 to 5.15 pm. Come see the boats come in!
The central market, a benchmark for top-quality seafood
Tarragona’s central market has a total of seven fishmongers offering a wide range of fresh local seafood. The municipal markets and the fishing industry are two sectors that work together hand in hand. In fact, the campaign to promote the Peix Blau Tarragona brand is the result of a joint effort to add value this healthy product that is so important to the Mediterranean diet.
Bluefish is a highly valued culinary product and a central component of our identity as a marine city. The fact that Tarragona has such an outstanding range of fresh seafood and a commercial and culinary centre like its central market shows that Tarragona can be regarded as a benchmark for high-quality, fresh seafood at an international level. The central market is also a great place to taste fresh fish and other culinary products all under one roof. One of the latest initiatives is a tasting experience in which chef Txaber Allué—known as El Cocinero Fiel (The Faithful Cook)—will cook any of 14 varieties of seafood sold by the fishmongers on the premises for visitors. The tasting experience will be offered free of charge every Friday and Saturday in July 2024 from noon to 4.00 pm.
In addition to the Tarragona Central Market, there is the Torreforta Market, which also currently has a fishmonger offering a daily selection of fresh seafood to local residents.
Central market hours: Monday to Saturday from 8.30 am to 9.00 pm, closed Sundays
Where can I buy seafood?
In addition to buying fresh seafood at the stalls of the Tarragona Central Market, you can also find selected species of fish at other fishmongers in Tarragona.
Explore the Port Museum, a forum for the dissemination of knowledge
In the middle of the El Serrallo District, the marine district of Tarragona, you’ll find the new Port of Tarragona Museum, a space for everyone from connoisseurs to novices.
The exhibit is designed as an experience, with interactive and immersive elements that convey knowledge, for example, steering a sailboat in the middle of the Mediterranean, or experiencing a day’s fishing from the boat itself.
The exhibit highlights the human aspect and the different trades through objects of cultural heritage donated by the people who lived a life on the sea and the seashore in the two neighbourhoods linked to the port: the El Serrallo, or marine neighbourhood, with its fishermen, net menders, boatbuilders, caulkers, etc.; and the port, or marina neighbourhood, where in different periods one would find coopers, sailmakers and merchants who enabled trading ships to use the particular containers used in each period to transport their goods.
Summer hours (June, July, August and September): Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm and 5.00 to 8.00 pm, Sundays and holidays from 11.00 am to 2.00 pm.
Winter hours (October to May): Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm and 4.00 to 7.00 pm, Sundays and holidays from 11.00 am to 2.00 pm.
Discover the Blue Observatory
At the Tarragona fish market, the Port Museum offers a multi-sensory immersive space where visitors can discover the seabed of the Mediterranean, called the Blue Observatory. The multimedia exhibit space features the different species caught along the Tarragona coastline, traditional and modern fishing gear, and the history of the El Serrallo District.
It is a piece of the Mediterranean taken out of the water, a new multi-sensory experience at the Port of Tarragona Museum that allows visitors to experience the illusion of walking along the seabed. The most amazing part of the observatory, apart from its audiovisual effects, is the reproduction to scale (1:1) of the 30 marine species that are sold the most at the Tarragona fish market (tuna, swordfish, octopus, cuttlefish, squid, crabs, langoustines, prawns and others).
At the Blue Observatory, you can learn more about the marine species most commonly caught off the coast of Tarragona. These different species are brought to the market, and then from there to our tables thanks to the profession of fisherman, bringing each day’s catch to the fish market where the daily afternoon auction is held.
Would you like to experience an auction at the fish market? You can do so by simply signing up for this educational activity at the Port of Tarragona Museum. The Door of Time will lead you from the educational area to the auction room, where all the products of the sea embark on their journey to our tables, thus giving rise to a new activity: the culinary art of preparing seafood.
Hours: Tours by appointment for schools, families and groups: +34 977 259 434 or museudelport@gmail.com. Tours are not offered on weekends, during the off-season (generally from May to July) or in the event of inclement weather.
