Còdol Educació

Who they are

Còdol Educació is a company in Reus dedicated to bringing heritage to life: it animates it, manages it and highlights its value. It has worked since 1994 and has its office at calle Ample, 6, in Reus. Its website does not name the people who run it. By its own figures, it has created more than 200 activities, receives more than 30,000 participants a year and has more than 350 schools that come back to it. They describe themselves as mediators: they want visitors to understand a place with "cap, cor i mans", head, heart and hands, and they steer clear of standard offerings.

What they do

Their work goes far beyond a guided tour. They carry out cultural and educational audits, experiential tourism, exhibitions, guided and dramatised visits, family activities, gastronomic experiences and publications. To tell the story they use teaching materials, tales, games, historical re-enactment, experimental archaeology, audiovisuals and theatre. Their offering is organised by audience: schools, the general public, families, tailor-made activities and special projects.

In the Camp de Tarragona their website lists the dramatised visit to the Institut Pere Mata, the Modernista psychiatric hospital by Domènech i Montaner in Reus; the "Viu l'art" activity at the Casa Canals in Tarragona; and immersive piano concerts at the Vil·la Maria. Outside Reus, the commission of most interest to travellers is Siurana.

The animated visit to Siurana

Còdol leads the animated visits to the historic complex of Siurana, the village perched on the cliff edge in the Priorat. According to Turisme Siurana, the open visit takes place on the second Saturday of every month at 12:00, leaves from the Pla dels Portals, the square at the entrance to the village, and lasts around an hour and a half. It explains how the Saracen community lived in the last stronghold of al-Andalus in Catalonia, how the ranges and crags around it were formed, the legend of Queen Abdelazia and the work of artists inspired by the place. The tone is entertaining but rigorous.

Prices published by Turisme Siurana: €12 for adults, €5 for ages 8 to 12 and free for under-8s. Open visits are mostly in Catalan; Spanish can be requested, bilingual or entirely in Spanish if the rest of the group agrees. Groups can arrange a private visit on another date, in Catalan, Spanish or English.

How to book

The Siurana visit is booked online from the general public activities section of their website, by phone (977 327 362) or by email ([email protected]). Group visits outside the calendar are arranged directly with Còdol depending on availability. Their website does not publish cancellation conditions or the maximum group size; if you depend on the date, it is best to confirm when booking. For schools, the contact is the same and the programmes are adapted to the group's level.