Looking for village on coast between Valencia and Barcelona

I feel that the coast between Valencia and Barcelona (especially closer to Valencia) gets overlooked by overseas visitors, so it's nice to see this area getting some attention, I think that you made a good choice.

Two towns come immediately to mind, one closer to Valencia and one closer to Barcelona:

Peñíscola: A historic and beautiful town about 1:45 hr north of Valencia. With its cobbled streets and whitewashed houses, the old town of Peñíscola sits on a big rock that juts out into the sea. The town is dominated by a large Knights Templar castle that looks like something out of the Crusades. It was later home to 15th century Antipope Benedict XIII. Recently, Peñíscola was used as a filming location in the T.V. series Game of Thrones.

Tarragona: Just 1:15 hr south of Barcelona. Tarragona has some of the best Roman ruins in Spain, including a Roman amphitheater and Praetorium tower, which are designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. They also have a great Roman history museum called Museu Nacional Arqueològic (MNAT), showcasing various treasures from antiquity. The twisting medieval center also makes for a nice place for walks and dining.

I think that you can comfortably split your time between the two, giving each town 2 days to explore. Hope this gives you some ideas! :)

Thanks! Both of those towns seem great and deserving of further research.

Glad I was able to help! :)

Also, I just remembered, about 2 miles west of Tarragona, at Pont del Diable, there is a totally intact Roman Aqueduct that is worth a look too. You can actually walk over it like a bridge (if you dare). The surrounding forested area is great for some casual hiking too.

I know you said you want to be at the seaside, but if you have a car and are willing to go inland, you might consider Morella. Beautiful location, peaceful but with some sights, easy 2-3 hour drive from/to Valencia & Barcelona; and in a pleasant area for days-out, including only an hour's drive to Peniscola on the coast. Otherwise, I'd agree the aforementioned Tarragona is proper good and would be a brilliant choice.