Costa Brava, located on the north-eastern corner of the Iberian Peninsula in the province of Girona, Catalonia. It is famous for its numerous tourist resorts, such as Lloret de Mar and Blanes, and it is true that on the Costa Brava there are a variety of secret landmarks like picturesque towns, small fishing villages along the rocky coast.
The coastline, with its wide and small bays and high fallow peaks, is almost 300 kilometres long and one can say it looks very unique. The Costa Brava is rich and has an incredibly deeper cultural and historical history, with exceptional natural beauty.
The Santa Clotilde Gardens are situated on the outskirts of Lloret de Mar, between the Fenals Beach and Cala Boadella. Perched on a clifftop of great beauty, they were planted in the 19th century, and are now protected as a “national cultural heritage site”.
The architect of Santa Clotilde Garden, Nicolau Maria Rubió i Tudurí, was inspired by the artistic trend of the time - noucentisme - in which spirit, fountains, lagoons and sculptures, with varied Mediterranean flora, are brought together in one location.
You can also enjoy a sublime view over the Mediterranean Sea from the Santa Clotilde Gardens: this is the perfect place to admire Costa Brava’s long coastline and take some breath-taking pictures.
The beautiful region of Costa Brava hugs a coastline of up to 158 kilometres, and is known for its exquisite beaches! The Lloret de Mar beach is the largest and most popular beach in this area. This 1.5 km sandy beach offers an array of leisure activities, such as water sports, plenty of stores around, bars and restaurants. You will also be able to drink the finest Lloret de Mar cocktails in a cozy lounge to end the beach day just right!
One of the most outstanding areas on the Costa Brava is the Natural Park of Aiguamolls de l'Emporda. Here, you will find a mosaic of different ecosystems, which includes rivers, sea, lakes, wetlands, beaches and sandy areas, lagoons, meadows, pastures and cropland.
Brimming with life and colour, many species live in their natural habitat here. This park is a space of great biological value, as its flora includes more than 300 colourful and different species as birds like storks, kingfish, piquant and garganey (the park’s symbol), along with numerous others.
Tossa de Mar sits majestically on Catalonia’s Girona coast. Also known as Vila Vella (Old Town), the Castillo de Tossa de Mar was built in the 12-14 centuries, as a protection from enemies. This is the only remaining medieval walled town in the Catalan coast.
The narrow cobbled streets along the fortified stone walls lead to the ruins of the Gothic-style Church of Sant Vicenç and to the Tossa Lighthouse, built-in 1917. The 10m high lighthouse contains a small museum and offers astounding views of the Mediterranean coast.
Fun fact: Tossa de Mar, which means Blue Paradise was named by the French painter, Marc Chagall, who loved the quality of life here!
The Ruins of Empuries are a medieval port city and lie down just behind the Sant Marti d'Empuries beach, in the picturesque Gulf of Roses in Costa Brava
These ruins were considered to be a gateway to the Iberian Peninsula, for the classical cultures. The city itself was abandoned in the 3rd century when Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona became more relevant and bigger cities.
The Empuries Ruins were found again in 1908, and excavations are still ongoing. Nowadays, only 25% of the site has been uncovered, so a lot more treasures await discovery!
Nested in the city of Cadaqués, Port Lligat, Salvador Dalí’s house was where he lived and worked from 1930 to 1982. It is located just a few minutes from the city centre, and the house has direct access to a stunning bay which Dalí enjoyed either through mirrors strategically located in the house to see the sunrise and sunset from his bed or through open windows that met the sea.
Transportation The Spanish transportation system is generally easy to use. The transport company, Sarfa, runs a regular interurban service for the Costa Brava and to Alt i Baix Empordà regions. The three main lines are:
Sant Feliu de Guíxols – Castell Platja d’Aro S’Agaró – Santa Cristina
Castell Platja d’Aro S’Agaró – Santa Cristina – Sant Feliu de Guíxols
Palamós - Calonge
For timetables and prices, click here.
Weather Temperatures in Costa Brava are mild all year round. Daytime average temperatures in January reach 14º and in August 28º to 30º. October and November are the wettest months and the summer months see an average of 11 hours of sunshine daily.
Shopping A visit to Costa Brava would not be complete without picking up some gifts and souvenirs! In the main tourist towns, such as Roses, Platja d’Aro and Lloret de Mar, you will find a top-quality range of exclusive shops with internationally known brands.
You can stroll around the shoppings of Girona City Centre and High Street Shopping in Platja d´Aro, or the luxury shopping destination La Roca Village, where you can enjoy a remarkable shopping experience with more than 140 boutiques from leading Spanish and international brands, such as Bulgari, Lacoste, Michael Kors, Philipp Plein, Sandro and many more.
Restaurants & Bars In recent years, Costa Brava has become synonymous with phenomenal gastronomy, brimming a number of outstanding restaurants and some of the world’s top chefs. With a deep history of agriculture and viticulture, visitors get a chance to sample some of the most delicious dishes with the freshest ingredients to be found in the whole of Spain.
TimeOut has also recognized that Costa Brava’s beach bars have delicious food! You can look into their recommendations here.
Airport The nearest airport to Costa Brava is Girona (GRO). It takes about 55 minutes by bus from the airport to the region, and 30 minutes by car.
If you decide to arrive at the Barcelona airport (BCN), you take about 1h10 to 1h30 to Costa Brava by car and bus, respectively.
Beaches From sandy stretches to rugged coves, you will certainly find some of the most blissfully unspoilt Blue Flag beaches in Costa Brava. Spain’s coastline has up to 158 kilometres of crystal clear waters. There’s a variety of beaches from family-friendly hollow waters to diving, sailing and scuba diving to secluded coves and elegantly rounded bays lined with pavement cafés and restaurants.
