Costa Brava
The region is characterised by many beaches
Categories: Costa Brava Catalonia Spain
The Mediterranean coastal section Costa Brava belongs to the north-eastern Spanish province of Catalonia and extends for almost 200 kilometres from Blanes in a north-easterly direction to the Empordà region on the border with southern France. The region is characterised by many beaches, pine-lined sandy bays and modern holiday resorts. Translated, Costa Brava means "Wild Coast" and indeed lives up to its name. It is definitely one of the most beautiful coasts of the Iberian Peninsula.
© m. letschert / Fotolia
The climate
In July, the average daytime temperatures are just under 28 °C, and outliers can sometimes occur further up. At night, the heated Mediterranean Sea ensures an average temperature that remains slightly above the "tropical" 20 degree mark. In January the weather in northeastern Spain is a bit spookier, gets stuck at just under 13 °C during the day and drops down to about 6 °C at night (average values). The largest amounts of precipitation can be expected in the months September to November, about 80 mm in each case, with October proving to be the cloudiest month with an average of 9 rainy days.
A coast rich in contrast
Every traveller will find a beautiful place to his taste. Tossa de Mar, a little further south, was once the Roman port of Turissa and is now one of the most beautiful places on this coast.
Lloret de Mar is a very lively, maybe a bit lively tourist place on a particularly wild stretch of coast that is famous for its high entertainment value and sightseeing. At both sides, the long beach area is framed by rather rugged sandstone cliffs that in some places rise up to 100 m out of the sea.
This is an impressive landscape that also makes clear why this coast is perceived as so wild. Nevertheless, the city has really taken great pains to create many walking paths here, which give the hiker magnificent views of the landscape and the sea.
The port city of Blanes is known for its particularly long, continuous beach.
Despite the mass tourism that has been booming since the 1960s, the original charm of fishing villages such as Cadaqués has been preserved as far as possible. Further inland it is worth visiting the almost medieval villages of Pals, Peralada and Peratallada.
In most bathing resorts you can book various water fun events, for example a banana ride, jet ski, diving boat & Co. On a day trip by boat you can admire the beauty of this coast from the sea.
Excursions
Barcelona: The beautiful Catalan capital with the famous works of Antoni Gaudi is for example only approximately 60 km away from Lloret de Mar in southwest direction. A drive takes a little more than one hour. Both cities, as also other places of this coastal section, are well connected by their bus stations, the public buses run regularly and are not expensive. Please do not miss Barcelona if you are already in the region.
Castell de Púbol: In the small village of Púbol is the home of Salvador Dalí, where he lived with his wife Gala until 1989. In the Castell there is a museum today, which is really worth a visit.
Figueres: Dali was born here in 1904. The Teatre-Museo Dali is today a daily attraction for many tourists, who are brought there in "bus loads". The mayor at that time was so enterprising that he caused it to let Dali sit down there in his museum in Figueres, but not in Púbol beside his gala with the calculated consequence of the daily tourist stream to Figueres. Our advice: It is better to go there at the weekend, for example with a rental car. In the internet, one can book the entrance tickets in advance for certain times, thus one saves the queuing. This is also valid for the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
© Artur / Fotolia
Pinya de Rosa - Jardín Botánico: At only 4 km at the southwest of Lloret de Mar on the way to the neighboured place Blanes there is a very nice botanical garden with a wide cactus area. This destination is also easy to reach by bus. Due to the strong topography, this garden land is scenically impressively located above the sea, one has to be well walked here.
Marimurtra: Only 500 m away from the botanical garden there is another smaller park high above the cliffs. From here, one also has a nice view to the place Blanes and its small harbour complex.
