La Costa Brava Guide

The Costa Brava, (which means wild or rugged coast in Spanish & Catalan), is a coastal region of north eastern Catalunya, in the province of Girona, in Spain. The Costa Brava stretches from the town of Blanes (60km northeast of Barcelona) all the way to the French border.  We have included some Costa Brava photos at the end of this post too.

The combination of an excellent summer climate, great beaches, surrounding nature, all contributed to the growth of many hotels and apartments in sea-side resorts such as Blanes, Tossa de Mar, Lloret de Mar etc, started in the 1950s. Tourism therefore quickly began to take over from fishing as the main business of this coastal area.

Other parts of this delightful region have kept their more traditional, original look & feel and remained as small towns and villages, such as the now famous Cadaques (thanks to its popular attraction to the artists Salvador Dalí, Picasso & Joan Miró). Some examples of other delightful small Costa Brava towns are Pals, Begur, Tamariu, Empuriabrava, Llafranc, L’Estartit, Aigua Blava, Palamos,

Did you know?

In 1998, the coastal towns along the Costa Brava signed a charter, which was called the Carta de Tossa. It was set up to look after and protect the environment, alongside the tourism in this region.  It recognised the “value of the region’s wide range of natural habitats & microclimates”. An example is The Medes Islands (Islas Medas in Spanish, Illes Medes in Catalan) which can be found off the coast of the town of L’Estartit  and which became part of the first marine reserve of Spain – meaning they are legally protected against fishing and development. They now provide a home to a great range of fish & aquatic plants. Nearby marshlands were saved from development also and are now home to a wildfowl reserve at Aiguamolls de L’Empordà.

With its amazing golden beaches, sheltered coves, rocky gorges and some of the most picturesque scenery in the Mediterranean, the Costa Brava is surely a perfect holiday location. It also has plenty of activity for everyone of all ages – exciting water adventures, fun parties, small peaceful villages, traditional annual local fiestas, sunbathing, swimming etc. For details of the local fiestas click here

The Costa Brava was also the home of the world-famous Spanish artist, Salvador Dali.  He lived in the small village of Port Ligat, near Cadaques, from 1930 until 1982 when his wife, Gala, died. His house there is now a museum and well worth a visit. There is also Dali's Theatre Museum in Figueres (just inland from Cadaques) which contains a collection of his most famous works of art. It is a "must-visit". Book your daytrip to see the Dali Museum in Figueres online here. Other suggested days out from the Costa Brava are a trip to Barcelona, the Pyrenean Principality of Andorra, the Pyrenees, the monastery of Montserrat (book The Monastery trip here).

Travel to the Costa Brava

From Barcelona: You can get there by train or bus or by car. To get to the Costa Brava from Barcelona by bus Sarfa and Sagalés run buses to such places as Tossa del Mar, Calella, Cadaques and Port de la Selva.

By train you take the main Spanish Railways (RENFE) to a main station such as Barcelona or Girona,  From the main station to the Costa Brava it will be with the local trains called Cercanías..

By car, there are two routes - either via the AP7 (a toll motorway) or the more scenic coastal route on the C-31 (N11).

By Air, the closest international airport is Girona/Gerona (GRO) airport is which is in the Costa Brava. Barcelona El Prat (BCN) airport is 90km away. And don't forget Perpignon airport.  Whilst it is across the border in France it is probably closer than El Prat.

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Costa Brava Photos