Costa Brava is one of the most popular travel destinations when it comes to holiday trips.
Miles of picturesque beaches, historic cities and resorts prepared for the arrival of guests from all over the world attract millions of tourists every year. This part of Catalonia offers not only rich night life and attractions for the whole family, but allows you to taste one of the best local cuisines on the Mediterranean.
All this makes holidays in Costa Brava an unforgettable adventure.
Let’s start from the beginning:
Weather on Costa Brava
Costa Brava is located about 60 kilometers from the capital of Catalonia – Barcelona.
This part of the Iberian Peninsula guarantees almost 300 sunny days a year.
The season starts here with the beginning of May and lasts until the end of October. During this period, the temperature during the day does not drop below 24 degrees Celsius. However, for a swim in the sea you have to wait for the water to warm and more or less in June you will be able to swim to your heart’s content.
Of course, the most popular time to visit the region is the summer months – July and August, but even then you can find a secluded spot away from the crowds. Sunlight hours are the longest then, but it is also the time of the greatest heat. The best time for sightseeing is before holidays – May-June, when it is warm, but not too hot or just after – September-October. By the way, the prices will also be more “friendly” for your wallet because the prices will be definitely lower than in the summer.
This also applies to accommodation.
Accommodation base
Costa Brava is truly a tourist area when it comes to accommodation and everything related to it. There are virtually miles of hotel upon hotel along the entire coast. We can choose from luxurious hotels and centers for the most affluent, but also hotels with a lower standard. You can, of course, rent an entire apartment or flat, which for a group of several people will be more advantageous.
On the Costa Brava there are also campsites where you can pitch a tent or park your trailer. They are fully equipped with the necessary infrastructure and additional attractions such as pools, playgrounds and other sports facilities.
On the tourist map below you will find the best and most popular camping sites on the Costa Brava:
Since we are already talking about the accommodation, it’s worth knowing which is the best location on the Wild Coast …
Towns perfect for holiday
The most popular spots around the Costa Brava, which are crowded in season, are:
Lloret de Mar
Lloret de Mar is the capital of holiday entertainment on the Costa Brava. The town is visited by young people eager for night life. Bars, pubs and discos pulsate here until dawn.
The attractions include also a 1.5 km long beach marked with the Blue Flag and the nearby Water World aquapark, one of the largest in Europe.
Tired of heat, you can go to the gardens of St. Clotilde, where you will find the shadow you want. You can also see the gothic church and the castle from 1929.
If you want to feel a bit of the atmosphere of this place, watch this video … until the end!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE4JPmkbTkc
Blanes
Blanes – another very popular resort on the Wild Coast, extremely popular among families with children.
Blanes attracts not only with huge tourist infrastructure, but also wide beach with the possibility of practicing all kinds of water sports and almost 4 km long promenade, as well as two botanical gardens – Marimurtra and Pinya de Rosa. You can also see the ruins of the fortress from the tenth century, the Gothic well Font Fontica and art nouveau style house Casa Tordera.
As you can see in the video, Blanes differs a bit from Lloret de Mar:
Calella
Calella – another extremely popular holiday resort, boasting of long and well managed beaches. You can see here a lighthouse from 1859, optical telegraph towers and old-town buildings with squares.
Tossa de Mar
Tossa de Mar is the perfect place for a romantic journey. Such an image consists not only of picturesque landscapes, but also walks around the historic fortress in the medieval old town and stay on one of the local beaches. The town also attracts water sports enthusiasts and fans of Esperanza (1951) starring Ava Gardner.
Costa Brava Beaches
Costa Brava as the name suggests has high cliffs overgrown with forest, but also picturesque bays with rocky shores and wide sandy beaches (though in our opinion the sand is closer to gravel).
However, there is a lot to choose from.
There will be something for lovers of a well-developed infrastructure right next to the beach, as well as fans of more wild and natural landscapes. Beaches on the Costa Brava are ideal for swimming, because the descent into the water is usually mild, and there is no shortage of rentals for all kinds of water equipment. Many beaches have extremely charming rocks emerging from the water, ideal as a photographic background.
While visiting Costa Brava it is worth paying attention to these beaches:
Platja de Lloret de Mar beach
Platja de Lloret de Mar – a town beach that is very crowded in the season. It is guarded and adapted for the disabled. Surrounded by developed infrastructure, not only can you rent water equipment, but also stock up on food and drinks, it’s a very convenient place.
Platja de Fenals – a bit calmer and less crowded, located also in Lloret de Mar is more often chosen by families with children. Its advantage is the nearby pine forest, where you can take shelter from the sun.
Beach of Cala Sant Francesc
Cala Sant Francesc – located about 2 km from the center of Blanes, near the Marimurtra botanical garden. There is everything that provides comfort of rest – showers, toilets, restaurants and water equipment rentals.
Cala Giverola beach
Cala Giverola – this bay with turquoise water surrounded by vegetation, is located about 5 kilometers from the center of Tossa de Mar. In addition to traditional amenities and attractions, you can go on a cruise in a yacht with a glass bottom to admire the underwater life. It is also worth taking your snorkelling equipment. There is a parking lot on the beach.
Sa Tuna beach
Sa Tuna – the beach in Begur is probably the most picturesque bay on the Costa Brava. It is not too big, but it has all the amenities for tourists and it is worth going for a meal in one of the nearby pubs.
Empuriabrava beach
Empuriabrava – a windy town beach, suitable for water sports enthusiasts. This large beach is often chosen by families with children. It has all the necessary infrastructure, parking and views of the bay of Roses. It was awarded the Blue Flag award.
Interesting places and attractions of Costa Brava
The biggest attraction of this region is located near Barcelona. The city is the capital of Catalonia and has a lot of great places to see – Spanish Square, Sagrada Familia, Park Guell and the famous La Rambla.
Another colorful and monumental city is Girona, also a bit further (30km) from the Wild Coast. It is worth coming here to visit the medieval old town, along the defensive walls, up to the highest point – the Torre Gironella tower. It is worth seeing the Jewish district of El Call and the colorful houses along the Onyar River. If anyone wants to go in the footsteps of the famous artist Salvador Dali, it is worth first going to Figueres, to his headquarters Museum-Theater. There are a lot of works by the master himself, not only paintings, but also sculptures and strange installations. Another town associated with Salvador is Cadaques, where his monument stands, and in nearby Port Lligat is his home.
It is also worth visiting the Gala’s Castle (Castell Pubol), which the artist gave to his wife, but he could stay in it only with her written consent!
See for yourself the interesting places, tourist attractions and monuments on the Costa Brava, which are worth visiting and seeing:
Attractions on the Costa Brava for children
If you are going to the Wild Coast with the whole family, you won’t be limited to sunbathing, as the region offers rich entertainment for kids.
First of all, there are various types of theme parks created mainly for the youngest. From classic water parks – Water World, Aquabrava, Aquadiver, through those with animal shows – Marineland, to those with blown out attractions directly on the sea water – for example in Empuriabrava.
In addition, there are rope parks – such as Arbre Aventura Park and the great playground Gnomo Park.
Of natural attractions, it is worth visiting Butterfly Park in Empuriabrava. There you can admire colorful, exotic butterflies, but also other animals and a real tropical forest. In Blanes, it is worth visiting both botanical gardens – Marimurtra with plants and parrots, and Pinya de Rosa with many species of cacti, aloes and palms.
On the Costa Brava you can also go hiking in one of the many marked trails, admiring the nature, animals and geological formations resulting from erosion. It may also be a good time to sign up your child for the first lessons of some water sports. On the entire coast, apart from the equipment renter, there are schools that deal with this type of training. On the Costa Brava it is possible to use various rides – tourist trains, not only around the area, but also a bit further along the bay or nature park.
A trip on a boat with a glass bottom will also be a great attraction for children. You can then admire the underwater world with our child. Similarly to other tourist-oriented places, there are also go-kart tracks, mini golf courses, or even an air tunnel where you can fly for a while. In addition, it is worth looking into the calendar of various events taking place in Spain. For example, in July, the Fireworks Festival takes place in Blanes (21-26.07.2018).
And now one of the most important issues!
Prices on Costa Brava
Accommodation prices are high, though obviously lower out of tourist season. However, on average for a night in a hostel you have to spend 30 euro. A hotel room, depending on the number of stars, will cost between 50 and well over 200 euro per night.
When it comes to restaurant food, you have to spend around 10-15 euro for a meal at a fairly cheap eatery. In a slightly more prestigious restaurant, such a dinner can cost around 20-25 euro. In turn, in a fast food bar you will eat a set for 8 euro. Coffee in the pub costs 1-2 euro, beer 3 euro, and for a can of cola you will pay 1-2 euro. A jug of sangria costs around 5-6 euro, depending on the premises.
As always, it’s cheaper to cook on your own. You will pay 1-2 euro for the bread, less than one euro for a liter of milk, 6 euro for a pack of 6 eggs, and a kilogram of local cheese costs between 5 and 13 euro. For poultry meat you have to pay 5-8 euro per kg, while beef is traditionally more expensive – 7 to 16 euro per kg. Potatoes cost less than euro per kg, tomatoes from 0.80 euro per kg, and oranges about 1 euro per kg. The water in the store will amount to about 0.50 euro for 1.5 liters, half liter local beer less than 1 euro, and medium-sized wine 5-6 euro.
Finally, one more video depicting the beauty of the Costa Brava:
Comment how your holidays on Costa Brava have gone. We are convinced that every vacation spent there was worth the money!
Current tourist map of Costa Brava
At the finish we are presenting Costa Brava map, which will help you locate the most interesting attractions, towns, beaches and monuments:
For more information about Costa Brava, visit the official site of the region. It also provides information about accommodation, attractions and other important issues for a tourist.