Visiting the Costa Brava
Some two hundred kilometres of rocky coast, from the French border down to Blanes, in the north-east of Catalonia. In the north, Cap de Creus drops into a sea often whipped up by the tramontane wind, and Cadaqués lines its white houses around a fishing harbour. In the middle, the Empordà plain hides medieval villages, rice fields and the Greek ruins of Empúries.
Further south, the coast narrows into small coves linked by a path cut into the rock, all the way to the ramparts of Tossa de Mar. Lloret and Blanes live at the pace of big beach resorts. You come for the swimming, the walks along the sea and Dalí, whose whole world fits between Figueres, Portlligat and Púbol.
You'll love it if
- You want hidden coves an hour from Barcelona airport
- You like walking along the sea, from cove to cove
- You want to mix beaches, stone villages and museums
Look elsewhere if
- You want empty beaches in August: the coast is very busy
- You hate wind: the tramontane blows hard in the north
- You want peace in Lloret in summer: the resort lives by night
The must-sees
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1 Dalí's triangle +20 recs
Three places, three sides of the painter. In Figueres, his theatre-museum crowned with giant eggs. In Portlligat, the fisherman's house he enlarged for forty years. In Púbol, the castle he gave to Gala. Book Portlligat ahead: visits run in small groups.
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2 Cap de Creus +10 recs
The easternmost point of the Iberian peninsula, a natural park of bare schist carved by the tramontane. Park at the lighthouse, walk down to the coves, and stay for the sunset over the sea.
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3 The coastal path Hiking
A coastal path links the coves between Calella de Palafrugell, Llafranc and Tamariu, through pines and rocks. You pass under stone arches, drop down to tiny beaches and swim along the way. Set off early in summer: shade is scarce.
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4 The Empordà villages Villages
A few kilometres from the beaches, Pals and Peratallada keep their walls, their lanes of golden stone and their arcaded squares. In the evening, the terraces fill with Catalan families. Go at dusk, when the stone turns orange.
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5 The habaneras of Calella Festival
Every summer, in early July, the beach at Calella de Palafrugell hosts an evening of sea shanties brought back from Cuba. You sit on the sand, drink cremat, a rum flambéed with coffee, and the crowd sings along with the bands.
The classic trap
Booking in the centre of Lloret de Mar expecting the postcard Costa Brava. You'll get a lively resort, loud at night, ringed by apartment blocks. For coves and villages, aim for Begur, Calella de Palafrugell, Tossa or Cadaqués instead.
Our itineraries in the Costa Brava
| Length | Route | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days | Figueres › Cadaqués › Cap de Creus | Dalí, the white harbour of Cadaqués and the cape at sunset |
| 5 days | Cadaqués › Empúries › Pals › Calella de Palafrugell | The wild north, the Greek ruins, the villages and the coastal path |
| 1 week | From Portbou to Tossa de Mar, via Roses, Begur and Sant Feliu de Guíxols | The whole coast, the Medes Islands and the walls of Tossa |
Start in Figueres with the Dalí museum, then head to Cadaqués for an evening on the harbour. The next day, Cap de Creus and the house at Portlligat. Then drive south to L'Escala for Empúries, on to the Empordà villages and the coves of Palafrugell. Got a week? Add a dive at the Medes Islands and a night in Tossa de Mar.
When to visit the Costa Brava
| Appeal | Season | Temperatures | Highlight | Crowds and prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WinterNov. to March | 4 to 15 °C | Quiet villages and museums without queues | Low | |
| SpringApril to June | 10 to 25 °C | Walking the coastal path | Medium | |
| SummerJuly and Aug. | 19 to 29 °C | Swimming and village festivals | High | |
| AutumnSept. and Oct. | 13 to 26 °C | A still-warm sea and the grape harvest | Medium |
Our advice
Come in June or September: the water is already pleasant, the coves have room and prices drop noticeably. In the north, watch the tramontane: when it blows, the sea gets rough around Cadaqués and Roses, and the sheltered coves of the south take over.
Getting to the Costa Brava
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By car, from Girona, Barcelona or France The most flexible
From Girona airport, the coast is half an hour's drive away; from Barcelona, Blanes is an hour and Cadaqués two. Driving down through France, Figueres is an hour past Perpignan.
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By high-speed train to Girona or Figueres Without a car
High-speed trains link Barcelona to Girona in under forty minutes and to Figueres in under an hour, and direct trains from Paris stop at both. Buses then run to the coast.
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By plane to Girona or Barcelona The usual way
Direct flights from London, Manchester, Dublin and many other cities serve Barcelona all year, and Girona mostly in summer. Girona is the closer of the two to the coves.
Pick up a hire car at the airport: buses link the towns but rarely the coves. If you are staying in the south, in Blanes or Tossa, you can do without one.
Getting around the Costa Brava
A car gives you the most freedom, but the coastal roads are narrow and the cove car parks small. Buses link the towns to each other and to Girona. In the south, boats shuttle between Blanes, Lloret and Tossa, and the train from Blanes runs to Barcelona every half hour. The finest way, though, is on foot, along the coastal path.
Good to know
In summer, car parks near the coves are often paid and full by ten in the morning. In Cadaqués, park at the edge of the village and walk down. Spain drives on the right, and a UK or EU licence is all you need.
What to eat in the Costa Brava
- Suquet de peix: the fishermen's stew, fish and potatoes in a saffron broth.
- L'Escala anchovies: salted and cured in the harbour for centuries, served on tomato bread.
- Palamós prawns: the red prawn of Palamós harbour, simply grilled.
- Mar i muntanya: the Catalan surf and turf, chicken and langoustines in the same pot.
- Empordà wines: reds and rosés from wind-blown vines, which you can taste in the cellars around Peralada.
- Crema catalana: lemon and cinnamon custard under a crust of burnt sugar.
To eat like the Catalans, wait: lunch is around two, and dinner rarely before nine. The lunchtime set menus in the Empordà villages are the best deal on the coast, and the harbours of Palamós and L'Escala serve the catch of the day without fuss.
Where to stay in the Costa Brava
| Area | What for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Cadaqués and Cap de Creus | White harbour, Dalí, wild coves | The most beautiful |
| Roses and its bay | Long beaches, boat trips | The most family-friendly |
| L'Escala and L'Estartit | Empúries, diving at the Medes Islands | The most natural |
| Begur and Palafrugell | Coves, villages, coastal path | The most charming |
| Tossa, Lloret and Blanes | Ramparts, resorts, train to Barcelona | The easiest without a car |
How much does a trip in the Costa Brava cost?
| Trip | Length | Budget per person |
|---|---|---|
| Budget (campsite or guesthouse, buses, set lunches) | 5 days | €350 to €600 |
| Comfort (hotel near a cove, car, restaurants) | 5 days | €800 to €1,400 |
| Luxury (boutique hotel, Michelin-starred tables) | 5 days | €2,000 to €4,000 |
- The season: in June and September, you often pay far less than in August for the same room.
- The set lunch: starter, main, dessert and a drink for the price of one main course at dinner.
- The coves: they are public and free; only the car parks cost money.
- The Dalí museums: you'll pay an entry at each of the three sites, and Portlligat must be booked.
- The car: book it early for summer, and allow for motorway tolls.
Traditions and way of life in the Costa Brava
Before the beaches came the Greeks: around 575 BC, sailors from Phocaea founded Emporion, today's Empúries, whose ruins still overlook the sea near L'Escala. The centuries that followed left monasteries, such as Sant Pere de Rodes above El Port de la Selva, and villages fortified against pirates. People speak Catalan here, and on Sundays the sardana is still danced in the squares.
The name Costa Brava, the wild coast, first appeared in 1908, coined by a journalist, Ferran Agulló. Then came Salvador Dalí, born in Figueres, who settled in Portlligat and made the Empordà the backdrop of his canvases. Passing through Cadaqués? Look at the rocks of Cap de Creus: you'll find them, barely distorted, in his paintings.
