Costa Brava Hotels

Just how magnificent it is kind of depends on what you’re into. With beaches, resorts like Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar, and casinos juxtaposed with quaint villages such as Cadaqués, castles and historical remains, you may be into all of it, or want to rush past cursing the taint of commercialisation.

Culture vultures won’t be able to resist visiting Salvador Dali’s hometown, Figueres, and spending a load of time unearthing intriguing facts about the famed The Persistence of Memory artist. (Side note: you won’t find The Persistence of Memory at the Costa Brava – it’s in New York City. Go figure.)

When you’re in the Costa Brava, put yourself in the mindset of the eccentric Spanish artist and clocks might start melting just like they do in his work (let’s be honest, it can get pretty hot in this part of Spain). But hey, the Costa Brava isn’t just about Dali – there are some pretty splendid activities and landmarks that will just knock your socks off.

Costa Brava's Top 10

Costa Brava History

• Ruins of Empuries - Some of the best examples of Roman and Greek architecture.
• Cala Nans Lighthouse - Located in Cadeques, this lighthouse gives a wonderful view of the bay.
• Vila Vella - Many old buildings, some dating back to the 1100s, including extensive walls from an old fort.
• Santa Maria Church - One of the local church landmarks in the area.
• Moorish Tower - Hike up to this wonderful landmark that provides an amazing view.

Costa Brava Art & Culture

• Verdaguer Cultural Centre - Relics excavated from Puig de Castillet that date back to 250 BC.
• Vila Vella History Museum - Located on the Costa Brava waterfront and highlights local history.
• Municipal Museum - Features samples of modern art from the 1930s, as well as an archaeological section.
• Dali Musuem House - Built in the 1930s as the summerhouse of Salvador Dali, the famous artist.
• Museo del Far de Tossa - An attractive museum of the area.

Costa Brava Shopping

• St Pere - The main shopping street in Lloret de Mar, Costa Brava, with many well-known fashion shops.
• Av de Reira - An outdoor marketplace just a few minutes walk from the centre of town.
• Tim and Kat - A silver shop in which you can find quality items made locally.
• Blanes - The main shopping area and home to more than 650 shops in all.
• Vila Nova - Offers a wide variety of novelty shops, bars and restaurants.

Gay & Lesbian Costa Brava

• Empuriabrava - Many of the beach areas in Costa Brava offer popular nude beaches.
• Zona B - A great new place in the area.
• Incognito - A local club in Lloret.
• Cafe la Llibreria - A friendly cafe and library and great place to spend an afternoon.
• El David - A great bar in Lloret.

Costa Brava Outdoor

• Santa Clotilde Gardens - Located in the Lloret de Mar area, with beautiful Italian landscaped gardens.
• Fenals Beach - One of the lovely beaches in the Costa Brava area for a perfect day outing.
• Marimutra Botanical Gardens - In Blanes, a charming area with beautiful views.
• Gnomo Park - A park in the middle of a Mediterranean pine forest.
• Els Ametllers - A sample farming establishment from the Roman Mediterranean.

Costa Brava Sport

• To watch or play great golf games, check out the Club de Golf D Aro.
• Lloret de Mar offers fun kart racing.
• A great way to enjoy the beautiful wildlife is on horseback along the Costa Brava.
• In Lloret de Mar, you can watch or enjoy incredible parasailing.
• The Submares club in Tossa de Mar offers wonderful scuba classes and dives.

Costa Brava Local

Girona is the capital of the Costa Brava. This charming medieval town with its famously narrow pedestrian streets is at the confluence of four rivers, which means it is ridiculously pretty and worth lots of photos. Among the important landmarks are the Benedictine Monastery and the Santa Maria Cathedral. Girona also has a Jewish quarter where you can visit the Catalan Jewish Museum. At the Rambla (‘commercial’ centre – a relative term in Girona), you can make a pit stop at one of the cafes or restaurants and watch the world go (slowly) by.

Figueres

Salvador Dali was ’ere, so you’ll find a whole lot of interesting things to see that are Dali-related. The Dali Theatre and Museum is the main event, but don’t miss the suitably surreal Face of Dali. At the bottom of the Rambla, you’ll see an image of Dali’s face, which appears distorted when you look at it on the ground. When you view it through the mirror, however, it looks spot on. Very cool.

Figueres also contains Europe’s largest castle, Castell de Sant Ferran. For some museum hopping, start at the Museu del Joguet, a toy museum that has more than 4500 toys (and of course you’ll find toys that belonged to Dali). This city also has some delightful old-town streets, which are pedestrian areas lined with trees and shops. Stop here for a little fiesta.

Tossa de Mar

This small fishing village has only recently been gaining popularity. The town has cobblestoned roads, medieval ruins, walls, towers and lighthouses. If that still doesn’t interest you, the beach might! There are PADI diving courses you can take here. The resort area is much more family-oriented than Lloret de Mar. Come here if you’re after a quiet and safe trip.

Costa Brava Eat & Drink

With mostly Catalan and Mediterranean cuisine, the Costa Brava will really show you what its local food is all about.

Costa Brava Events

Carnestoltes is a carnival of street parades in February.

Festival Internacional de la Porta Ferrada takes place from June to September. You can enjoy classical music and flamenco performances amongst other forms of entertainment.

The biggest summer event on the Costa Brava is the Havaneres Festival (first week in July). The name comes from the city of Havana, as Cuban sailors brought their music to Girona.

In July and August, the Festival Internacional de Musiques showcases classical music, world music and everything to do with music!

Festival de Jazz de la Costa Brava is a jazz event held in July and August. Jazz fans (and music fans in general) will love this festival.

Peralada Music Festival in July and August is a music and dance festival. From famous singers, operas, musical theatre and jazz to pop, this festival has it all!

When To Go

The Costa Brava boasts some pretty incredible weather. The four seasons are distinct, but winter is still temperate, making this region a great place to visit at any time.

Winter (November to February) is generally mild, although it can sometimes get a bit nippy. Expect temperatures between 10 and 16°C (50-61°F).

Spring warms up nicely in March to May, with temperatures hovering around 13-18°C (55-64°F). It can get pretty windy, though, which will make your hair look all lovely and windswept!

Summer, from June to August, is dry and hot. Temperatures stay at a constant 29-31°C (84-88°F).

In autumn it starts to get cooler again, but only down to 18-22°C (64-72°F). Still amazing weather compared to some other parts of Europe – which shall remain nameless!

Getting There & Around

You can fly into Girona-Costa Brava airport from various locations in Europe. You can also fly to Barcelona and then take an airport shuttle bus to the Costa Brava.

Exploring the Costa Brava is best done by car. The beautiful coastline is expansive and worth seeing.

There’s also a bus service between cities and towns, but that means you can’t stop and look wherever and whenever you want.

What To Miss

If you’re going clubbing in Girona, don’t wear sneakers (this is directed at the guys, by the way). It’s possible that the nightclub won’t let you in. Opt for dress shoes instead, just to be safe.

There are no lockers or storage places for your luggage anywhere in Girona. Obviously this doesn’t apply to everyone, but it’s good to know anyway.

Beachfront restaurants at Lloret de Mar have to pay extra taxes for their location. And lucky for you, it goes straight onto your bill. If that doesn’t bother you, eat away! You have been warned.

General Information

Attractions

Events

Climate