Spain’s beaches are world-famousBlue Flag: 566 of them are marked with the , which is awarded only when the water quality is excellent and the beach itself meets all environmental criteria (separate garbage collection, safe approach, adapted for people with disabilities, etc.).
You can travel along the coast for days exploring the coves, but if at some point you get bored of sunbathing and swimming, the Costa Brava has plenty of interesting towns, places and attractions that are sure to be just as impressive as the beaches. We’ve prepared a list of places with stories that could be a great part of your vacation.
Empuriabrava
How to get there: rent a car from 50 €. per day with insurance and a deposit of 1000 €. By Estacio Nord bus to Cadaqués on the way you can ask to stop at Empuriabrava. The price is 24,95 €. Travel time is 1.5 hours. By train from Estacio Nord station to Figueros from 16 €, then bus (route 12), located opposite the station, price – 5 €. Travel time – 2,5 hours.
The most popular characterization of this city is “Spanish Venice”. In fact, the similarity with its Italian sister begins and ends at the canals: there are no crowds of tourists, carnivals and gondoliers telling romantic stories to lovers on water rides. However, it is precisely this tranquility that attracts travelers.
The first thing that catches your eye is that it is very beautiful here! You can rent a boat for a walk along the canals, but take into account that all boats are limited in speed and crawl like turtles, so safely choose the cheapest option from the proposed – 40 € per hour for four people is quite good.
The second point smoothly follows from the first: taking into account that you can take a boat without driving license, you should understand that the speed will be really turtle-like and you won’t be able to make an exhilarating race, but a leisurely ride along the canals, looking at houses and yachts – quite.
If you love not only water but also air (in terms of sky), there is a small private airport near the town where you can go skydiving. The cheapest option will cost from 32 €, a tandem with video, photo, t-shirt and private plane will cost 620 €.
Cadaqués
How to get there: rent a car from 50 € per day with insurance and a deposit of 1000 €. By bus – Estacio Nord to Cadaqués. Price – 24,95 €, travel time almost 3 hours.
The city of inspiration of the great surrealist Salvador Dalí, where he and his wife Gala spent most of their lives. Once you enter the streets of the fishing village, you realize why the artist chose this place. White boats bobbing on the waves of the blue calm sea, small houses and a complete sense of peace and tranquility.
Cadaques is divided into two parts: one for walking and restaurants, and the second, where the Dalí House Museum is located (admission is 12 €), is a calm bay and endlessly picturesque landscapes. Time stops here, melting, as if in Dali’s painting “The Permanence of Memory”.
It’s worth staying in town for a couple of days, if only to enjoy fresh seafood. I recommend Casa Nun: a small and cozy home restaurant with a terrace overlooking the bay, excellent paella for 20 € for two or a set lunch for 18 €, which includes a choice of fish or meat, soup or salad, drinks, bread and olives.
Figueres
How to get there: rent a car from 50 € per day with insurance and a deposit of 1000 €. By train – from Estacio Sants to Figueres station from 16 € (≈ 1150 rub.), travel time – 2 hours.
This place is also famous thanks to Salvador Dalí. When, in the 1960s, the mayor of the city asked the artist to present Figueres with one of his works, Dalí decided to build a museum. More precisely, a theater-museum. Paintings, sculptures and installations form the basis of the “performance”, which has been in existence for over 40 years.
Dali wanted visitors to leave with the feeling that they had had a theatrical dream. And it’s true: after the museum, one feels a certain surrealness of the whole surrounding world. Although even before the visit you can say with certainty that there will be something unusual inside: outside the house is decorated with giant eggs and loaves of bread. By the way, bread, according to Dali himself, was one of his fetishes in art.
Tickets can be purchased on the website by choosing the day and time of your visit (when buying online, the price is slightly lower – 14 € instead of 15 €. You can check the opening hours on the website.
Cap de Creus
How to get there: rent a car from 50 €. per day with insurance and a deposit of 1000 €. You will have to walk 6 km from Cadaqués.
The Spanish edge of the world is the easternmost point of the country. It can be reached by car (average rental price of 50 € with insurance, deposit of 1000 € or you can take the walking route from Cadaqués, only 6 kilometers away.
The place looks very cosmic: strong winds “on the edge of the earth” blow out a real Martian landscape. And the feeling of excitement, as if you had conquered the whole world, when you climb to the highest points, is hard to compare with anything else. At the top, near the lighthouse, there is a restaurant called Cap de Creus. Everyone gathers here at sunset (come early to get the best seats).
You can eat cold tomato gazpacho soup (5,3 €), grilled prawns (16 €) and eat cheesecake (5,5 €). The romance is created by DJs who play jazz and modern music, there is salsa dancing (sometimes on the tables), and huge seagulls snatch food from the plates of straying guests.
Definitely one of the most impressive places on the Costa Brava, where, in addition to the views and atmosphere, you can enjoy the coolness: even in the hottest period, there are strong winds, so a light jacket will not hurt.
Blanes
How to get there: rent a car from 50 € per day with insurance and a deposit of 1000 €. Electric train R1 from stations Plaça Catalunya, Arc de Triomphe, price 6,30 € one way. Travel time is 1.5 hours.
The resort town of Blanes is famous not only for its long (more than 4 kilometers) and clean beaches (the most famous are Playa de Blanes and S’Abanel), but also for one of the best botanical gardens in Europe – Marimutra. It is divided into three zones: subtropics, temperate belt and Mediterranean. It includes plants brought from China, Japan, Mexico, Africa, North and South America, and the Canary Islands.
The feature of the garden that puts it at the top of the rankings is its location: the cliffs and sea views make it truly unique.
Marimutra was founded in 1920, which means that in 2020 it will be 100 years old! At the same time, the collection of plants is also impressive: more than 4000 species, of which several hundred are very rare and endangered. By the way, the garden has been awarded the status of a cultural heritage of Catalonia.
The hours of operation are from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The entrance fee is 7 €.
Tossa del Mar
How to get there: rent a car from 50 € per day with insurance and a deposit of 1000 €. By bus from Estacio Nord station, tickets from 12,35 € one way. Travel time is 2.5 hours.
The small town of Tossa del Mar is a place of inspiration for artists and filmmakers. For example, Marc Chagall, who called this place an “azure paradise”. The main attraction that can be found in all the pictures is the fortress of Vila Vella. It was built in the XII century and, despite numerous restorations, it has been preserved exactly as it was designed at the beginning of construction.
Now the castle is included in the national list of historical heritage. Unfortunately, the castle, built on top of the mountain, has not survived to this day, but in its place at the beginning of the XX century a lighthouse was erected, which managed to become a local landmark (now there is a museum inside, admission is 3 €.
If you’ve made it to the top, here you can relax in the small restaurant Bar del Far de Tossa. Drink vermouth and try traditional appetizers (3,4 € for a glass of aperitif and 11 € for cheese toast). On the way up you’ll see a statue that everyone takes pictures of: it’s a monument to the actress Ava Gardner.
Its appearance is not accidental: in the 1950s a movie with her participation was filmed here, which was a kind of way to show the beauty of the region and attract tourists. Ava was so impressed by the Costa Brava that after her divorce from Frank Sinatra, she moved to Spain to live there.
Girona
How to get there: rent a car from 50 € per day with insurance and a deposit of 1000 €. By train from Estacion Sants station to Girona, tickets from 11,25 € one way. Travel time is 1.5 hours.
The central city of the province of the same name attracts attention with its fairs, festivals (including one of the most famous in Catalonia, the Flower Festival, which takes place in May) and architecture. Girona is definitely worth at least a day trip if you’re vacationing on the Costa Brava.
The historic center is steeped in medieval spirit, and the main fortress was built as early as the first century BC! Of course, you can’t pass by the majestic Cathedral. It is open from 10:00 to 18:30 from April to October and from 10:00 to 17:30 from November to March. The cost of admission for adults is 7 €, for children under 16 years old 1,20 €.
The city center also has a Jewish Quarter, Arab baths and a university built between the 13th and 14th centuries. The most photographed and recognizable place in Girona are the colored houses along the Onyar River on the opposite side of the fortress.
By the way, 10 minutes walk from the historical center is a large free parking lot, which will definitely be relevant for everyone who comes by car. If you go in a big company, you can try to get to the restaurant El Celler de Can Roca (average check for dinner – about 250 €), which is located near Girona. The thing is that you need to book a table for 2-4 people about nine months in advance, and a large table for 10 people may be free.
Begur
How to get there: rent a car from 50 € per day with insurance and a deposit of 1000 €. By Estacio Nord bus, tickets from 19,85 € one way. Travel time is 2.5 hours.
One of the most peaceful and romantic towns in the Costa Brava has several legends. The first is about the flamenco dancer Carmen Amaya, who came to Begur in the 60s and was so captivated by the beauty of the town that she stayed on to live here. Now in her house Mas d’en Pinc there is a small exhibition dedicated to the artist.
The second legend is that at the beginning of the 19th century, locals were leaving Catalonia en masse because of the economic crisis. They left for a beautiful life, including Latin America. Many really managed to raise money and build businesses to return rich and successful. When they arrived, they built cozy houses in Cuban style.
In the afternoon you can swim and sunbathe in Begur, and in the evening go to one of the most popular restaurants in town – Turandot, named after the heroine of Puccini’s opera of the same name. There’s a 28€ menu including an appetizer, main course and dessert (drinks are separate).
The second most popular place in town is the restaurant at the Aiguaclara Hotel, where you can listen to live music on Thursdays and dance to jazz on vinyl on Fridays. It is better to book a hotel and a table in the restaurant in advance: the place is very famous and people come here especially from neighboring cities.
Rupit
How to get there: rent a car – 50 € with insurance and a deposit of 1000 € rubles. First you need to get to the Vic stop by train R3 (see the station nearest to you, the train passes Plaça de Pl.Nova de l’Era Catalunya, Arc Triomphe), price – 6,30 €, and then by bus 464 to stop, price – 5,35 €. Travel time is 1.5 hours.
If romance isn’t your thing, you can go to Rupit, the city of witches. According to legend, in this mountain village built in the rocks after a volcanic eruption, witches lived on solidified lava and hid from cruel inquisitors.
According to another version, this is where they were burned. No one knows which of these is true, but in general, the gloomy and dark appearance of the town confirms any theories. About 400 people live here, and although tourists are welcome, no one will sell their house: the residents jealously guard the town from newcomers. Perhaps there is some other legend that we don’t know about.
The only way into the old town is via a suspension bridge, which can only hold 10 people at a time. There are only about 13 restaurants in Rupita, of which the most popular is located at Hostal Estrella. Here you can order traditional Catalan cuisine à la carte or choose a set meal with an appetizer, main course and dessert for 26 €.
The Costa Brava is one of Spain’s most famous resorts, but it’s not just the beaches and coves that can captivate you. Legends and diverse nature, surreal places and Salvador Dali museums will definitely make any vacation memorable.
