When you think of planning a trip to Spain, you’re usually used to hearing recommendations about gorgeous Madrid, fun Barcelona, or impressive Seville… But where is Costa Brava?
What do you even do there? Is it worth spending precious travel time here? The answer is YES and ill tell you why.
Everyone knows exactly what to do and where to visit when going to a popular tourist spot like the ones mentioned above, however, how do you get the best local tips for different (yet just as gorgeous) locations like the Costa Brava? Let me tell you all about it.
Costa Brava is located in the northeast region of Spain and is part of the Catalonia province. It starts right on the French border and goes all the way down (along the Mediterranean coast) to Barcelona. As you can imagine, you can expect small beachfront towns, picturesque old castles and a LOT of seafood.
Depending on your taste, Costa Brava has a wide variety of attractions for everyone, however, when we visited for the very first time we were feeling a bit overwhelmed with the amount of information shown on the internet. Of course, you will probably see numerous lists of things to do – but how does one choose between the “top 20 beaches in the Costa Brava”? It seemed a bit difficult to know which ones were worth it and would have wished for a local to give us the best recommendations.
When planning a trip to Spain, travelers usually have just a few days at each location so this list is perfect if this is your case. Luckily, we have been able to live in near Costa Brava for the past 2 years, so after visiting pretty much every point on those lists and being able to consider ourselves locals, ill give you our top 5, and save you valuable travel time.
1. Walk around Santa Clotilde Botanical Garden
Created to host a (very fancy and exclusive) wedding back in the early 20th century, designed by Nicolau Rubió I Tuduri, this gorgeous garden was designed in the style of the old gardens of the Italian Renaissance. I think that its one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever walked through, and the mediterranean sea view I just a cherry on top. If you are thinking about visiting Costa Brava, there is no way you can miss this spot. Entrance fee is 5 euros/ 2.5 if you fit into the reduced pricing (students, senior citizens) & their schedules are from 10am to 5-8pm depending on the time of year. For more info check out their website here:
2. Charming Pals village
If you’ve ever seen the Netflix series Grand Hotel, and would have wished to walk around a town like that, then Pals is your place. This charming little village looks exactly like a storybook setting. I promise you will be surprised by the brick homes, picturesque arches, and colorful flowers making everything look enchanted. You can walk the whole town in about an hour, so make sure to check out the 1000-year-old church, the “mirador Josep Pla”, and sit down at the “Plaza mayor”, which is perfect for a glass of wine with a view, music, and crepes for dessert.
3. Platja Gran at Tossa de Mar
After a lot of beach visits; some good and some not so good, we found our top area for beaches in costa brava. Tossa de Mar is a coastal town, with bays, castles, small homes and a lot of clearwater beaches. Most of them will be mouth-dropping, but if you’re trying to choose 1 and have limited time, then you can’t miss ” Playa Gran”. Why? because it basically gives you a glimpse of all in one. In Tossa, you can park in town, walk around the cute streets, eat the best seafood with a Mediterranean view right in front, and take a swim in the clearest water you’ve ever seen. Also, if you’re into castles, right at the edge of the beach is a medieval tower which you can climb (or ride a touristic train) to the top and get the whole area view. This beach was on National Geographic´s list of ´25 Best Beaches in the World´ a couple of years ago so if you want to boast to your friends about your European trip, this is the place!
If you’re looking to plan your upcoming Costa Brava trip and don’t have too much time at each location, then these 3 choices are a great way to see a bit of everything. I recommend spending at least a full day (preferably 2) in order to take full advantage of each place, but keep in mind that places like the Botanical garden only require about 3 hours, so you can set that up along with the Pals town visit.
If you do have more time to spare, I definitely recommend the next 2 options.
4. Girona
Spending a full day at Girona, which is another city with spectacular things to see is something you can’t miss if you have some time to spare. You will be amazed by its medieval architecture, Roman remains, and colorful homes. There are many touristic attractions to keep you busy and its been called the most charming place to visit in Catalonia for a good reason.
5. Dali Theatre and Museum
Also, if art is in your interests, definitely dedicate a couple of hours to visiting the Dali theatre and museum. The place is located in Figueres, also inside Girona, and you will be able to see a great collection of Dalí’s work. Also, make sure to plan it around 2 to 2.5 hours in order to fully take in the architecture of the museum, and if you want to complete the perfect afternoon plan, there are great restaurants and terraces to get food and drinks very nearby.
