After talking to our tour guides in Barcelona who were born and raised in the area, it was clear that we had to rent a car and travel up the coast along the Costa Brava. They told us of crystal clear water, quiet fishing villages, beautiful towns, and glorious beaches where we could soak up the Spanish sunshine. That was all I needed to hear and we quickly headed to the rental counter and eventually north along the Catalan Coast.
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| Tossa de Mar |
The red pins represent the start and end of the region known as the Costa Brava. The hotel icon represents where we stayed, the airplane where we flew into, and the small beach icons are where we stopped and enjoyed the beach while visiting the area.
Costa Brava
The Costa Brava named as the "Wild Coast" or "Rough Coast", is the Mediterranean coastal region of Catalonia in northeastern Spain. The area includes the town of Blanes northeast of Barcelona and extends up the coast to the French border.
It is everything I envisioned the Mediterranean sea and coastline to be. It was beautiful little villages tucked into rocky coves. Restaurants on the beach, gelato stands on every corner. The cutest little shops lining cobblestone streets and flowers streaming down a trellis. Snorkel gear sold at the stores so you can leave the pebble beaches behind to snorkel in the salty clear water. This is where Europeans spend their summer holiday and we were definitely surprised to notice we were two of few Americans in the area. When I checked into our hotel, the hostess asked us several questions about our US residency as if we had come from Mars.
Don't come to the Costa Brava for a list of touristy things to do. Instead, head to this area to relax on the beach and soak up the rocky coastline dotted with gothic buildings and ancient castles on the coastline. You will need to rent a car to access all these areas. It's worth the extra time and cash to rent a car and visit the Costa Brava as the towns are easy to drive in, typically with decent parking.
It is everything I envisioned the Mediterranean sea and coastline to be. It was beautiful little villages tucked into rocky coves. Restaurants on the beach, gelato stands on every corner. The cutest little shops lining cobblestone streets and flowers streaming down a trellis. Snorkel gear sold at the stores so you can leave the pebble beaches behind to snorkel in the salty clear water. This is where Europeans spend their summer holiday and we were definitely surprised to notice we were two of few Americans in the area. When I checked into our hotel, the hostess asked us several questions about our US residency as if we had come from Mars.
Don't come to the Costa Brava for a list of touristy things to do. Instead, head to this area to relax on the beach and soak up the rocky coastline dotted with gothic buildings and ancient castles on the coastline. You will need to rent a car to access all these areas. It's worth the extra time and cash to rent a car and visit the Costa Brava as the towns are easy to drive in, typically with decent parking.
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| Tossa de Mar |
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| Tossa de Mar |
Where we stayed
Tahiti Playa in Santa Susanna. This was a great family resort in a sweet little family friendly boardwalk beach town. The resort was right on the beach and there was a large pool and a lot of areas for the kids. It was also right across the street from the boardwalk lined with stores, restaurants, arcades, playgrounds, night clubs and cafes. While this was a great family friendly option, we would have stayed at one of the smaller hotels or Airbnbs in one of the small towns further north along the Costa Brava. |
| Tossa de Mar |
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Tossa de Mar
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Where we visited
We ended up doing day trips up the coast from Santa Susanna. I don't have a list of places to go but a few towns that are certainly worth your time. Back your beach towel, park in town, and spend a few hours at the beach. After that, wander the streets, grab some food and a few drinks, and enjoy the seaside. Do some shopping and definitely grab some gelato. Tossa de mar also has beautiful fortress walls and you can walk up and around the fort. I loved each town we visited in a different way but if I had to pick, Tossa de mar would be it.Tossa de mar - Leave it to this historic fortified medieval village to make you feel like you are in a movie. I loved this little town and we had a great day walking along the fort walls, sitting down for dinner, and shopping. Truly the perfect little place to unwind and enjoy the history and the beauty of the Catalan coast. Of the three towns we visited, this one did feel a little more touristy and developed but again, on a much smaller scale than your typical beach resort and the city.
Calella de Palafrugell - Our next stop was Calella de Palafrugell. There was a parking garage located right off the main strip that made parking easy. We walked down to the beach and enjoyed some time in the surf and the sand. The town originated as a fishing village and now served as a summer getaway for European tourists but without the big hotels and larger development. There were some great rock features that made for some great snorkeling and the shops throughout town all sold snorkel gear. Llafranc next door also came with high remarks but for the sake of time, we just drove through before heading north to Tamariu.
Tamariu - This was our last stop on our Costa Brava tour. We intended to travel a little bit farther north to Begur but our electric car usage was making us nervous and there was no where to charge our car in these small coastal villages. Parking here was less than ideal and we parked the car in a small forested lot that was tricky for our low to the ground electric car. We walked down to the water and swam in the sea, watched kids and adults taking turns on the diving board off the rocks. The name Tamariu derives from the tamarisk trees along the promenade separating the beach from the narrow streets and buildings. The town operated as a small fishing village and fishing boats moored in the bay are clearly visible from the beach.
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| Tamariu |
While each little village had it's own flair and personality, there is one thing they all had in common. Beaches with crystal clear water, friendly European tourists on holiday, cute shops, and lovely restaurants offering fresh locally caught seafood. Three days in the Costa Brava was exactly what I envisioned a European summer on the Mediteraean sea to feel like. Beach by day, dinner late into the evening, and drinks amongst friends and strangers well into the night.
If there is one thing that Europeans know how to do much better than Americans, I think it's how to connect and how to unwind. It's truly other worldly to sit down for a three hour dinner at a seaside restaurant, enjoying sangria and seafood followed by espresso and dessert. We loved the Costa Brava and the only problem we had was a lack of time to fully explore every nook and cranny along the coast. If you can't tell, I fell deeply in love with Spain, with the food, the people, the culture, and the coastline. With so many places to see I rarely say this but I promise you Spain, I will be back.
Next time:
Beaches in LafrancBeaches in Begur
Visit the inland city of Girona
Salvador Dali House Museum
Check out Cap de Creu National Park
Hike the Cami de Rondaa -lmost the entire length of Costa Brava
Make our way to the french border
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| Tossa de Mar |
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| Calella de Palafrugell |
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| Tamariu |
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