Costa Brava.

EUROPE/SPAIN/42.0167° N, 3.1333° E

Granite cliffs plunge straight into turquoise coves where pine needles dust the salt water. Stretching from Blanes to the French border at Portbou, this coast shifts from sandy southern bays to the wind-scoured lunar shale of Cap de Creus. Between the ports and the medieval stone hamlets of the Empordà plain, life runs on suquet de peix, crisp Garnatxa Blanca, and paths carved by coastal patrols over centuries.

Last updated 31 Aug 2026

Field notes

Photographs · Wikimedia Commons
Europe / Spain42.02°N 3.13°E
Costa Brava — Costa Brava bei Tossa de Mar, Katalonien (Spanien)
Costa Brava bei Tossa de Mar, Katalonien (Spanien)
Costa Brava — Lloret de Mar - Camí a Cala Banys - Mediterranean, Costa Brava
Lloret de Mar - Camí a Cala Banys - Mediterranean, Costa Brava
Costa Brava — Costa Brava (113279055)
Costa Brava (113279055)

What Costa Brava is about

Twelve ways to read the region. Pick a town below and you can turn any of these into a timed 1, 2 or 3 day plan.

LOCAL SEAFOOD

Sweet Palamós red prawns flash-fried in sea salt, rockfish suquet simmered with picada, and sea urchins cracked open along the docks in winter.

COASTAL WALKS

The Camí de Ronda follows old smuggling trails along granite headlands, linking tiny swimming calas and pine forests from Sant Feliu to Begur.

WINE & VINEYARDS

DO Empordà produces mineral Carinyena and textured Garnatxa, shaped by the fierce northern Tramuntana wind blowing across rocky terraced slopes.

MODERN ART

Trace Salvador Dalí through his whitewashed labyrinth in Portlligat, the castle at Púbol, and his surrealist theatre-museum in inland Figueres.

MEDIEVAL VILLAGES

Golden sandstone ramparts, vaulted alleys, and Romanesque towers anchor fortified inland hamlets like Pals, Peratallada, and Monells.

ARCHAEOLOGY

Greek and Roman foundations sit side by side at the ruins of Empúries, overlooking the Gulf of Roses where trading galleys landed in 575 BC.

RICE TRADITIONS

Pals rice fields yield short-grain varieties cooked into rich, dark arròs caldós with cuttlefish ink and local rabbit in stoneware cazuelas.

MARKET CULTURE

Covered halls in Girona and Palafrugell fill early with salted cod, botifarra sausage, wild mushrooms, and fresh cheeses from nearby farmsteads.

NATURE RESERVES

Cap de Creus Natural Park offers windswept hiking over jagged slate ridges, while the wetlands of Aiguamolls de l'Empordà host migrating storks.

POTTERY & CRAFTS

La Bisbal d'Empordà remains the regional hub for glazed red-clay ceramics, where workshops on Carrer de l'Aigüeta spin terra-cotta wares daily.

BOTANICAL GARDENS

Cliffside grounds at Marimurtra in Blanes and Cap Roig in Calella showcase Mediterranean flora perched hundreds of feet above churning surf.

ARCHITECTURE

Romanesque monasteries like Sant Pere de Rodes crown mountain passes, while Gothic basilicas watch over river bends in historic county seats.

Where to go in Costa Brava

The bases worth booking. Each one has its own field guide with 1, 2 and 3 day itineraries.

  1. 01
    Girona

    CATALONIA / SPAIN

    Walk the medieval Jewish quarter and high stone ramparts before dinner in lively riverside plazas.

  2. 02
    Cadaqués

    CATALONIA / SPAIN

    Whitewashed houses frame a pebbled bay where Dalí entertained and fishing skiffs still rest.

  3. 03
    Begur

    CATALONIA / SPAIN

    Climb to the ruined fortress above town, then drop down to secluded coves via pine-shaded tracks.

  4. 04
    Calella de Palafrugell

    CATALONIA / SPAIN

    Low whitewashed arches and wooden fishing boats keep this seaside village grounded and serene.

  5. 05
    Palamós

    CATALONIA / SPAIN

    Watch the afternoon fish auction conclude before ordering sweet red prawns at the portside taverns.

  6. 06
    Peratallada

    CATALONIA / SPAIN

    Carved stone moats and fortified archways make this one of the most intact medieval villages in Spain.

  7. 07
    Pals

    CATALONIA / SPAIN

    A Romanesque stone core overlooks coastal rice fields from atop a gentle inland hill.

  8. 08
    Tossa de Mar

    CATALONIA / SPAIN

    Medieval battlements and circular towers wrap directly around a sheltered crescent of sand.

  9. 09
    Figueres

    CATALONIA / SPAIN

    Visit Dalí’s sprawling, theatrical museum and the vast eighteenth-century fortress of Sant Ferran.

  10. 10
    L'Escala

    CATALONIA / SPAIN

    Famous for salt-cured anchovies, this working port sits right beside ancient Greco-Roman ruins.

  11. 11
    El Port de la Selva

    CATALONIA / SPAIN

    A quiet northern port backed by barren slate hills, ideal for hiking up to Sant Pere de Rodes.

  12. 12
    La Bisbal d'Empordà

    CATALONIA / SPAIN

    Spend a morning browsing family-run ceramic studios and antique shops along the riverbanks.

What to do in Costa Brava

Costa Brava is the northeastern coastal strip of Catalonia, running from Blanes up to the French frontier. Days here revolve around morning swims in rocky calas, unhurried lunches of arròs a la cassola, and late-afternoon strolls through stone villages in the Baix Empordà. It suits independent travellers who appreciate regional food, coastal walking along the Camí de Ronda, and landscapes where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean.

When to go to Costa Brava

May, June, September, and October offer mild swimming weather and quiet coastal trails without the intense heat and heavy traffic of July and August. Winter brings crisp blue skies, seasonal sea urchin tastings, and strong Tramuntana winds, though many beachside spots close.

Getting around Costa Brava

A rental car is the easiest way to hop between coves and inland medieval hamlets via the C-31. High-speed trains link Barcelona and Girona in 38 minutes, while regional SARFA buses connect larger coastal hubs like Begur, Palafrugell, and Cadaqués.