Stretching from Blanes, some 45 miles north of Barcelona, right up to the French border at Portbou is Spain’s legendary Costa Brava, or Wild Coast. Part of the distinctive Catalonia region, the Costa Brava was one of the first Spanish coastlines developed for mass tourism in the 1950s. While this oft-maligned area is best known for the seemingly brash resort of Lloret de Mar, much of the coastline, especially the north, remains dotted with fishing villages, pine forested coves (calas), sheer cliffs and pristine beaches. With Girona Airport only 19 miles from Lloret de Mar and other resorts, the Costa Brava has benefited from quicker, easier access over the years. In February, Ryanair celebrated its 25 millionth passenger at Girona Airport and this year, expects to transport 5.5 million travellers there. Villa specialists villas4u has also recorded increased sales. Product manager Julie Hewitt says: “Costa Brava is doing well in terms of sales this year. Bookings are approximately 20% up compared with the same time last year, with June, July and August all performing well on 2009.” It’s a similar story for Holiday Lettings. Kate Stinchcombe-Gillies, head of communications, says: “Enquiries for Costa Brava breaks are about 30% above average for Spanish holiday lettings.” Inntravel has also noticed a revival. Product manager Alison Hall says: “Our Catalan holidays have made an excellent recovery after last year, when so much of Europe was hit by the poor exchange rate. Our representative spent six weeks in Catalonia and found an excellent all-round offering in the region, from tourism infrastructure to high-quality hotels and wonderful gastronomy.” Exchange rates aside, last year’s slowdown may also be due, in part, to holidaymakers flocking to the PortAventura theme park in Salou, further south on the Costa Dorada. However, the Costa Brava region received another boost in March when its most famous chef, Ferran Adria of El Bulli restaurant, was announced as the new face of Spanish tourism. Whatever your views on it, Lloret de Mar is Costa Brava’s mainstream crowd-pleaser. Built-up and touristy it may be, but it is a resort that delivers. Its plethora of bars, restaurants, clubs and hotels attract young families and 18-30 clubbers, and theme parks such as WaterWorld, Arbre Aventura and Gnomo Park have become firm favourites. This stretch of the Costa is also renowned for the botanical gardens of Santa Clotilde, Pinya de Rosa and Marimurtra between Lloret and Blanes, further south. Blanes itself, a former fishing village turned tourist boom town, offers holidaymakers a good range of accommodation and dining options. Past Lloret lies the beach resort of Tossa de Mar. Although significantly developed, its medieval walls and turrets attract holidaymakers seeking a Spanish feel without compromising on amenities. Approaching Tossa de Mar by boat is an attraction in itself, as its Vila Vela (old town) unfolds on the shoreline. North of here are the lively beach resorts of Sant Feliu de Guixols and Platja d’Aro, second only to Lloret, with numerous family attractions, such as the AquaDiver waterpark and Magic Park fairground. It is after the resort town and yachting harbour of Palamós that the coastline takes on a more low-key demeanour. It’s worth detouring inland to the scenic town of Palafrugell (two miles from the coast) and the ancient Greek ruins at Empúries. Palafrugell is also a good base for exploring the neighbouring beaches – for example, Calella, Llafranc and picturesque Tamariu – all lapped by the Costa’s deep blue waters. The medieval village of Pals is also nearby, as is Begur with its 10th-century castle. One of the towns in this northern stretch making its mark on the tourist map is L’Estartit. It is a fully developed holiday resort but is renowned for its nature activities, such as coastal trails past the dunes and marshes of birdwatchers’ paradise Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park and the traffic-free ‘greenways’, former railway tracks converted into cycle routes. L’Estartit’s proximity to the marine paradise of the Medes Islands is another plus. Last year, they were designated an official Marine Reserve and feature some of the Mediterranean’s best diving. Further north, unique settings such as the Bay of Roses offer more spectacular coastline, dotted with attractions such as medieval Castello d’Empuries and Roses itself, a thriving holiday destination. Roses is best known for the El Bulli restaurant, located by Cala Montjoi beach, while the Aqua Brava water park has one of Europe’s biggest wave pools. The fishing village of Cadaqués, once Salvador Dali’s home, remains an escape for peaceseekers during the off-season – its bohemian vibe a result of its artistic community. Around this peninsula is the spectacular Cap de Creus Nature Preserve, one of Spain’s most diverse nature parks, home to many rare birds. During the winter, monster waves make for picturesque scenes. On the north side of the peninsula is the Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, set 500 metres above the fishing village of El Port de Selva with panoramic ocean views. Although inland, one of the region’s highlights is the town of Figueres, birthplace of Salvador Dali and home to the Dali Museum and a lively café-lined rambla. The city of Girona is also worth a wander with its historic Jewish quarter, cobbled streets and impressive cathedral. Golfers can choose from 10 championship golf courses, two of the finest being TorreMirona Golf and Spa Resort and Club Golf d’Aro-Mas Nou at Platja d’Aro, one of the Costa’s oldest courses. An increasing number of hotels offer full-service spas, such as Spa Terraza in Roses and Wellness and Spa Institut GEM in Lloret, part of the Guitart spa resort group. Catalan cuisine is also renowned. El Bulli and El Celler de Can Roca (in Girona) received three Michelin stars in 2009, taking the region’s total to 18 stars for 13 restaurants. For lighter wallets, seafood is especially good value especially in the smaller coastal towns. Wine connoisseurs can enjoy the vineyards (bodegas) in the south-central Empordà wine region. From rustic retreats and vast villas to all-inclusives and family campsites, accommodation is as plentiful as it is varied. Luxury villa company Royal Villas Europe offers an eight-bedroom villa in Port Lligat bay near Cadaques from €10,000 a week, while a week from May 15 at Keycamp’s top-selling Cypsela site costs just £184 for a family of six in a Classic Midi mobile home. In-between options are plentiful, for example, staying in historical hotels such as the Parador de Aiguablava near Palamos. All-inclusive deals with companies such as Thomson often offer excellent value for budget-conscious families. Self-catered villas cater to a variety of budgets, and when packaged with car hire, allow holidaymakers to explore this majestic and often underrated coastline at their leisure. New for 2010 is Inntravel’s seven-night independent walking holiday, Gastronomic Trails in Catalonia, taking in coastal and inland Costa Brava. It costs from £1,098 per person, twin-share, including seven nights’ half-board in one three-star hotel and three four-star hotels. Also included are detailed walking notes, maps and luggage transfers. Flights, however, are excluded. inntravel.co.uk, 01653 617000 Villas4u is offering the Casa Memé on the Golf Brava estate in Santa Cristina d’Aro, between Tossa de Mar and Sant Feliu de Guixols. The property sleeps four and has a garden, covered terrace, heating and open fire. Facilities include a supermarket, sports club with pool and tennis courts. Prices start from £300 for seven nights’ self-catering excluding flights for April 17/May 15 arrivals. villas4you.co.uk, 0845 268 8555 Inghams Villas’ new Monterrey apartment complex is under a mile from Lloret de Mar. The four-bedroom duplex apartment has a large sea-view balcony and includes use of a shared swimming pool and gardens. Prices start from £1,507 (or £215.25 based on seven sharing) for seven nights’ self-catering from June 27. inghams.co.uk/villas, 020 8780 6629 (quote ES9469.720)Why Costa Brava?
Costa Brava’s boom town
Northern Costa Brava
And the rest…
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