Route through the most beautiful towns on the Costa Brava
The Costa Brava is much more than beautiful beaches. It is made up of a very charming rural landscape and beautiful and authentic towns to walk through. Fill the car tank and pack your suitcases because we're going on a road trip through the most beautiful towns on the Costa Brava! We order them from north to south.
Cadaqués
We start with the mythical Cadaqués, without a doubt one of the most beautiful towns on the Costa Brava and also one of the most touristy and photographed. The charm of its white houses, its fishing tradition and the surrealism of Dalí have put Cadaqués in the international spotlight for any traveler who wants to discover the Costa Brava.
Cadaqués is located in the Cap de Creus Natural Park. A few minutes by car, you will find Portlligat, where Salvador Dalí's house-museum is located. In the town of Cadaqués, right on the beach, you have the Hotel Playasol, ideal for a getaway to Cadaqués.
Peralada
Going down, you will find Peralada, one of the medieval towns on the Costa Brava. It is known for its magnificent castle and for the Castell de Peralada Festival that is held every summer and brings great international artists to the stage. In addition, its streets are full of charm.
If you like wine, spa and golf, you will be in luxury in Peralada. There is the Hotel Peralada Wine Spa & Golf, which perfectly combines these three pleasures.
Empuriabrava
Near Peralada, towards the sea, you will discover Empuriabrava, a town with a lot of leisure and activity. Walking through its streets you will discover what makes it a special corner of the Costa Brava: its canals full of boats. It is “the Venice of the Costa Brava”! Without a doubt, it is worth a walk through Empuriabrava.
A few kilometers from Empuriabraba you will find the Almadraba Park Hotel, a spectacular hotel with sea views, thanks to its privileged location on top of a promontory above the sea.
L'Escala
L'Escala is one of the most important and well-known fishing villages on the Costa Brava, where anchovy stands out as a deeply rooted local product. In L'Escala you live facing the sea... and also facing the Tramuntana, the typical wind of the Costa Brava.
Next to L'Escala are the ruins of Empúries, the place where the Greeks arrived in the Iberian Peninsula for the first time, thousands of years ago. From L'Escala there is a very comfortable pedestrian walk (which is part of the Camino de Ronda) that takes you to Sant Martí d'Empúries, passing precisely through the ruins of Empúries and its beautiful beaches.
You will not get tired of exploring the beaches of L'Escala. One of the most beautiful is Cala Montgó, where the quiet and pleasant Hotel Can Miquel is located.
Sant Martí d’Empúries
Whether walking from L'Escala or the ruins of Empúries, or directly by car, it is worth taking a short walk through Sant Martí d'Empúries. It is a tiny medieval town but it has a lot of charm.
L’Estartit
Continuing south along the coast, you will find L'Estartit, one of the destinations on the Costa Brava most chosen by families with children for its good leisure offer for families and the shallowness of its beaches.
Many divers also come to L'Estartit, since in front of its coast is the natural reserve of the Medes Islands (illes Medes), a great place to explore marine fauna and flora.
If you are looking for a family hotel on the Costa Brava, the Hotel Les Illes could be a good option. It is located in front of the port of L'Estartit and offers accommodation and water activities for the whole family: diving, snorkeling, kayaking, sailing...
Begur
Begur is a very lively town, with a lot of gastronomic offerings and a beautiful old town to walk through and go shopping. Don't let the slope scare you: climb to the top of its medieval castle from which you will have spectacular views of Cape Begur and the Costa Brava.
The beaches of Begur are some of the best coves on the Costa Brava. One of them is the Aiguablava cove, which lives up to its name for the powerful blue of its waters. Nearby is the Hotel Aigua Blava, a hotel located in front of the sea, on the Camino de Ronda.
Pals
Pals is for many another of the most beautiful towns on the Costa Brava and also one of the most visited. Its walls and medieval past make it a very charming and well-kept town. Every street, every arch, every stone house and every corner of Pals has a charm that makes visitors fall in love.
In Pals is the Hotel Mas Salvi, a 17th century farmhouse renovated into a very charming hotel. If you prefer to be in front of Pals beach, you have two great options: on the one hand, the La Costa Beach & Golf Resort hotel, which has a swimming pool and direct access to Pals Golf; and, on the other, the Hotel Sa Punta, which is surrounded by large gardens, terraces and two seawater pools.
Peratallada
Like Pals, Peratallada is one of the most charming medieval towns on the Costa Brava. And also, they are very close to each other. Peratallada is smaller but falls in love with its charming corners, arches and balconies adorned with flowers.
Monells, Palau-Sator, Cruïlles, Sant Martí Vell y Madremanya
In addition to Pals and Peratallada, there are other medieval towns in the Empordà - Costa Brava that, although they are really tiny, are beautiful and worth a visit. We recommend: Monells, Palau-Sator, Sant Martí Vell, Cruïlles and Madremanya. All five have a lot of charm and half as many tourists, since they are less known.
They are towns so small that they can be visited in a half-hour walk. But in that time you will enjoy its medieval air and its authentic charm.
Calella de Palafrugell
Calella de Palafrugell is for many artists one of the most beautiful towns on the Costa Brava: it inspired, for example, Joan Manel Serrat to write his legendary song “Mediterráneo”. Calella is spectacular, especially seen from the viewpoint past the Port Bo beach.
The first Saturday in July is always a special night for Calella and the Costa Brava: the traditional Cantada de Habaneras is celebrated on the Port Bo beach. A unique spectacle to see once in a lifetime!
If you are looking for a charming hotel in Calella, we suggest three that you will surely like: the Hotel Alga, the Hotel Garbí and the Hotel Sant Roc.
From Calella you can walk to Llafranc along an easy and well-adapted Camino de Ronda. Of course, be careful that when you get to Llafranc there are a good number of steps.
Llafranc
Like Calella, Llafranc is one of the beaches in Palafrugell. It also preserves a lot of seafaring tradition and it is common to see the boats in the port, in front of the beach. Its bay is beautiful and it is not surprising that it is one of the favorite destinations on the Costa Brava for many families.
In Llafranc is the Far de Sant Sebastià, located at the top of a mountain and which you can climb by car or by continuing along the Camino de Ronda. The views from the top are spectacular, especially at sunrise.
You will find three charming hotels in Llafranc in front of the beach itself, located on the promenade: the Hotel Terramar, the Hotel Llafranc and the Hotel Llevant. All three have sea views.
S’Agaró
S’Agaró is a beautiful fishing village through which one of the most beautiful Caminos de Ronda on the Costa Brava passes: the one that goes from Sant Pol beach to Sa Conca beach. It is an easy and very well adapted path, which can be done in about 25 minutes. Both beaches are crystal clear, shallow and really beautiful.
In addition, the town of S'Agaró is very pleasant for a walk. There is the Hotel S’Agaró Wellness & Spa where in addition to sleeping well, you can relax and take care of yourself in its wonderful spa.
Sant Feliu de Guíxols
Sant Feliu de Guíxols is one of the best-known and most beloved towns on the Costa Brava. It is a mix of seafaring tradition, beautiful beaches and Caminos de Ronda and passion for culture. Don't miss the arrival of the fishing boats to the port in the morning!
In Sant Feliu there is a wide range of leisure activities and you will surely be familiar with the famous Porta Ferrada festival that is held in Sant Feliu every summer. The famous Sant Pol beach is one of the most beautiful on the Costa Brava. And right on the beach is the Hotel Sant Pol.
Tossa de Mar
We could not finish this route through the most beautiful towns on the Costa Brava without passing through Tossa de Mar, a town with a lot of charm and a medieval past. Tossa is unique for its spectacular wall and castle, which can be seen from the beach itself, while you take a dip or walk along the sand.
If you want to sleep in Tossa, you will find the Granados Hotel-Restaurant, a charming boutique hotel that belonged to the family of the musician Enrique Granados.
Good getaway!
Fotos: Jorge Franganillo, Jennifer Woodard, malditofriki, txikixa, Miquel Gonzalez Page.
