Date of travel: Jun 15, 2024
Costa Brava literally means wild or rugged coast and is situated at the north eastern part of Spain in Catalonia region.
It is a huge area, almost 160 kms long from French border where eastern promontory of Pyrenees mountains is located till Blanes, a beautiful coastal town close to Barcelona.
This region is heaven for tourists as it has scenic cliffs, serene Mediterranean coast, sandy beaches, rocky coves, medieval castles, crisscrossing rivers, tiny villages and charming small towns welcoming people of all nationalities to enjoy their holidays here.
The area is famous for water activities like swimming, snorkelling, surfing, boating along with lots of hiking and cycling opportunities. Great seafood coupled with delicious wine and great cultural heritage of this region make a great combination for lovely memorable vacations and one needs minimum five days to explore this region to do justice to its natural wonders.
We had only one day to explore this scenic beautiful region during our recent trip to Barcelona, so we decided for Girona and two lovely coastal towns.
Early morning departure from Barcelona took us to charming historic town of Girona in one and half hour through scenic driveways. Girona is the capital city of the Costa Brava and is a treasure trove of culture, natural beauty and historic architecture.
We walked along the beautiful Onyar river admiring nice colourful buildings on either side. There are few lovely bridges over the river and Ferreries Velles bridge was designed by famous Gustave Eiffel. We reached the top of medieval wall and enjoyed panoramic views of the town, then visited 12th century construction Arab bathhouse and finally walked along the narrow lanes to the well preserved Jewish quarter.
Major attraction was huge 15th century cathedral boasting widest unsupported gothic arch in the world which dominates the skyline. Then we explored the old town and the
market and relaxed with coffee and local pastries. Point to remember that some portions of Game of Thrones movie were filmed in this walled city.
Next destination was popular tourist spot Tossa de Mar, a charming tiny coastal town of Costa Brava.
We walked towards the main beach Gran Platija which is a wonderful sandy beach with blue crystal clear water. Wandering through the narrow streets of old town (Vila Vella) we reached the village square and the famous 12th century old Tossa de Mar castle. Its wall was made of limestone granite blocks,13feet high and was built to protect the village from pirate attack. The wall features multiple towers of which Tower of the Hours and Tower of the Town are most famous. As we climbed the wall awesome panoramic view of the town and azure sea mesmerised us. Guided tour of the castle is available at a cost but otherwise admission is free.
After climbing down we hit the beach and hired umbrellas and sunbeds.45 Minutes swim in warm clear Mediterranean was refreshing enough and we felt like enjoying the vibrant mood of tourists for hours. We had a great seafood lunch of mussels, squids and roast vegetables in Bahia restaurant situated bang on the beach and took rest for a while under the umbrellas.
Time to leave for another lovely coastal town Lloret de Mar 15 minutes drive through scenic route and we were at this lively vibrant town. The main beach is known as Lloret beach and is stunningly attractive with azure water. Major historical attraction of the town is a medieval castle of 11th century origins serving as a fortress to the town and has Romanesque style architecture. We visited chapel of Sant Roma within the castle walls.
Lloret de Mar is very popular because of its numerous bars, pubs, discos and extravagant nightlife. Gran casino is a popular casino at the town. Also sky diving facility is available here.
On return journey we drove through the last coastal city of the region, Blanes.
Situated at the southern end of Costa Brava this city also has a lovely beach and a castle. Because of time constraint, we just had glimpse of the port and Platja de Blanes (main beach) before proceeding to Barcelona.
Trip to Costa Brava can never be complete without mentioning its most famous surrealist artist Salvador Dali. Multiple small museums showcasing his arts can be found all over, however, main museum is situated at Figueres and is a must visit attraction.
Though an exhausting trip but it was worth every moment of these picture perfect destinations.
Tours
Casablanca has a very busy airport and Moroccan national railway ( ONCF) connection.One can take day tours to Casablanca from Rabat or Marakkesh or even Tangier and vice versa(only if there is time constraints)
At Casablanca many guided city tours and hop on hop off tour are available .
Where to stay
Budget hotels to 5 star hotels all are there to accommodate any kind of tourists.
Food
Local Moroccan, Korean,continental,Chinese,Indian all types of cuisine are there for you to enjoy,Hotels with permit rooms serve alcohol and other beverages under surreal ambiance.
