I’m Gabriele and welcome to my Costa Brava travel guide! I was born in Lithuania and grew up in Germany. I moved to Spain eight years ago to study for a semester at the university in Leon. During the semester, I learned Spanish and got to experience the culture. I was supposed to stay for six months but I liked it so much that I extended my stay for another six months. Later, I moved to Madrid to do an internship. I kept extending my stay until I was able to find a job in Madrid, so I decided to stay long-term.
There are so many things I love about living in Spain, I am sure I could write a book about it! One of the things I love the most is the food and tapas culture. Spanish food is amazing and once I learned about its variety depending on the region, it became one of my greatest passions to try everything. I also love how spontaneous the people are, and how easy it is to go out and meet other people. And of course, the sunny weather helps!
Exploring Spain & Falling in Love with it All
I spent my first year in Spain in Leon. Since I was only planning to stay for six months, I tried to travel as much as I could! I traveled along Galicia and Pais Basco, which are incredible places. But I also explored the south. Once I moved to Spain, I learned so much about how different the south is compared to the north. There is so much difference in culture, weather and food. So, everywhere you go it feels like you are visiting a new country!
Something I would definitely recommend for traveling around Spain is to leave the obvious tourist destinations like Madrid and Barcelona. Spain is an extremely diverse country that has so much to offer! If I had to pick a favorite destination in the country, I would say Mallorca and Menorca (or the Balearic Islands in general) are must-see places for a beach holiday. Granada is the perfect place to visit to experience Spain’s tapas culture and to visit the Alhambra, one of Spain’s most incredible UNESCO sites.
Since my love for Spain started in the north, it will always have a special place in my heart. You should absolutely visit Leon for its tapas. Plus, it’s en route to the Camino de Santiago, a network of pilgrimages, another popular activity in Spain. A very special place that I have to mention here is Cadiz, an ancient port city in Andalusia that is surrounded by the sea. The list could go on and on! Spain has so much to offer for whatever you are in the mood for. If you do not like the typical beach holiday, you can even go skiing outside of Granada. Many people don’t know that!
There are still some places I have not visited yet but I would love to go. I think I still need a trip to Andalusia to visit Tarifa and Marbella. I have been told that the beaches are stunning and the food is amazing. Then, I would love to visit Logroño. That area of Spain is famous for its Rioja wine. There, you can visit wineries, do tours or go to the wine festival in autumn.
A Wonderful 10-Day Trip Along Costa Brava
My partner and I decided to visit Costa Brava last year in August. It seemed like the perfect place to visit from Barcelona, as you can reach it easily if you rent a car. We were there for 10 days in total and had a great time! Half the time we just enjoyed relaxing at the crystal-clear beaches, and the other half we spent exploring the smaller villages of the coastal area.
We stayed in Platja d’Aro and Castello d’Empuries. From there we visited a couple of towns including Blanes, Tossa del Mar, Palafrugell, Begur, Pals and Cadaques. I know it sounds like a lot of places in 10 days, but those are all small beach villages that are very close to each other. So you can spend the day at one beach and then have dinner in another town close by.
My Favorite Place in Costa Brava: Cadaques
One of my favorite places I visited in Costa Brava, and in all of Spain, is Cadaques. It’s a small fishing village that is famous for its white houses, which are in contrast to the aquamarine sea water. It’s gorgeous! You can only reach it by car (there might be a way to go with public transport but it wouldn’t be comfortable) but it is so worth it! The views of the white houses next to the blue water make you feel like you are living in a fairytale!
Cadaques is also famous for the Spanish painter Dali who lived here before he died. You can visit his house, which is now a museum and one of the must-do activities in Cadaques. Most of the house is still the same as it was when he was living there. Several paintings of Dali show Cadaques and once you visit it, you will understand why. The city is the definition of picturesque! And Dali is not the only one who fell in love with it.
Pablo Picasso, Thomas Mann and even Albert Einstein have lived in this special town. There are different stories about Cadaques attracting artists from all over the world. Cadaques will always be special to me and my boyfriend because the first time we ever visited it was during the pandemic. So the city was completely empty, just us and a couple of locals. It will be a bit more crowded now but the city is still absolutely charming!
Costa Brava Travel Itinerary from Barcelona
If you are visiting Costa Brava from Barcelona, your first destination should be Begur with a stop in Blanes along the way. There is a beautiful botanical garden with views of the surrounding beaches in Begur. We went in summer, and the whole place was full of flowers and exotic blossoms.
My personal highlight of our Costa Brava trip though was when my partner and I rented a small motorboat in Blanes, and explored the bays that you can only visit by boat (there are many beaches and bays that you can only reach via boat). By the way, you do not need a boat license for that. Check out ericboatsblanes.com for more info. We spent the whole day snorkeling, looking at the beautiful bays and having a picnic on the boat. It was special!
Then, I would really recommend visiting towns such as Tossa del Mar and Cadaques. Both are great one-day trip destinations in Costa Brava and you will always have the beach close by. So, you can spend the day at the beach and explore the cities afterwards. Tossa del Mar is famous for its beautiful castle and romantic small streets, and we had an amazing time there!
My top tip for a restaurant in Costa Brava: Restaurant Cap de Creus. Why is it so special? First of all, it’s located inside the Cap de Creus Natural Park, where only a limited number of cars are allowed to enter every day. Make sure to reserve in advance and check the option to park your car.
Otherwise, you will have to get there by public transport which will be a tough thing to do. The restaurant is right next to a huge cliff, next to a big lighthouse, with different bays surrounding it from both sides. We went to Restaurant Cap de Creus during sunset and the views were magical! My suggestion would be to bring a jacket as it does get very windy up there!
For accommodation in Costa Brava, I recommend Palau Macelli in Castello d’Empuries. It’s a beautiful hotel located next to the Basilica, an old convent in the town of Empuries. It’s the perfect place to stay if you are looking for quiet time and a hotel with a spa. We enjoyed the spa so much that this place is on our list to visit again this year. The garden behind the hotel is the ideal spot to enjoy an afternoon drink while watching the sun go down over the fields of Empuries. This was by far our favorite stay in Costa Brava!
How to Best Get Around Costa Brava
You should rent a car to explore all that Costa Brava has to offer. When I did my research, I saw that there are buses available that connect different cities but you will have a hard time catching buses. Especially, if you are carrying towels and other beach necessities. I would recommend renting a car in Barcelona and going to Costa Brava from there. Something that I have to mention is that Costa Brava is a very popular destination during the summer months. We did have trouble finding parking spots during our vacation, which was the only real downside to renting a car.
Need to Know Before You Go
August is the peak of the high season in Costa Brava. Due to my partner’s work, we were only able to go in August. If you are more flexible, try to avoid August if possible. You will still have a great time, but it’s just more crowded in general and you might have to reserve your bucket list restaurants in advance. I think a great time to visit would be May-June or September-October. During that time, there won’t be as many people visiting Costa Brava and the temperatures are still perfect for a beach holiday. Another benefit is that hotels and rental cars might be a bit cheaper.
Another thing to remember is to properly prepare for the sun and heat during summer. I have red hair and am pale. I was constantly reapplying sunscreen, and covering myself with a hat and a linen blouse. Not only does it get hot during summer, the weather is very humid as well. My suitcase was full of linen shirts and dresses. Those were lifesavers in the humid heat!
If you are going to Costa Brava during the high season and have a restaurant that you want to visit, be sure to reserve it in advance. I was told that it wouldn’t be an issue but due to the amount of people visiting during the high season, some of my bucket list restaurants were booked out days in advance. That is something you should keep in mind when visiting!
