From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lloret de Mar, the largest resort in the Costa Brava

The Costa Brava is a coastal region of northeastern Catalonia, Spain, in the comarques of Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà and La Selva, in the province of Girona. Costa is the Catalan and Spanish word for 'coast', and Brava means 'rugged' or 'wild'. The Costa Brava stretches from Blanes, 60km northeast of Barcelona, to the French border.

In the 1950s the Costa Brava was identified by the government and local entrepreneurs as being suitable for substantial development as a holiday destination, mainly for package holiday tourists from Northern Europe and especially the United Kingdom and France. The combination of a very good summer climate, nature and excellent beaches was exploited by the construction of large numbers of hotels and apartments in such seaside resorts as Blanes, Tossa de Mar, and Lloret de Mar. Tourism rapidly took over from fishing as the principal business of the area.

Cadaqués, an artist's paradise

While part of the Costa Brava coastline lent itself to tourist developments on a very large scale other parts have retained a more traditional look and have become "hidden gems" for visitors who want a little more than sun, sand and sangria. Small towns like Cadaqués (close to the French border and close to the foothills of the Pyrenees) have attracted artists such as Salvador Dalí (Dalí's Museum at Figueres is one of the most important and visited museums in Catalonia, you can also visit his House-Museum in Port-Lligat, near Cadaqués and the Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol) and Pablo Picasso and are now fashionable resorts. The coast between Roses and Tossa de Mar has many delightful small coastal towns such as Pals, Begur, Tamariu, S'Agaró, Empuriabrava, Llafranc, L'Estartit, Aigua Blava, Fornells, Calella de Palafrugell, Palamós and Sant Feliu de Guixols.

Environmental protection

In 1998 coastal towns of the Costa Brava signed a charter the Carta de Tossa which undertook to pursue environmental protection along with tourism. This recognised the value of the region's wide range of natural habitats and micro-climates [1]. The Illes Medes off the coast of L'Estartit is Spain's first maritime nature reserve and it provides a home to a wide range of fish and acquatic flora. The nearby wildfowl reserve on marshlands at l'Emporda also saved land from the potential ravages of development.

External links

• The official site for Costa Brava Pirineu de Girona Tourism
• 100 years of the name "Costa Brava"

List of the Spanish Costas Costa Brava  · Costa Dorada  · Costa del Azahar  · Costa Blanca  · Costa Cálida  · Costa de Almería  · Costa de Granada  · Costa del Sol  · Costa de la Luz  · Costa de las Rías Bajas  · Costa da Morte  · Costa Verde  · Costa Vasca

From Wikitravel

Lloret de Mar - principal resort of the Costa Brava

The Costa Brava (Rough/Tough Coast) is in Catalonia, in the northeast of Spain. It has rocky cliffs and a mix of pebble beaches and sandy beaches.

• Girona - Capital of the Costa Brava, beautiful city divided by a canal
• Lloret de Mar - Largest resort,
• Tossa de Mar - A lovely seaside resort
• Blanes Southernmost resort with two botanical gardens

• Calella de Palafrugell - scenic fishing town
• Begur
• Platja de Pals

Understand

In the early 2000s many Russians acquired villas around Costa Brava, inflating restaurant prices, and bringing many expensive cars to the region.

Get in

Costa Brava's main airport is Girona-Costa Brava airport. Ryanair operate flights to the airport from several destinations in Europe and Morocco all year. Other airlines include Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomson Airways and transavia.com (all seasonal). Alternatively, you can fly into Barcelona-El Prat airport. Airport shuttles operate between Girona-Costa Brava airport and the majority of the resort cities, Barcelona and Girona city centre.

Get around

If you want to explore a lot of the coastal cities then renting a car is your best option. There is regual bus service between the towns but nothing compares driving along and stopping where you like.

See

The unknown gem of the Costa Brava is Tossa de Mar. This beautiful little fishing village is one of the least developed on the northern Spanish Mediterranean coast. Tossa is still a fishermen's town, with the quaint very-narrow cobblestoned streets, white houses, and beautiful coastline. Tossa also boasts some very well-preserved medieval ruins -- including walls and towers which protected the town between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries.

If you like casinos and more luxurious accommodations, go to Lloret de Mar. However, if you prefer the less developed beaches, and don't mind less ostentatious accommodations, Tossa de Mar is for you.

Also see Girona - old city and Jewish quarter, Cadaques - Dali museum and marine park.

Do

There are scuba diving outings to the "Illes Medes" (Medes Islands) National Reserve Park from L'Estartit. Cadaques also has various dive shops to explore the area.

• Ca la Paquita, c/Major 22, Gualta, Girona (a small town close to Estartit (6 km)), ☎ 972-758303 (info@restaurantcalapaquita.com), [1]. . Excelent food created for his chef with the traditional Mediterranean style. Good relation quality-price. Wine tasting menu for €50.  edit

Drink

The Rovers Return - A lovely British pub, serves nice food and a lovely pint. Also recommended for late nights as the hosts are excellent company!

• Malgrat de Mar - Railway station by the beach, just south of Blanes