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Costa Brava Overview

Sitting at the northernmost point of Spain, close to where it meets the French Riviera, the Costa Brava has been a favourite destination with British campers for decades now. Served by both Barcelona and Girona airports, its popularity shows no signs of diminishing with Eurocampers who want guaranteed sunshine and plenty to see and do.

Naturally, if you are looking for a lively holiday with lots of nightlife, it is easy to arrange here, thanks to the bustling resorts that dot the coastline.

But there is also a more surprising side to the Costa Brava, for those who want to get out and explore. In fact, more than 30% of the area around Girona is a protected natural area, offering mile after mile of unspoiled and often spectacular countryside for you to explore.

There are also nearly 2000 beaches spread along the coast here, meaning that if you prefer a deserted, tree-lined cove to a crowded beach, you will be fairly spoiled for choice. You will also find no less than five National Parks on this gorgeous coastline, not to mention a host of botanical gardens such as the one at Cap Roig, which is also the site for the Costa Brava Jazz Festival that takes place here every July and August.

And when you need a fix of culture, Barcelona is also right here, with its multitude of fine museums, grand churches and inviting restaurants.

Speaking of which, for all its sophistication, Barcelona shares a common cuisine with the whole of Catalonia, with Tapas, bread served with olive oil, and specialities like Botifarra amb Mongetes, or Catalan sausage with beans, found almost everywhere on the Costa Brava.

For more information on the other areas of Spain you can visit with a Eurocamp holiday please see our holidays in Spain section.

Places to visit - Sightseeing

Spain’s Wild Coast offers you everything from endless beaches and picturesque ports to some of the world’s most beautiful cities:

Girona
While many come here for the excellent shopping, it is down the meandering, cobbled streets of the old quarter that you will find this walled city’s true charm. Don’t miss the city’s Arab Baths and the lovely Church of St Pere de Galligants.

Barcelona
One of the world’s most cultured cities, Barcelona offers you a host of splendid places to visit, including the spectacular City Museum, Centre of Contemporary Culture, and Antoni Gaudi’s many creations, including the Sagrada Familia temple.

Calonge Castle
Built in the 11th century, this elegant castle has been lovingly restored to its former glory and now serves as a town hall and concert venue. One of the finest castles of its type in Spain, it is well worth visiting.

Museum of the Volcanoes
Here you can not only discover the secrets of the region’s volcanic past through an informative exhibition, you can also enjoy a stroll through the ten-acre grounds of this beautiful botanical park.

Castellfollit de la Roca
This pretty, medieval village enjoys a quite unique location atop a towering basalt rock formation. The views are quite superb from here, but it is the village’s narrow streets and homes made from volcanic rock that really delight.

Cap de Creus Natural Park
This rugged peninsula to the north of the Costa Brava enjoys protected status thanks to its striking geography. It is a place of stark cliffs and hidden bays, with many striking rock formations said to resemble wild animals.

Marimurta Botanical Garden
Perhaps the finest botanical gardens in Europe, Marimurta offers more than 4,000 botanical species in a series of carefully created landscapes, together with lookout points revealing spectacular coastal views.

Tossa de Mar
The only remaining example of a fortified medieval town on the entire Catalan coast, Tossa has a lovely old town area, together with spectacular city walls joined together by the impressive Codolar, Las Horas and Joanas towers.

Great for younger kids

Magic Park
Children of all ages are welcome here, though younger ones especially will appreciate the rich variety of things to do here, including artificial ice skating, trampolining, a children’s assault course, mini boats and much more.

Aquadiver Water Park
This spectacular water park has plenty for the whole family to enjoy, including a number of rides and slides. However, families with young children are very well catered for, thanks to areas such as Llac Infantil and Kiddie Island.

Great for older kids

Can Garriga Paintball
Around 5km from Tossa de Mar, Can Garriga offers a highly professional setup, with two different game fields, instructors, and referees for every two-hour match. You can also book quad bike excursions here.

Waterworld
This spectacular water park has plenty for the whole family to enjoy, though teens will be particularly thrilled by rides such as the Kamikaze, X-Treme Mountain, Storm and Water Rapid.

Places to visit - Activities & events

Mountain Biking/Cycling
The rugged terrain of the Costa Brava makes it ideal for mountain-biking and you will find ‘BTT’ centres with more than 100km of marked trails here. You’ll also find ‘greenways’ built on disused railways lines for gentler cycling.

Walking and Hiking
Many of Europe’s Grand Randonée (GR) routes pass through the Costa Brava, while you will also find many shorter Coast Paths all along the coastline, allowing you to discover a wealth of hidden bays and beaches as you walk.

Golf
There are ten fine golf courses in the Costa Brava area, including the excellent Golf Platja and Golf Serres in Pals, and the magnificent PGA course Golf del Catalunya at Caldes de Malavella.

Watersports
With the warm waters of the Mediterranean at your disposal, you are also spoiled for choice when it comes to watersports here. The coast is simply dotted with centres for sailing, windsurfing, jet skiing and kayaking.

Unmissable events on the Costa Brava

Les Enramades Festival, Arbucies
For 10 days in June every year, competitors create artistic carpets of flowers around the streets of Arbucies, making for an unusual and very charming visitor attraction.

International Music Festival of Perlada Castle
Throughout July and August you can enjoy a host of opera and classical music events in the lovely grounds of this quite beautiful castle.

Festival International de la Porta Ferrada
Held from late July until late August, this eclectic festival, which has been running for more than 50 years, offers up a varied programme of music, theatre and dance in its auditorium and monastery.

Costa Brava International Fireworks Competition
For a week in July every year, the sky above Blanes is a sea of light and colour, as the world’s greatest exponents of the firework maker’s art meet to do battle on the Costa Brava.

Places to visit - Eating out

With seafood predominating, the Costa Brava still has a cuisine that is quite unlike those of the other Costas:

• Fish Suquet – signature dish of the entire coast, fish suquet blends scorpion fish and monkfish with potatoes and garlic mayonnaise to make an elegant fish stew.
• Black Rice – A rice dish containing cuttlefish and cuttlefish ink, often served with Gambas or local clams.
• Trinxat – A hearty dish consisting of belly pork served on top of a large patty of potato and cabbage.
• Wine – One of Spain’s smaller wine-producing regions, the Costa Brava’s bodegas offer several good wines including the popular Carinena and Granacha Tinta.

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