Costa Brava and Costa Maresme on the Spanish coast

Spanish for “The Wild Coast”, Costa Brava’s charming region spans 200 kilometres along the Iberian Peninsula from the French border to Blanes, where it meets the Costa Maresme which continues to just north of Barcelona. Generally the whole region is known as the Costa Brava.

Many of the towns on the Costa Brava are fishing towns where residents are warm and friendly. Delight in exquisitely fresh seafood, warm sunny days and cool Mediterranean breeze. The only large resort on the Costa Brava is the lively and bustling resort of Lloret de Mar, which is the a cosmopolitan resort set on a wide sandy beach overlooking the sparkling sea. The other major resorts such as Calella, Malgrat and Santa Susanna are just a little further south on the coastline known as the Costa Maresme and all offer everything for the discerning holidaymaker.

The coastline is a mix of sandy beaches, beautiful whitewashed houses, rocky cliffs and pine forests. Towns and busy resorts line the beaches of the Costa Brava/Maresme region. Lloret de Mar, Malgrat de Mar, Santa Susanna and Calella top the list as the most popular resort destinations in Costa Brava/Maresme. Do not overlook smaller, interesting, destinations like Pineda de Mar, La Platja d’Aro and Tossa de Mar.

To get to the Costa Brava, there are two airports which service the region. Barcelona Airport is under two hours from the southern end of Costa Brava. Barcelona is a major hub with flights arriving from every corner of the world. Alternately, Girona Airport serves direct flights from many U.K. airports. Girona is much closer to some parts Costa Brava/Maresme.

Weather in the region

Costa Brava’s weather is a little different to that of Southern Spain. The proximity of the French Pyrenees creates more rainfall than in other parts of Spain. In Spring and Autumn the scenery is lush and green with temperatures rarely topping 25 degrees in the day making for comfortable days and nights.

July and August are the hottest months with temperatures topping 30 degrees. Winter temperatures are cooler that the other costas but with sun appearing for approximately 4 to 6 hours per day, compared to the UK, these temperatures still feel nice!

Local holiday destinations

Lloret de Mar is the most popular of the resort towns and the second largest is Calella. Both resorts have dozens of hotels, boutiques and restaurants providing all the comforts of home. Calella also has the advantage of being in close proximity to the glittering Catalan capital city of Barcelona.

If you prefer something quieter, try Pineda de Mar or Tossa de Mar. Both resorts started life as small fishing villages and although they now have a good selection of modern hotels fronting the smart promenades and gardens they retain an old world charm. Enjoy wandering through their traditional streets shopping for souveniers and stop for a drink in one of the colourful, tradional town squares.

Santa Susanna and Malgrat de Mar are twin resorts centrally situated with a magnificent beach linking the two resorts. The resorts are perfect for family holidays on the Costa Brava, slightly quieter than Lloret de Mar and Calella. The resorts have smart hotels and apartment complexes, excellent watersports and a very good range of restaurants and bars.

Costa Brava Hotels

Finding the ideal place to stay during your Costa Brava holiday is simple as Hotels are plentiful. From expensive properties to self-catering apartment, the options vary. Most establishments feature multilingual staff, beach views and spacious guest rooms or suites.

An ideal choice for most guests is an all inclusive hotel. There are several of these in the resorts and probably the best known of all is the HTop Hotel Group. The H.Top Hotels Group offer 14 hotels from very comfortable 4* hotels such as The H.Top Amaika Hotel in Calella and The H.Top Royal Beach and H.Top Royal Star in Lloret and to 3* as the H.Top Olympic in Calella and the H.Ttop Planamar in Malgrat. All the H.Top Hotels feature daytime activities and fantastic evening entertainment and there is a dine around policy when enables guests to dine at other hotels.

The Costa Brava also has a wide range of self-catering accommodation such as the Safari Apartments in Calella and the Condado Apartments in Lloret de Mar. This type of accommodation is often chosen by families on a small budget or with very young children.

Sightseeing in and around the resort

The Costa Brava enjoys some spectacular scenery and it is well worth hiring a car to explore the region. There are also excellent bus and train services as well as a water ferry service which runs in the summer season between all the resorts from Calella in the south to Lloret de Mar.

Most hotels provide a good selection of excursions at reasonable prices taking in sights such as Montserrat, Barcelona and Andorra.

Gastronomy in Costa Brava

Before tourism reached Costa Brava, incomes relied on the fishing trade, olive farming and wine. These staples remain part of the area’s gastronomy.

Many restaurants and bars serve traditional tapas. These small appetizers are served with drinks allowing you to sample a variety of foods rather than one large meal. Specialties include anchovies and tomatoes on homemade bread, pork sausage, fried seafood, local cheeses, garlic shrimp, vegetables, Serrano ham and more.

There are restaurants and cafes to suit all budgets many of which service local specialities and deliciou seafood.