Costa Brava

Did you get lost on internet while looking for information about your unforgettable Costa Brava holiday destination?

Take advantage of the rental company of your holiday home! Here, you’ll find a collection of popular and hidden places on the Costa Brava. And something extra: useful information.

I bet you can’t wait to discover everything what you can do on the Costa Brava. BUT, I’m warning you! The Costa Brava is more than just a popular party scene!

In the crystal clear sea water of the Costa Brava, there are lots of possibilities for water sport lovers. On the mainland of the Costa Brava, it’s full of great cultural landscapes and there are plenty of historical and architectural treasures. The Costa Brava thinks about everyone: there’s an amazing night-life, lots of different types of trips, water parks and many more.

There’s always something to celebrate, on the Costa Brava. I’m not talking about a party-hardy with a beat box, but about cultural festivities on the Costa Brava.

The most famous festivities on the Costa Brava are: Carnaval (in February/March), Semana Santa (the week before Easter), the spectacular fireworks competition in Blanes (in the middle of July) and, during the summer, the National Festival of Porta Ferrada (one of Catalonia’s most ancient festivals).

Make a toast to the cheerful cultural ambiance on the Costa Brava. And, you don’t want to miss anything during your visit on the Costa Brava? Mission possible! Continue reading how to have a perfect holiday on the Costa Brava! No time for detailed information? Check out theTop 10 things to do on the Costa Brava.


Luxery villas on the Costa Brava, click here!

A profitable day out on the Costa Brava: you get more than what you see!

What do you love doing on your holiday?
Have fun together with your children at the theme and water parks of the Costa Brava.

To some people, the Costa Brava offers an energetic holiday, but to others, it’s a synonym of relax. While you sport, you’ll enjoy the most amazing views of the Costa Brava. Just as in golf courses and other entertainment possibilities, the Costa Brava is very rich in…. the terror of most men…SHOPS! Every village on the Costa Brava has its own shopping street. But the Costa Brava has so much MORE.

Relax and rest are easy to get on the Costa Brava. You can have from great massages till inspiring walks on the mountainous areas of the Costa Brava’s inlands.

You can’t miss an exploring trip to the most visited coastal villages on the Costa Brava. Or, on the opposite: you should visit the Costa Brava’s picturesque villages and its beautiful nature.

Getaways on the Costa Brava: theme and water parks

To change a bit from the beach or the cultural day trips, try an exciting day out in a theme or water park on the Costa Brava.
- Agua Brava Park – Water park in Roses
- Aqua Diver – Water park nearby Playa de Aro
- Gnomo Park – Theme park nearby Lloret de Mar, on the road to Blanes
- Marineland – Water park and zoo (with dolphins, sea-lions and exotic bird shows) in Palafolls
- Water World – The biggest water park on the Costa Brava, in Lloret de Mar

Places to impulsively shop on the Costa Brava

The Costa Brava has many cheerful shopping streets, where you can, for example, get a nice souvenir. Every now and then, you’ll find boutiques with clothes, shoes and accessories. BUT if you want more variation, try the fantastic huge shopping centres of the Costa Brava:

Weekly markets on the Costa Brava

Merchants build up their stands once a week, in many villages on the Costa Brava. The markets usually begin around 8 am and people start packing up around 2 pm. The results are that you can enjoy every day of a different market of fresh fruit and vegetables, accessories, clothes, etc. Here’s a list of the main markets on the Costa Brava:

Sports at the coast or inlands of the Costa Brava

The Costa Brava is a Mecca for sporters. One of the most fascinating coastal areas, on the Costa Brava, is the archipelago of Illes Medes (Islas Medes or Medes Islands), nearby l’Escala. It’s an ideal place to dive, snorkel or take a boat trip.

Pals is a magnet for wind surfers. Besides this, just as in other coastal villages on the Costa Brava, you’ll find many other water sports and entertainment activities. Some of these are kayak, water ski, jet ski or/and canoes.

Golf is a very popular sport in Spain. On the Costa Brava, you’ll find 10 golf courses and 9 pitch and putt varieties. The favourites are: Golf Catalunya-Caldes (Caldes de Malavella), Glub Golf Costa Brava (Santa Cristina d’Aro) and Golf Club Peralada (Peralada).

Mother Nature will reward you with her best views if you have a stroll on the coastal paths (el Camino de Ronda), of the Costa Brava. Or while you have an impressive cycling trip in the inlands, from Olot to Sant Feliu de Guíxols (la Ruta del Carrilet).

From the air, the Costa Brava looks magnificent! You’ll sight rock formations, large sandy planes and green hills. Fly on an air balloon, a helicopter or go hang gliding at Empuriabrava.

The Costa Brava has 5 sport resorts. During the summer, you’ll find amazing localities to have a walk or try adventurous sports. When the snow season starts, all these resorts are changed into winter sports spots.

The trendiest coastal villages on the Costa Brava

Some of the coastal villages on the Costa Brava have an unfair bad reputation because of mass tourism and wild night-life. This is just another reason to come to the Costa Brava and discover the truth! The most acclaimed villages are: Blanes, Empuriabrava, l'Estartit, Lloret de Mar, Palamós, Playa de Aro and Roses.

Costa Brava, characteristical historical villages

The Costa Brava’s history is extremely interesting, because of its multiple multicultural treasures. We suggest you to visit the most typical villages of the Costa Brava: from small places like Banyoles, till the artistic village of Cadaqués. You can also visit the city of Dalí, Figueres, the capital of the province, Girona, or villages like la Bisbal, Palafrugell, Peralada, Tossa de Mar, S’Agaró or Ullastret.

The Costa Brava’s high lights and historical/cultural heritage

The Costa Brava has rocky coasts, long beaches and green inlands, which reach till the Pyrenees. The relatively simple sea-bottom is filled with beautiful coral and an impressive nature reservecalled les Illes Medes (Islas Medas or Medes Islands). The breath-taking nature of the Costa Brava is enormous. The Cap de Creus, the Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l’Empordà and the botanical gardens, in which the Costa Brava is very rich at, certainly add more value to it.


But don’t forget the historical/cultural heritages. In the inlands of the Costa Brava, there are many more than you expect. High lights on the Costa Brava which you shouldn’t miss are: the archaeological ruins of Empúries, the Roman monastery, the medieval villages Pals and Peratallada and the wine area of Empordà.

Trips in and from the Costa Brava

Get to know everything about the Costa Brava without reading 10 touristic guides. Luckily, the people from the travel agency will tell you all the information you need and the latest news. In most of the holiday destinations on the Costa Brava, you’ll find local travel agencies, which organize different kind of trips in the area.

Our suggestion is to take the guided trips to Barcelona, Montserrat and Cremallera, the village tour of Rupit, el Far and Besalú and the world of Dalí. Do you want to experience the most exciting roller coasters, nonstop water fun and high quality entertainment? Go to the amusement park (inclusive water park): Port Aventura!

If you want more action, you can try diving or having a jeep or quad safari. On a hot day, you’ll probably prefer something refreshing, so you can also enjoy a fresh breeze on the Catamaran Cruise or on a boat trip.

The evenings on the Costa Brava aren’t boring at all! There are many restaurants and bars but, if you want some variation, the Costa Brava has something special for you: get into the Costa Brava’s atmosphere in a flamenco show or in a medieval evening.

Costa Brava’s beaches

After a day out in Barcelona or a breath-taking cycling tour through the inlands, you’ll probably desire an ordinary beach moment. The Costa Brava has many beaches where you can picnic, have a beach volleyball game or simply get tanned on a sun lounger. The beaches have fine sand or fine course sand. In most of them, you’ll also find an information board, in which you’ll see that, for example, dogs are not allowed to go on the beach. If you want to walk with your dog on the promenades and boulevards, it’s possible if you hold it with a leash.

Some of the Blue Flag qualified beaches on the Costa Brava

Food and drinks: The gastronomic kitchen and some special suggestions of the Costa Brava

Everywhere in Spain, so also in the Costa Brava, restaurants and bars offer typical Spanish dishes. Think about the refreshing 'gazpacho' on a hot summer day. This type of food is like a cold tomato soup, but it looks much tastier than what you are probably imagining!

You can have as many types of tapas as you want. Or you can make a combination of these small snacks, like 'calamares' (fried squid rings), 'gambas' (prawns), with 'pan con tomate y ajo' (bread with tomato and garlic) and cheese chunks.

And who doesn’t know the famous 'paella': a rice dish with fish, vegetables and, sometimes, meat. The preparation of this delicious meal (if you like rice) is more complicated than its description. When making paella, the pan (also called paella) is very important.

Now that you’re on the Costa Brava, you’ll probably want to experience something from this coastal area. The Costa Brava’s kitchen knows many fish and seafood meals. For people who love meat, a stay on the Costa Brava is also great because the most popular meal is a pork sausage. Of course, there’s also chicken and other types of meat.

Sweets, sweets and… more sweets. In the category desserts, the 'crema catalana' is our best suggestion.

The real traditional gastronomy is located in the inlands and in the smaller fishing villages. Nevertheless, the bigger coastal towns also try their best to show you from international meals till very national ones.

The night-life on the Costa Brava

The most famous night-life resort on the Costa Brava is Lloret de Mar. If you want fun and entertainment, you can visit the Gran Casino Costa Brava. Besides, you’ll also find more than 100 pubs, big and famous clubs and disco pubs, which, in the summer, will make you party the 24 hours of a day.

Just 5 kilometres to the south of Lloret de Mar, you’ll find the last village on the Costa Brava: Blanes. It’s a peaceful village that’s very loved by families. But you should know that also in Blanes there’s a very exciting night-life!

Playa de Aro also joins the team of partying villages of the Costa Brava. But just as Blanes, Playa de Aro is an amazing village for young people and families (with kids) to have a great holiday evening.

To those who like to gamble with style, there are 2 casinos on the Costa Brava. In Lloret de Mar, there’s the Gran Casino Costa Brava, which is located in a very modern designed building. And, in the opposite direction, in the north of the Costa Brava, you’ll find the Casino Castell de Peralada. In this place, you’ll be surrounded by amazingly beautiful designed gardens. While you spend your evening on the roulette table or in another gamble section, there’s a beautiful evening oncoming in the beautiful castle of the 14th century.

Travel information during your stay on the Costa Brava

What do you know about the Costa Brava’s location? It’s not that important, but it’s a bit sad if you don’t know where you’re going on a holiday. That’s why we’ve got this short IQ-moment.

The Costa Brava is the first coast on the Western north coast of Spain. It’s located from Port Bou till (and including) Blanes. Besides this, it’s situated in the province of Girona, which is a part of Catalunya (one of the 17 autonomic regions of Spain).

Every part of the Costa Brava has its own specialty. The different areas are divided into the so-called comarcas (region): la Selva, el Baix Empordà, l’Alt Empordà, el Pla de l’Estany and el Gironès. These, where discovered in the 20th century by many important artists and are, nowadays, the 2nd residence of the rich people from Barcelona.

Costa Brava’s weather and climate

The Costa Brava is very privileged with its very nice mild Mediterranean climate. This free service will give you warm summers with an average temperature of 28 degrees. Every now and then, it rains; though this is more likely to happen in April or May.

Are you coming to the Costa Brava sometime between October and April? Then you’re coming to a soft winter area. The average minimal temperature is just 3 degrees, in exchange for the average maximum temperatures, which is 21 ºC. The Costa Brava sounds better than what you thought, eh?

Sometimes the Tramuntana wind blows on the Costa Brava. The bad news is that this kind of wind is really cold. But don’t worry, because while there’s Tramuntana the Costa Brava sky looks more blue than ever and, after the wind, comes the good weather!

Transport: From A to B through the Costa Brava

In terms of transport, the Costa Brava won’t disappoint you. Some roads are not that perfect, but the Barcelona and Girona airports are very well connected to the Costa Brava. We recommend you to use a (hired) car. What do you need to hire a car? A valid ID, driving licence and money, of course. Many times, a deposit by credit card is asked before hiring the car. Don’t forget to get a car insurance! Parking in Spain can sometimes be a bit complicated; for example, you can hit someone’s bumpers!

Buses and trains are relatively cheap public transport. The connections between the coastal villages are quite good. For those who like challenges, you’ll find the links of the bus companies’ websites, like Pujol or Sarfa, really useful. You can also keep it easy. In each bus station, you’ll find a touristic information office (Oficina de Turismo), where you can get informed about the actual time schedules of the concerning region.

To and from Blanes, Figueres, Girona, Llançà and Portbou, you can travel by train to, for example, the most visited city in Spain: Barcelona. You can find the actual time schedules and more useful information at the train stations, the touristic information point (Oficina de Turismo) and on the website of Renfe.

Taking a taxi can be really comfortable for short distances to the centre or when, late at night, you want to go back to you holiday home. Taxis are quite cheap. Keep in mind that it’s a bit more expensive during the evening/night, during the weekends or when you’re travelling with suitcases.

Do you want to travel with complete freedom to unknown places on the Costa Brava? Scooters and motorbikes are great ways of transport. It’s also the best way to avoid traffic jams! It’s not compulsory to wear motorbike clothing, but we recommend you to take care of your own protection; besides the helmet, casco, which is obligatory. Just as when hiring a car, to hire a motorbike or scooter, it also requires an ID and driving licence. And be sure that you’ve got all the necessary insurances! Sometimes, they take your ID as a deposit to hire the motorbike; it’s your own decision to accept this or not.

Time zone of the Costa Brava

GMT/UTC +1: Central European time
GMT/UTC +2: from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October

Money matters

- Currency
€ euro

- Credit Card or withdrawing money with your bank card
Generally, there’s no problem in paying by credit card. BUT, don’t forget your pin code, because it’s regularly asked, just as your Identification Document!

- Cash and withdrawing money
We recommend you to always have some cash with you. In most of the villages on the Costa Brava, you’ll find many cash machines and, in bigger towns, you’ll also find offices, where you can get cash from Monday till Friday from 08:30 till 14:00. Some banks are also open on Thursday afternoon from 16:30 till 19:15.

Some banks have cash machines inside their office. This is the safest way to withdraw money, because the counter of the bank is locked.

How many times a day can you withdraw money from a cash machine? Of course, this depends of how much money you have on your bank account. Hahaha. Besides this, every bank card has its own rights, which depend on which option you took in your bank and it also depends on the bank you chose to withdraw money on the Costa Brava. The maximum amount of cash allowed to take is usually between the 1.200 € and the 1.500 € a day. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t spend this amount while shopping!

- What happens if you lose your bank card or it gets stolen?
Did the cash machine not return your card? Contact the bank or if the cash machine is outside the bank and it’s open, go inside the office.

Have you been robbed? Don’t take any risks and call immediately your bank to block your card. Later on, go to the police station to ask a theft report. Don’t forget to take your identity card or any valid identification document with you to report to the police.

How can you get money? With Internet banking, you can transfer money to one of your relatives or friends’ accounts, so you can still use your own money. If this is not possible, the bank can inform you about other possibilities.

- Tips
Economical crisis or not, a tip is still considered something polite. When you give a good service to someone, you surely appreciate an extra 5 or 10%. And so does the attendance!

Health information

- Drinkwater
Tap water is safe on the Costa Brava. Nevertheless, it tastes a bit to chlorine, and it can affect your intestines. To prevent is better than to cure during your holiday, so drink bottled water, which you’ll find in supermarkets, petrol stations and in many other places.

- Medical help
For first aids medical help you can go to a medical centre. The biggest villages have doctors and medical centres.


- Drugstore
The drugstore is indicated by a red plus surrounded by green.

Hospitals in the Costa Brava

Emergency numbers on the Costa Brava

Ambulance 061
Fire station 080
Police station 112

'Phone Service for Foreign Tourists' 34 902 102 112
The number is for declaration of eg burglary, theft and loss of documents / property. Languages: German, English, French, Italian and Spanish.

To call to and from the Costa Brava

- How can you call to the Costa Brava?
1. Ensure that the (mobile) phone number that you want to call has a region number.
Example: 987654321
2. Put the Spanish land code (0034 or +34) before the (mobile) phone number.
3. And you’re ready to call!
Example: 0034987654321

- How can you call from the Costa Brava to X
1. Be sure of the country or region cod is included.
Example: 0123456789
2. Put the telephonic prefix of that country before the (mobile) phone number. If the (mobile) phon number starts with a '0' take the '0' out.
3. And you’re ready to call!
Example: 0031 123456789
Be aware the phone number in this example starts with a '0' and is taken out when you call from abroad!!

- Several land codes

Fly or drive to the Costa Brava

So, are you ready to have fun in a relaxing summer holiday on the Costa Brava?
The Costa Brava has very good connections, so stop by... by car, bus, train or plane!

It’s just great to enjoy your holiday in your own holiday home for a reasonable price. Choose between more than 600 holiday homes. Most of the villas have their own swimming pool!

Easy and quickly, you can find you holiday home on the Costa Brava with Your own apartment/villa on the Costa Brava