Travel to Costa Brava and escape the crowds

An overview of what you can expect from your travel to Costa Brava while exploring its turquoise sea, a reddish brown coast and a photogenic landscape.  Costa Brava is a coastal region located in the northeast of the country. The name comes from its rough coastal landscape that stretches on 5,885 square kilometers (2,272 sq mi) in total. Just a short stroll along the coast will give you proof that the name of the region is absolutely accurate.

Costa Brava, Spain
Shoulder season in Lloret de Mar.

Costa Brava is definitely for active travelers who wish to spend their time in ways other than taking in the sun on a beach. Historical towns like Girona, hiking paths and a variety of sports you can do in Costa Brava is only a tiny part of activities you can pick from when visiting the region. You can find some great Costa Brava deals with Simply Holiday Deals.

Don’t forget also that Spain is one of the warmest place you can visit in December, in Europe.

Travel to Costa Brava: places to visit

Lloret del Mar

Costa Brava, Spain
Hiking along the coast in Lloret de Mar.

When you arrive to Lloret del Mar,  you might be a bit puzzled. You will be surrounded by the resorts, bars, refreshment stalls and shops full of beach gadgets starting from flip-flops, chic tops, shiny shorts, straw hats and swimming air mattresses. All ready for summer. But once the street ended, all touristy glamour disappears. The smell of salty water will tickle your nostrils when you arrive to a calm and empty beach.

Costa Brava, Spain
Morning beach vibes.

If you stay just in the center of the summer beach craziness, Lloret can be overwhelming. But if you do a small detour to quieter side streets and especially if you head to the east or west and visit other beaches in Lloret de Mar, you’ll get a very different impression of Lloret.

Apart from roaming around the coast in Lloret de Mar, there’s a plethora of outdoor activities you can do there, starting from kayaking, segway tours or nordic walking!

Planning your trip to Costa Brava? Read on!

Where to stay in Lloret?

You won’t have a problem when booking a hotel in Lloret de Mar. However, if you visit the town with the aim to take things easy and stay in a more family-like hotel instead of a gigantic anonymous resort, we highly recommend probably one of the best hotels in Lloret de Mar: Hotel Acacias Suites and Spa.

The hotel has only 49 rooms, it’s located in a very quiet area, far from the night life and only a few minutes from the beach and walking trail that will take you to Tossa de Mar.

Costa Brava, Spain
Simple & tranquil.

You can rest here in a chic and zen ambience with some extra perks like a swimming pool (indoor and outdoor), jacuzzi, dry sauna and Turkish bath, with an excellent local menu on site. If you are a vegetarian or a vegan, you’ll definitely appreciate their profound effort to accommodate the menu to your vegan diet.

The hotel team is fantastic, with immense hospitality, and they show you how a smaller business can survive among giant competitors thanks to their personal attitude and knowing their guests in person.

Girona

travel to Costa Brava
Image by Christel SAGNIEZ from Pixabay

Having a base in Lloret and enjoying sunny beaches, you might want to escape and get some “city life” in the Girona town, which is only one hour by bus from Lloret.

When in Costa Brava, Spain you really shouldn’t miss this photogenic place. Walk to the center, do a few mini detours to side streets, visit the Jewish quarter, climb to the Cathedral of St. Mary and continue to the walls of Girona.

Pro tip: don’t stop only at the main view point. Keep going and walk through the gardens of John Lennon to the northern part of the wall. There, you’ll get some of the best views of Girona’s Catherdal and part of the town.

Viladrau

Costa Brava, Spain
Following the path of bandits in Viladrau.

Costa Brava in Spain is more than beaches, but you already might know that. So, if you wish to spend more serene time in the woods, we recommend that you head to Viladrau.

Here you’ll find over 200 fountains of spring water, old bandit paths in the forests and 300-400 year old wind-mills hidden between chestnut trees.

Talking about chestnuts, there’s about 30,000 ha of abandoned chestnut trees (!!!). A few nature enthusiasts from a chestnut farm in Castanya de Viladrau together with their volunteers, aim to recollect those chestnuts and use them for their products (chestnut honey, cheese, flour, chocolate, jams, pasta, beer, brandy and liquor) and, naturally, to roast tons of chestnuts for daily eating (chestnuts used to be the main day dish due to the poverty in the area.)

Costa Brava, Spain
Roasting chestnuts old way.

At the farm, you can see the original process of roasting chestnuts and get your palate satisfied with their organic products.

Castanya de Viladrau is located in the heart of the protected Montseny natural park that was listed by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve.

How to travel to Costa Brava?

You can arrive in Barcelona, from where you’ll find quite frequent bus connections to Lloret de Mar and to Girona. From Lloret de Mar, you can take a bus to get in to Girona and a return ticket costs $12.40/pax.

If you fly to Girona, there are buses operating straight from the airport to Lloret for $10 one way.

To get to Viladrau, the best option is to rent a car. Otherwise you’ll need to travel from Lloret de Mar by bus to Girona’s airport, change to another bus going to the small town of Vic, and from there take a bus to Viladrau. Unfortunately, currently there’s only one bus from Vic per day. Worth a visit though.

Pack & travel to Costa Brava:

Note: A big thanks to Costa Brava Pirineu de Girona, Hotel Acacias Suites & Spa, as well as Turismon agency for their kind hospitality and helping us to organize our travels in Costa Brava, Spain. All opinions, relaxed minds, tired feet from walking and tummies full of chestnuts are our own.

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16 thoughts on “Travel to Costa Brava and escape the crowds”

  1. I haven’t been to Costa Brava, but I would very much like to do this sometime soon. Great pictures!

    1. Ivana Greslikova

      Thank you, James! If you love outdoors, then Costa Brava would be a very good pick 🙂

  2. Global Brunch

    I really enjoyed this post and the different angle on Lloret de Mar. I used to visit the area as a teenager and regret never exploring further afield. I haven’t been back since. The busy center and party crowd has always been what’s kept me away, but after reading your post I feel like going back and discovering a different side of the Costa Brava.

    Thanks for sharing!

    1. Ivana Greslikova

      We were worried of the same before travelling there as well. Luckily, Lloret has started to show its brighter side to independent travellers and nature lovers 🙂 Thanks for reading!

  3. I love Costa Brava! Great collection of places 🙂 I think my favourite was Cala Futadera and Cap de Creus in the far North, the landscape is just spectacular!

    1. Ivana Greslikova

      Thanks for reading, Carolin! I do remember from your article you love the area a lot 🙂 Agreed, Costa Brava has some beautiful natural spots there!

  4. Peter Horrocks

    It’s good to see you highlighting the “alternative” Costa Brava and that is what I’m liking about the Travel Blogging community, it is opening new perspectives. I used to work a lot in the Costa Brava around Tossa and Lloret and unfortunately never got round to making those discoveries (maybe I will one day). But I did find the Dali museum in Figueres which I went back to on a number of occasions, that is a magical place to visit if ever you go back.

    Best wishes

    Peter Horrocks

    1. Ivana Greslikova

      Hi Peter,
      Thanks a lot for reading! Costa Brava has definitely more attractive facets than one would expect 🙂
      Wow, just checked the Dali museum you mentioned! Need to visit it once we’re back in Catalunya! Cheers!

      1. Peter Horrocks

        Hi Ivana

        If you do go to the Dali museum try and make it on a weekday towards the evening when its not so busy. On one visit like that we were practically on our own and the central space which is open to the sky was occupied by just us and the birds, it was very memorable. Even if you don’t like surreal art its a real experience.

        Best

        Peter

  5. Hi Ivana…I saw a section on Photo Tours. Do you also do photo walks? Which city are you based in….was keen to do a photo walk on my next trip to Spain. Also if you do plan a photo tour in SE Asia would love to know about it 🙂

    1. Ivana Greslikova

      Hi Sandy! Thanks so much for the interest! Yes, we do photo walks, but that is quite random as we don’t have a home base, we’re fully nomadic for now 🙂
      We focus more on longer photography tours like the one in Romania, but we do plan to do it also in SE Asia, we do love this area so much!
      Keep in touch or subscribe to our newsletter to get more updates so you won’t miss the opportunity 🙂

      Thanks again for contacting us and happy travels!

      Ivana

  6. Hi!
    I’m not sure that Cadaques is counted as a part of Costa Brava, but it’s an amazing, beautiful little town close to the French border.
    I strongly advice you to go there by car, over the mountains. Itreally blowed me away..
    But drive careful, it’s a narrow road

    1. Ivana Greslikova

      Hi Siv,
      Thanks a lot for the tip! Wikipedia says Cadaques is still Costa Brava, we might stop by on our next trip there. Sounds like a great place to visit!

  7. One day you should visit Kenya and write such a wornderful story about Kenya for the world to see

  8. I did a 5-part series on SouthernGirlGoneGlobal on Costa Brava. I went to TBEX there, too, and loved the area as you do. I enjoyed your feature on a place many overlook!

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