Costa Brava
Breaking the waves near Barcelona
If you're going to stay in Barcelona for a while, you should know that there is a wild paradise nearby. You can relax in the sandy beaches of Barcelona, or you can decide to go a bit up north, towards Girona, and start enjoying a very different landscape.
Do you know what Costa Brava means? It literally means "wild coast" in Catalan, which gives you a clue on what's the nature of the landscape in the area. Wide beaches full of sand are part of the south of Catalonia: in the north, be ready for beautiful cliffs and wild waves, to rocky and reddish beaches... and hidden bays and paradises that you can be lucky enough to discover. The name Costa Brava is quite new, though, since it was first used by Catalan journalist Ferran Agulló in 1908, who coined it to describe the sharp landscape of the area. However, even if it started being used to name that area, that term had been widely used among seamen and fishermen much before that.
Keep reading to find out which are the best spots in the Costa Brava, and to find out how to get Costa Brava online tickets with GowithOh!
An impressive landscape with uncanny winds
The Costa Brava is the northern part of the Mediterranean coast in Catalonia ?exactly it goes from a town called Blanes to another one called Portbou, which is actually in the border of Catalonia and France, which means that it isn't in the province of Barcelona. It's the shore of the province of Girona and it's about 214 km long. More than 200 km full of cliffs and rocky beaches, wild waves and a beautiful contrast between the green of the mountains and the trees and the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea. There are sand beaches as well, but the sand is different from the yellow-brownish ones of Barcelona or the golden one of Tarragona's Costa Daurada. The sand of the Costa Brava is reddish and thick, like tiny pebbles.
The Costa Brava has several natural parks, like the beautiful Cap de Creus, a cape so pronounced that could even be considered a small peninsula, where you will find towns as beautiful as Roses or Cadaqués. Nearby you will find a very different landscape too, the Natural Park of the Aiguamolls de l'Empordà, a beautiful protected swampland where you will be able to see all sorts of birds. A bit more towards the south, next to L'Estartit, you will find the Medes Islands, a cluster of tiny, rocky islands that are also protected.
But, when talking about the geography of the area, there is something else that must be mentioned, as it is a very important part of the imaginary of Catalonia, and has inspired artists and writers and enriched Catalan culture as well. We're referring to the tramuntana (tramontane in English), a strong and cold wind of polar origin that blows from the north, usually when the sky is clear and blue. While it is not exclusive to Catalunya, it is particularly strong in the area of the Costa Brava, and a whole mythology was created around it. According to the legends, the wind was so strong that could affect the personality of the locals and even drive them insane. Much has been said about the tramuntana, in scientific papers and articles, in art and literature. Salvador Dalí himself was inspired by it. We don't know how much truth there is in the myth, but the tramuntana is definitely poetic, an an important part in the culture of the Costa Brava.
A ton of beautiful towns
There is no big city in the Costa Brava, but a ton of beautiful towns with a charming old town and paradise-like surroundings. We've prepared a short list of a few places worth visiting in the area, but they're not the only ones. Probably, anywhere you stop will offer a beautiful view of the waves breaking against the cliffs, but the following are a sure bet:
- Tossa de Mar: A medieval old town called la Vila Vella, a lighthouse with a wonderful view and dreamy beaches. Tossa de Mar is one of the most beautiful towns in the Costa Brava, and it is the perfect destination for a day trip. It's not too far from Barcelona and has enough nature and beautiful little streets to get lost during the whole day.
- Calella de Palafrugell: It's one of the towns where the fishermen's traditional spirit is best preserved, with short, white houses next to the sea. A beatiful sight!
- Cadaqués: Probably the most famous of all the towns in the Costa Brava, located right in the beautiful Cap de Creus, and one of the favourite villages of Salvador Dalí. A beautiful old town full of white houses and a strikingly picturesque port. Too many people know about its beauty, though, which is why it can be very crowded in the summer.
- Pals: A beautiful medieval village that will offer a different perspective of the Costa Brava.
- Palamós: Another beautiful fishermen's town, famous for their red, tasty shrimp. For those interested in the history and economy of the area, there is a very interesting Fishing Museum as well.
- Sant Pere de Rodes: A bit further away from the sea, Sant Pere de Rodes isn't a town but an old Benedictine monastery, one of great beauty. If you have time to enjoy the Costa Brava to the fullest, we definitely recommend visiting this hidden gem, that will provide a beautiful sight of the shore and will live you open-mouthed thanks to its ghostly beauty.
The land of Dalí
If you are not new to the beautiful Costa Brava, you may have noticed that something was missing here ?a reference to Dalí, the legendary surrealist painter that was born and bred in this wild lands. That's right! He was born in Figueres, one of the towns that are near the Costa Brava, although not right next to the coast. Figueres is an interior town located more or less at the same height as the Cap de Creus, but it's well worth a visit, as, besides being a charming beautiful town, it was a testimony of the genious of Salvador Dalí.
In Figueras, you will be able to visit the Dalí Museum, where there is a permanent collection that shows many of the famous surrealist painters by him, as well as his jewel collection and other temporary exhibits related to surrealism or Dalí himself. The museum is a piece of art itself, as the artist was in charge of the project. You can see his special touch already in the façade, in the giant eggs that mimic a medieval wall, and it is divided in several rooms which are a different atmosphere and a work of art each. In year 2013, the Dalí Museum had over 1,3 million visitors, becoming the third most visited museum in Spain. Impressive, isn't it? If you visit the area, you can skip this one, and you can now buy your Costa Brava online tickets with us.
Costa Brava online tickets & other useful information
Here at GowithOh, we've been helping you plan your holidays for a long while, as we offer the best holiday apartments available in many important European cities, such as London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, and, of course, Barcelona as well. Now we can also help you plan the rest of your trip, since you can buy your Costa Brava online tickets with us!
There are several ways to go to the Costa Brava, by train, bus or car. You can buy Costa Brava online tickets to go by train, since you can take a commuter from the city centre until Blanes, which is actually the last stop of the commuter trains (to go further, you would need a regional train). To go to Blanes, you will need to get the Renfe Rodalies train R1 from Sants or Plaça Catalunya, direction Blanes. The train is one hour an a half long and would just leave you at the first town of the Costa Brava, which is why we recommend to choose another type of public transportation.
You can also buy Costa Brava online tickets to go there by bus. From Estació del Nord (North Station), a bus stop that is right next to Barcelona's Arc de Triomf, there are buses that go straight from Barcelona to some of the other towns of the Costa Brava, such as Cadaqués, Roses, Tossa de Mar or Lloret de Mar, among others. You can buy Costa Brava online tickets to all of them with GowithOh, so you just need to jump onto the bus and enjoy your trip! We recommend to go early, since it can take from two to three hours to arrive.
Still, another good option to enjoy the Costa Brava is a car rental, due to the nature of the area. There are many small towns that you can visit quickly, and many small bays between towns that you can only reach hiking or by car. Any means of transportation has its pros and its cons, though, and whereas with the car rental you have more freedom to move around, you also have more responsibilities. The bus is an easy option, and you can also enjoy one single town and its surroundings on a day trip. For instance, if you go to Tossa de Mar, you will be able to visit the beautiful old town and you can reach some of the hidden beaches and bays with a short hike.
Regarding food, you won't have much trouble finding a good restaurant, since the area is full of fishermen's villages and neighbourhoods and is famous for its fish and seafood dishes. The Costa Brava can make for a great day or weekend trip if you're travelling to Barcelona, so if you have some time to kill, don't hesitate and get your Costa Brava online tickets with GowithOh!
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