AFAR
  • 11 months ago
On the northeast coast of Spain, Costa Brava is a region filled with beautiful nature, swimmable beaches, and picturesque, small towns—which makes it a great place for a road trip in Spain. Join Traveling to Barcelona, Spain? Then get out of the city and see some of the region's beauty with a road trip along Costa Brava. For ideas on where (and when) to go, Barcelona-based AFAR editor, Claudia Cardia, as she shares her recommendations for a road trip in Costa Brava, along with some local tips for exploring the region.

See more recommendations for European road trips: https://www.afar.com/magazine/best-european-road-trips

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CREDITS

Claudia Cardia - Video Editor
Jessie Beck - Senior Manager, SEO & Video
Elizabeth See - Designer
Sarika Bansal - Editorial Director
Michelle Heimerman - Photo Editor
Chloe Arrojado - Associate Destinations Editor

MUSIC
“Hacerte el amor” Cossie / Musicbed

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00:00 Where is Costa Brava?
01:27 Day 1
02:11 Day 2
02:51 Day 3
03:25 Day 4
03:54 Day 5
04:21 When to go

Category

🏖
Travel
Transcript
00:00 [Music]
00:05 Hola, buenos dias. Claudia here.
00:08 On today's episode of our Destination Insider series,
00:11 I'm going to bring you on a five-day road trip
00:13 along one of the most beautiful parts of Spain,
00:15 Costa Brava. Vámonos.
00:16 [Music]
00:21 Costa Brava is located on the coastal region of Catalonia,
00:24 which stretches from the north of Barcelona to the French border.
00:28 Along these 75 miles of rad coasts and dramatic cliffs,
00:32 you'll find old villages, small beaches, and fascinating history.
00:36 If we were traveling along this stretch of coastline 200 years ago,
00:40 we would likely be walking along the Caminar Ronda.
00:44 This coastal path was created in the 19th century
00:47 to keep smuggling under control.
00:49 In fact, there was a lot of illegal traffic of goods at the time,
00:52 and these paths along the coast were built by the police
00:55 to keep an eye on boats and weird movements.
00:58 But it was also used by fishermen and villagers.
01:02 Today, it's a 75-mile-long hiking path
01:05 that connects several smaller calas
01:07 and we'll be loosely following its direction for this road trip.
01:12 Now, I live in Barcelona, and even though I love it here,
01:16 there are times where I need to get out of the city.
01:18 Luckily, Tossa de Mar is only one hour drive away.
01:21 Let's go.
01:22 [Music]
01:26 Tossa de Mar has been continuously populated since Roman times,
01:29 and you can see these layers of history in its churches and streets.
01:33 The center is a walled-off medieval town
01:36 with a castle built on its highest point.
01:38 This fortification was built in between the 12th and 14th centuries
01:42 in order to protect it from pirate attacks,
01:45 like the legendary Heyreddin Barbarossa.
01:47 Hotels in Costa Brava are often eco-monstrosity and an eyesore,
01:52 so I typically opt for a nice Airbnb owned by locals.
01:56 A bonus is that the host will often have great tips on hidden coves to visit
02:00 or good local restaurant recommendations.
02:03 It only takes 15 minutes to drive to our second stop,
02:07 which is one of my favorite places in Costa Brava,
02:09 Calella de Palafrugell.
02:11 Tourism here began around the 1960s,
02:14 but contrary to many other spots in Costa Brava,
02:17 it has never been too invasive.
02:19 Calella was also a fishing village that had to defend itself from pirates.
02:23 For this reason, we can see several watchtowers around the area,
02:27 but we're not here to look out for pirates.
02:30 There are numerous small coves and beaches with crystalline water,
02:33 all connected through the Camino de Ronda,
02:35 so we're gonna spend our day hopping from one to the other.
02:38 After, we've decided to relax at one of the many restaurants by the water
02:42 and enjoy the sun and the amazing fresh seafood.
02:45 Okay, now leaving Calella de Palafrugell is gonna be tough,
02:49 but if we must move on, let's head to Begur.
02:52 Begur is another little charming medieval town from the 16th century,
02:56 where you can find tourists enjoying the sun
02:58 in the central bars of the town all year round.
03:01 However, there is a lot of history here that's hidden underwater.
03:06 Begur's water hides a big quantity of treasures
03:09 from vases, ceramics, urns to entire boats.
03:13 In fact, archaeologists have found three sunken Roman boats
03:16 with their entire shipment inside,
03:18 including wine, oils, coins and even some checker pieces.
03:23 On our fourth day of the road trip, we're heading to Cadaques,
03:26 which is probably the most famous destination in Costa Grava
03:29 because of its charming white houses on cobblestone streets,
03:33 crystalline water and Salvador Dali's connection to the town.
03:37 The artist had a house in Port Liga, a small harbour in the bay,
03:41 a 20 minutes walk from the centre of Cadaques.
03:44 The house is now a museum, but if you want to visit,
03:47 be sure to get tickets in advance since they usually sell out.
03:51 It's already day five and while we could spend it relaxing
03:55 and enjoying the views and spend of cooked seafood in Cadaques,
03:58 we have decided to fill our water bottles,
04:01 put on some sunscreen and go on a hike to the lighthouse of Cap de Creus.
04:06 This hike is around one hour and 40 minutes long,
04:09 but it will take way longer than that because the views are breathtaking
04:14 and you're gonna want to stop for a quick swim
04:16 in at least one of the small coves hidden along the way.
04:20 Costa Grava is very popular during the summer season
04:24 and the heat can get really intense in Spain.
04:27 If you want to avoid crowds and enjoy milder weather,
04:29 you could consider going in the spring or fall.
04:32 Five days are clearly not enough to see everything Costa Grava has to offer,
04:37 but they are enough to make us fall in love.