Tel:+44 (0)1507 359359 info@costabravaplus.com
Costa Brava self-catering
villas and apartment rentals
BARCELONA:
Football fans will almost certainly want to visit Nou Camp the home of F.C.Barcelona and one of Europe’s most impressive football stadiums. We recommend that visitors take the train to Barcelona to Passeig de Gracia. This brings you to within a few minutes walk of Placa de Catalunya which is a focal point for the guided bus tours which take you to the city’s major tourist attractions including the Nou Camp. There are 2 routes , red and blue with frequent
departures. Gaudi’s unfinished Sagrada Familia is outstanding.
Part of the pleasure of Barcelona is the street theatre on the Ramblas. Definitely a place to make you smile or be impressed by the imaginative performances. A word of caution is necessary as Barcelona has experienced some high levels of street crime which the police are active in preventing. It’s always wise to hold tight to bags and straps in crowded places.
MARINELAND:
Marineland is a great place for a day out particularly for families . Apart from the attraction of seeing the dolphin displays there are also sea lions, exotic birds and a fun-packed play park. There are regular , informative and fun shows for the dolphins and sea lions. You can enter the main aviary and see a display of tricks performed by trained parrots. All of these are supported by a range of food outlets, places to sit (in the shade) and the all important toilets!
LAKE BANYOLES:
Just north of Girona is Lake Banyoles one of the largest lakes in Spain and the venue for rowing at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
The lake is in a beautiful setting with boat trips available. There are cafes and restaurants to sit and watch the world go by, you can enjoy a peaceful walk by the lake or take the train pictured!
One of our favourite places.
CALELLA DE PALAFRUGELL / LLAFRANC:
Drive through the town of Palafrugell in the direction of Llafranc /Calella de Palafrugell. At the end of the road you turn left to Llafranc or right into Calella which has picturesque beaches and traditional “picture postcard” views of the Costa Brava. Don’t forget to keep a supply of 1 euro coins for parking in the blue zone car parks. Both Calella and Llafranc have a good choice of restaurants.
Calella also has a family-run winery with a good selection of regional wines and a very friendly atmosphere.
The walk along the sea front of these two resorts provides wonderful scenic views with lots of helpful benches and seating areas along the way!
EMPURIABRAVA :
Empuriabrava is the “Venice” of Catalunya with its dozens of interlinking canals and waterways. Virtually every property has access to a mooring and there are a huge variety of boats on show. If you have a wicked streak, park near the harbour entrance when the sea is a little choppy and watch the efforts of the less
experienced skippers trying to get into the narrow entrance.
LLORET DE MAR :
In the 70s and 80s Lloret de Mar gained a reputation as a cheap package holiday destination but has made great strides to remove this image. At the north end of the long, sandy beach is the start of a coastal walk with outstanding scenery ( but also some steep steps cut into the hillside!) Worth a visit particularly if you want to
experience the thrills and spills of a very large water-park.
L’ESTARTIT :
L’Estartit is the easternmost point of the Montgri massif, a rock outcrop which submerges to rise again as the Medes Islands. Historically a fishing village which still offers the charm of the harbour and the long, sandy beach with a variety of restaurants, shops and bars. The long promenade is a great place to stroll in the evening and sample some tapas in one of the marina restaurants.
The town is commercialised since the arrival of tourism but does not compare unfavourably with the larger, noisier resorts.
There is a popular children’s park with various rides and activities and there are good play facilities at the beach, harbour and next to the tourist information offices.
OLD PALS :
Perched on a hillside, overlooking the plain and one of the first to be restored is the medieval village of Pals. The old quarter, known as El Pedro, contains many historic buildings including the Tower of Hours and a Gothic church. The cobbled streets contain a mix of restaurants and ceramic shops in unique locations. The ceramics are of high quality as La Bisbal further inland is renowned for the quality of its ceramic products.
Park at the bottom of the hill as there is very limited parking at the top.
MEDES ISLANDS :
Just off the coast of L’Estartit are the Medes Islands which form an important marine conservation area. There are many boats offering trips out for divers and snorkellers but if you don’t want to get wet you can see the marine life from the comfort of a glass bottomed boat!
There are other boat trips along the coastline going past the little coves and inlets inaccessible by road. Look out for the hole through the rocks to the north of L’Estartit.
