Tourist information Costa Brava
The Costa
Brava (rugged coast) is a 100 mile
stretch of one of Europe’s most dramatic and breathtaking coastlines.
Sheer rock cliffs rise above crystalline waters punctuated by tranquil
coves and inlets where pine forests reach to the very edge of the sea.
Modern tourist developments sit alongside traditional fishing villages,
while just inland are medieval towns where centuries old castles have
been converted into five star hotels.
The Costa Brava is the easternmost part of Girona province in the northeastern region of Catalonia. Girona is Spain’s wealthiest province per capita, with no shortage of appealing things to see, do and experience. While the area itself has been inhabited by man since pre-historic times, as a tourist destination, it is a comparatively recent discovery. At the beginning of the 20th century, wealthy families from Barcelona started coming to escape the summer heat of the city and bathe along the shore. Following them were bohemians and artists like Picasso, Chagall and Dali, who all quickly fell under the spell of the coast’s charm.
Southern Costa Brava
Lloret de Mar, at the southern end of the Costa Brava, represents
its more touristy side, where concrete high rises fill up with tribes
of young people on spring break budgets out for drinks, dancing and
killer tans. Tossa
de Mar, a scenic drive up the coast
from Lloret has considerably more charm and boasts the Museo Municipal
with finds from ancient Roman villas and paintings by artists who stayed
at Tossa, including Chagall. Further north is the Benedictine Monastery
of Sant Feliu in Sant
Feliu de Guixols. Rebuilt after
a ninth century sacking by the Moors and then set ablaze in a nineteenth
century fit of church burning, its surviving walls, towers, Gothic church
and Mozarabic Porta Ferrada still impress. Platja
d’Aro, above Sant Feliu, is like
a mini Lloret with an expansive beach and a vast assortment of holiday
accommodations. Other beaches dot the coast up to the small resort of Sant Antoni de Calonge, which is connected by a coastal walk to Palamos,
the main port serving Girona in the Middle Ages and, today, the Costa
Brava’s most important commercial fishing port. Castell, north of Palamos, offers a good version of
what the Costa Brava looked like before development, where few
apartments or hotels block the pristine shoreline and Iberian ruins
dot the rocky promontory of Agulla at the northern end of the beach.
Mid Costa Brava
The heart of the Costa Brava is home to its most scenic beaches, coves and landscapes, scattered around which are charming medieval towns and castles. Palafrugel (Palace of Fruits) is a pretty whitewashed fishing village that exudes local charm. Its beaches are some of the most spectacular on the Costa Brava. At Cap de Sant Sebastia and Cap de Begur, cliffs abruptly meet the sea amid a series of sparkling coves shaded by lush green pines. Medieval villages are scattered along the slopes of the Gavarres Mountains just inland of Begur, where zoning laws have kept sprawl at bay. In the striking medieval village of Pals, pretty cobblestone streets flanked by aristocratic houses beguile visitors while nearby La Bisbal has been famous for its pottery since the sixteenth century. Peratallada, west of Pals, is an enchanting town that will transport you back to the Middle Ages. And the ancient and massive Iberian stone works at Ullastret leave a stunning impression. Further north, Torroella de Montgri retains its Renaissance charm while L’Estartit, with its velvety white sand beaches, is a popular diving and snorkeling spot.
go to next page information-costabrava......
-
- Powered by Rent a Holiday Home
l Copyright 2009 home-owners contact Disclaimer l
