Day trips from Barcelona

Posted on 9 February 2021 by Richard Calvin

A selection of some of the best day trips from Barcelona

Spending some time in Barcelona but would also like to explore what Catalonia has to offer away the capitol city? Here we share a selection of our favorite places and things to do outside of the city. Please note that these suggestions are based on using a car. If you are using public transport please refer to our Barcelona day trips by public transport post.

Day trips to the Costa Brava

Located to the North of Barcelona the Costa Brava contains some wonderful beaches and fishing villages. There’s loads of different sections of the Costa Brava to choose from and all offer different facets to the traveler.

If i were to list all the places to visit on the Costa Brava this would turn in to a long essay so i will give just two suggestions here. Cadaques at the end of the Cap de Creus peninsula is one of our favourite places in the whole of Catalonia. Two hours by car from Barcelona the town is a wonderful place to spend a day. More details about what to do in Cadaques and surrounding area can be found here.

The second part of the Costa Brava is the area around Begur and Palafrugell, around 90 minutes from Barcelona. Here there’s a whole host of beaches to choose from many of which have restaurants where to dine on or close to the beach. More information about what to do in Begur can be found here.

Costa Brava Medieval villages

The province of Girona is not only about the beaches of the Costa Brava. There’s many interesting medieval villages in the region to explore. If history, interesting architecture and wandering around ancient cobbled streets is your thing then read more in our Costa Brava Medieval villages blog post.

Medieval bridge of Besalu — The medieval bridge of Besalu

Visit a Vineyard

Probably not the best idea of a day trip if you are driving however there’s a wide range of Barcelona based tour agencies offering wine tours close to Barcelona. Another option would be to hire a driver for the day and this is something Charming Villas can help arrange.

Catalonia contains no less than 10 distinct wine growing regions each offering its own unique growing conditions and varieties of grape. I don’t have enough space here to list each region in detail but more information on the Emporda wine growing region can be found here.

Day trip to Montserrat

A classic day trip from Barcelona and one which is advertised online by many Barcelona based tour agencies such as visitarmontserrat.com. Montserrat is a beautiful and oddly shaped mountain range which reaches a height of 1236m above sea level. Among the hills is a famous Abbey which was founded in the year 1025. If driving to Montserrat please do not leave any valuables inside the car when you park up. We once had some clients whose hire car was broken in to and valuables were stolen.

Barcelona day trip Montserrat — The Montserrat mountain range close to Barcelona (image credit www.visitarmontserrat.com )

Visit Girona and Figueres

This is a trip which can also be made by train from Barcelona. The high speed AVE train connects to Girona in 35 minutes and Figueres in just under an hour. The main draw of Figueres is without doubt the Dali museum. This world class museum could fill up a whole day just by itself. When i am helping my clients plan day trips i always stress that if the museum is on the list of things to do then this should be the main focus of the day. Unless you are planning a very early start and late finish then i do not advise multiple destinations in the same day.

Day trips from Barcelona — Dali painting the Face of War 1941 (photo credit salvador-dali.org)

Girona, bigger than Figueres, is arguably a more interesting and picturesque city to spend a day. Whereas Figueres is all about the Dali museum Girona has more variety of things to see and do. The Cathedral has been made famous since it was chosen as a filming location for the HBO series “Games of Thrones”. A number of locally based tour operators offer guided visits of the city exploring the various filming locations within the city.

Girona also has a wide range of shops and artisan markets to browse as well as its very own Las Ramblas. Not as big or famous as Barcelona’s Ramblas nonetheless it is a pleasant place to stroll or sit and watch the world pass by.

Barcelona day trip ideas — The Eiffel bridge Girona (photo credit www.holeinthedonut.com)

Vacation homes on the Costa Brava and Barcelona

Charming Villas Catalonia offer a hand-picked selection of high standard vacation rentals on the Costa Brava and Barcelona. We offer our clients a free Costa Brava concierge service and help plan activities, day trips and extra services. Let us guide you through the villa selection process helping you choose the best property for your needs.

Port Lligat Fisherman’s lunch

Posted on 22 April 2020 by Richard Calvin

Port Lligat is a small bay right next to Cadaques famous for being where Salvador Dali lived for many years of his life. His wonderful sprawling amalgamation of fisherman’s houses is now a museum and open to the public. Read on how to book a Port Lligat fisherman lunch.

Portlligat fisherman lunch

Not quite so well known is that the last remaining fishermen of Portlligat offer an informal lunch and dinner service. Right on the pier meters away from the water, it is not a restaurant and you will not find it on Tripadvisor. Think of it as a “pop-up” table run by two fishermen who like to cook. Several journalists and even food critics have over the years tried to publish but the fishermen always refuse. It is a combination of this “anti-marketing”, the unique location on the water and the freshness and quality of the food which make this a sought after and favorite of our clients.

Portlligat Cadaques — Portlligat, Cadaques (image credit www.visitcostabrava.com)

Tables for this Port Lligat fisherman lunch are limited. Only one group for lunch and one group for dinner is catered for. Bookings are for a minimum of 10 people and maximum 16 people. Less than 10 people and you pay the price for 10. Places should be reserved as far in advance as possible, especially for summer where they are often fully booked six months in advance.

Charming Villas Catalonia offer a selection of luxury Costa Brava villas and Barcelona vacation rentals. We offer our clients a free Costa Brava concierge service where we can arrange activities and extra services such as a table with the Port Lligat fisherman for lunch or dinner. We can help create a bespoke day trip to Cadaques combining the fisherman lunch with other activities. Check out our earlier blog post, What to do in Cadaques.

Please contact us for more information about menus and how to reserve a table. catalonia@charmingvillas.net

Costa Brava Concierge Services

Posted on 21 April 2020 by Richard Calvin

Looking for concierge services on the Costa Brava? Then look no further than Sara and Richard from Charming Villas Catalonia. Locally based we are here to help our clients with every aspect of your vacation, all at no extra cost.

First things first – Choosing the right property

This all starts during your luxury Costa Brava villa selection process where we offer comprehensive and un-biased advice on all of our properties and locations. We listen to your important criteria and suggest suitable properties based on what we think would be a good fit. We have a varied selection of vacation rentals for all tastes and needs.

Planning your activities in Catalonia

Once we have nailed down your chosen vacation rental the next stage is to start planning excursions and activities. Whether that be a day trip to Barcelona or Cadaques or a table at the number one restaurant in Spain, El Celler de Can Roca. Things that normally need to be booked way in advance include tables at Can Roca, private chefs and boat hire. Further fine tuning can be planned closer to arrival but it is wise to get these important reservations out of the way early on. Other things we can help with include hire cars delivered to your villa, airport transfers, guides and sommeliers. These are just some of the Costa Brava concierge services we offer our clients.

Charming Villas Catalonia is a family business ran by Sara and Richard

We love making sure that our clients make the most out of their time while in Catalonia so take great pleasure in arranging bespoke itineraries. Some of our favorite authentic and off the beaten track restaurants often make it in to our clients plans! Or how about a picnic at one of our favorite secluded coves on the Costa Brava? We also keep an eye on local festivities and festivals (cultural and culinary) and give our clients a list of things that are going on locally. Two examples; watching some Castellers human towers or visiting a cheese and olive oil farmers market in a medieval village.

Catalonia specialists

All of our properties which we list on our website are located in Catalonia, predominantly on the Costa Brava, Girona and Barcelona. This means we focus all of our energies on this one concentrated corner of Spain. We have a huge database of local knowledge to share with our guests and believe we have more to offer than other agencies who spread their portfolios (and depth of local knowledge) over various regions within Spain or even multiple countries.

Whatever your needs or special requests we are here for you and nothing gives us greater pleasure than a satisfied group of clients.

Please contact us at catalonia@charmingvillas.net if you have any questions?

Michelin star restaurants in Catalonia

Posted on 30 April 2013 by Richard Calvin

Michelin star restaurants in Catalonia have been at the forefront of gastronomic invention for decades.

One of the aperitifs from a recent visit to El Celler de Can Roca

There’s a very high concentration of Michelin star restaurants in Catalonia, perhaps more than any other place on Earth. Here is a list of the Michelin starred restaurants close to Girona and the Costa Brava. With a fantastic selection of fresh local produce at their disposal Catalan chefs have always led the way in Gastronomic innovation. Ferran Adria and his ground breaking restaurant El Bulli, is quite possibly the most famous chef in the world.

Inventive dish from the restaurant Bo-Tic

A list of restaurants in Catalonia with Michelin stars

With three Michelin stars and recently voted the best restaurant in the world Girona’s very own El Celler de Can Roca leads the way. Celler de Can Roca

However El Celler de Can Roca is not the only restaurant in Catalonia with three Michelin stars. Sant Pau in Sant Pol de Mar also holds this distinction. Sant Pau

With two Michelin Stars we have Les Cols in Olot Les Cols and Can Fabes in Sant Celoni Can Fabes

Then we have a great selection of restaurants with one Michelin star in the Girona province:

Beautiful dish from Massana, Girona

Massana also in Girona Massana

L’Aliança d’Anglès in Anglès L’Alianca

Ca l’Arpa in Banyoles Ca L’Arpa

Bo-Tic in Corçà, close to La Bisbal Bo Tic

Els Tinars in Llagostera Els Tinars

Les Magnolies in Arbucies Les Magnolies

Casamar in Llafranc Casamar Llafranc

Ca l’Enric in La Vall de Bianya Cal Enric

Els Brancs in Roses Els Brancs

Can Jubany in Calldetenes Can Jubany

Where to stay in Catalonia

At Charming Villas Catalonia we take pride in helping our clients make the most of their stay in the region. We can help reserve tables at Michelin star restaurants in Catalonia for our clients as well as helping with many other activities and extra services.

What to do in Cadaques

Posted on 12 January 2013 by Richard Calvin

Brief history of Cadaques.

One of the most sought after holiday destinations on the whole Catalan coastline, Cadaques has an undeniable charm and mystique which draws you back time after time.

Cadaques for the most part evaded the developers of the 1960’s and 70’s mainly because of it’s isolated location within the Cap de Creus national park right at the top of the Costa Brava. The developers were more interested in flat, easily accessible beachfront real estate to exploit so thankfully left the town alone. Cadaques has been around for centuries but the only road in and out of the town was built around 1908, meaning that up until then the only real access to the town was by boat. By all accounts some Cadaques residents had sailed to Cuba and North America but had never traveled inland to the nearby town of Figueres!

The beautiful coastal town of Cadaques

The Cap de Creus peninsula is the most eastern point of Spain. This means that it is also the first part of Spain to witness the sunrise. People from the region gather at the Cap de Creus lighthouse in the early morning of the 1st of January every year to welcome in the New Year with dancing and merriment!

The area has inspired many artists, most notably Salvador Dali who lived in the area. He venerated the elements of light and texture which inspired him throughout his lifetime.

Dali bought a bunch of fisherman’s shacks on the harbour of PortLligat which I guess you could call a suburb of Cadaques. He converted them into one abode and spent a great part of his life here. The house is now a museum which is open to the public.

Cadaques beach

Things to do in Cadaques

Staying in one of our Barcelona vacation rentals or one of our luxury Costa Brava villas in Begur or Tamariu? Charming Villas Catalonia can help put together a bespoke Cadaques day trip itinerary for you. We can arrange a driver to pick you up from your villa and take take you back in the evening. Set up a local guide to walk you through the ancient heart of the town exploring the cobbled streets, artists galleries and hidden corners.

Have a unique fisherman’s lunch on the pier at Portlligat or in one of the many good standard restaurants in the town. Try the famous Cadaques Taps – a sweet dessert cake made for generations from a secret recipe by the local bakery Pastisseria La Mallorquina. Take a refreshing smoothie or organic juice at Brown Sugar, one of the most authentic bars in Cadaques.

Visit the Dali museum, take a boat trip or a pleasant walk to the the lighthouse at Cala Nans or the hidden beach of Cala Guillola. Let us know your interests and we can help you plan a bespoke and memorable day out in Cadaques, our favourite coastal town on the Costa Brava.

A great way to spend a day or half a day is to take a boat trip around the Cap de Creus. The Sant Isidre is a classic Catalan fishing boat built in 1925 and which has a capacity for up to 35 people. You will visit isolated bays which are only accessible by boat and have the option of lunch onboard.

Where to eat in Cadaques?

Cadaques also has some great restaurants and too many to list here but here is a small sample:

Martin Faixo is a producer of some great local wines grown in the Cap de Creus and they also run the two very good restaurants Can Rafa and the Enoteca MF.

Compartir Cadaques . Opened in 2012 by three local chefs who worked at the world famous El Bulli, Compartir has quickly became one of Cadaques’s most popular restaurants.

MOS Cadaques is another new restaurant which opened its doors in 2012. Contemporary food from a Michelin starred chef.

Charming Villas Catalonia Blog

Welcome to the Charming Villas Blog, where we share with you some of our favorite places to visit in Catalonia, suggestions of activities, great Catalan traditions, culinary ideas and much more!

Category Archives: Local Restaurants