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.

What to do in Begur?

Posted on 31 December 2020 by Richard Calvin

Where is Begur?

Begur is a small town located on the Costa Brava coastline with Barcelona approximately 80 miles to the south and the French border approximately 50 miles to the north. Sitting in the county of the “Emporda”, more specifically the “Baix Emporda” which means the “lower Emporda”. The cosmopolitan city of Girona is just 35 miles inland.

The closest beaches

The town of Begur sits in an elevated position two miles inland from its beaches. Each beach is quite different and has it’s own characteristics. Pals has the longest sandy beach and a few chiringuitos where to buy refreshments. Illa Roja is a small sandy beach dominated by the huge red rock from where the beach gets it’s name. This is also a nudist beach. Sa Riera beach is one of the most popular beaches in the area and benefits from a number of restaurants on the beachfront. Aiguafreda is more of a cove and does not have a sandy beach but great for swimming and kayaking. Sa Tuna is a pretty picture postcard small bay with a pebble beach. Platja Fonda is untouched and free of restaurants or shops. Aiguablava beach is possibly the most beautiful beach in the area with it’s turquoise waters.

The history of Begur

The town is steeped in history and the area has been inhabited since Pre-Roman times. Today the oldest remaining link to it’s ancient history are the foundations of the 11th century Castle which sits in a strategic high point overlooking the town and coastline. During the 16th and 17th centuries the town was fortified to protect itself against marauding pirates. Today parts of the perimeter defensive wall and no less than five watchtowers still exist.

The 1950’s saw the dawn of mass-tourism and the Costa Brava was the first Costa in Spain to open up to tourism. The 1960’s and 70’s saw a boom in tourism and the consequent development of accommodation along the coastline in Spain. Some parts of the coast were spoiled by short-sighted over-development however this part of the coastline was largely left untouched. Today it is this factor of well preserved beaches and villages which attract both local Catalans and foreigners to spend holidays in Begur and it’s surrounding beaches.

Things to do in the area

As we have already seen this region has some of the prettiest and unspoiled beaches on the whole Costa Brava. However there’s more to Begur than just it’s beaches and the town of Begur itself has a lot to offer the traveler. The center of town is dominated by the 16th century church and it’s surrounding plaza and restaurants. There’s a good selection of boutique shops selling everything from clothing to home decor as well as bakeries, butchers and grocery stores.

Begur is also great for outdoor pursuits especially walking and cycling. The GR 92 coastal path (Cami de Ronda) stretches the whole length of the Costa Brava coastline and some of the nicest sections are in the Begur region.

The beach of AiguaBlava, Begur — AiguaBlava, Begur

Where to stay in Begur

At Charming Villas Catalonia we offer a selection of luxury villas in Begur from beachfront vacation rentals to a choice of countryside cottages and farmhouses a few miles inland from the Costa Brava coast. Let us know your most important criteria and we can give you unbiased suggestions which best fit your needs.

More information about Begur and it’s surroundings can be found at the official website Visit Begur

The best place to stay on the Costa Brava?

Posted on 14 February 2014 by Richard Calvin

One of the questions we are asked by people who are coming to the region for the first time is which is the best place to stay on the Costa Brava? There’s lots of great places to choose from and this blog post is to help people get a better idea of what area might be best for them.

Begur and Palafrugell

Probably the most popular coastal area on the Costa Brava is the Begur and Palafrugell region and their beaches. Their beaches include Sa Riera, Sa Tuna, Aigua Blava, Aigua Xelida, Tamariu and Llafranc.

Like most of the Costa Brava this area is very family orientated and laid back. It is popular with local Catalans and Spanish as well as with other Europeans and increasingly North Americans who are discovering the region.

The beaches can get pretty busy during July and August. Unless you are within walking distance to a beach you may have to leave your villa quite early in the morning to find a good parking place.

Cadaques in the north

Cadaques is another popular destination and quite possibly the best place to stay on the Costa Brava. A beautiful old fishing town, Cadaques is where Salvador Dali lived for a large part of his life. His old house in the little bay of Port Lligat is now a museum and open to the public.

There is only one road in and out of Cadaques which is quite narrow and windy through the Cap de Creus headland. This inaccessibility is the main reason why Cadaques has retained its charm and avoided the developers. Because of this relative isolation of the town I always suggest to people that Cadaques makes a great base if you plan of parking up the car and sitting back and relaxing. The town is quite compact and all of our vacation villas in Cadaques are within walking distance of the center with its restaurants, bars, shops and beaches. There is a quite special and unique ambiance to the place. However beautiful Cadaques is, I would not recommend it for people who plan to spend time driving around and exploring.

Sant Marti and the ruins of Empuries

Sant Marti d’Empuries is a little off the beaten track and a favorite of ours. This tiny coastal village has a few restaurants and shops and is right on the beach. With nice sandy and un-crowded beaches this is the place we normally go to ourselves if we are having a day at the beach. For those of you interested in history there’s the ancient Greek and Roman ruins and neighboring Empuries. L’Escala which has a larger selection of bars and restaurants is only a 20 minutes walk along the seafront.

If it is bars, disco’s and partying you are after then Lloret de Mar is where you should go. Otherwise avoid it.

Other areas of the Costa Brava worth considering include Port de la Selva, Roses, and Palamos.

Luxury villas on the Costa Brava

At Charming Villas Catalonia we have a wide selection of luxury vacation rentals on the Costa Brava. Locally based we offer a free concierge service to all our clients. Please contact us for more information.