Costa Brava Medieval villages

Posted on 9 February 2021 by Richard Calvin

The most beautiful villages on the Costa Brava

The Costa Brava is rightly famed for its unspoiled coastal towns and villages but just a short distance inland from the coast there’s many Medieval villages waiting to be discovered. In this blog post we explore some of the most beautiful Costa Brava Medieval villages.

Costa Brava Medieval villages — The Medieval village of Beget (photo credit: www.femturisme.cat)

Medieval villages in the Baix Emporda

The Baix Emporda region of Girona is where some of the best beaches on the Costa Brava are to be found. The beaches of Begur and Palafrugell include Sa Riera, Sa Tuna, Aiguablava, Tamariu and Llafranc among others. Just a few kilometres inland from this stretch of coastline we find the well preserved villages of:

Peratallada, Pals, Monells and Palau Sator

These four villages are all located within the Baix Emporda “Golden Triangle”. Peratallada is the largest of the four and certainly one of the prettiest. With many cobbled streets to explore this village also has a good selection of restaurants open for lunches and dinners.

Like Pereatallada Pals also has a labyrinth of small streets and alleyways to explore and restaurants where to dine. Monells and Palau Sator are a little smaller but by no means less pretty and are equally worth a visit.

These well preserved Medieval villages on the Costa Brava are not far from each other and can be visited in one day. The architecture, the history and the narrow cobbled streets offer the traveler a glimpse of Medieval times gone by.

Medieval villages of La Garrotxa

La Garrotxa is a County a little further inland from the Costa Brava famed mainly for its extinct volcanoes. La Garrotxa also boasts beautiful Beech forests and of course Medieval villages. Perhaps the most well-known village in this region is Besalu. Famed for its photogenic 12th Century Romanic bridge the village was an important Medieval seat of power.

Also within the County of La Garrotxa is the Medieval village of Santa Pau. Santa Pau is located in the middle of the volcanic region and the beautiful Fageda Beech forest. Thanks to its fertile soil Santa Pau is famed for growing “mongetes” beans which are a staple in Catalan gastronomy.

Beget is a small village located further to the North in the neighboring County of Ripoles. This beautiful village is dominated by the Romanic San Cristóbal church and has a permanent population of only around 20 people.

Other Costa Brava Medieval villages

Further afield from the Costa Brava and worth a day-trip are the Medieval villages of Rupit and Tavertet. Tavertet sits on top of an escarpment enjoying breathtaking views of the Panta de Sau reservoir. The two villages are only 12 kilometres apart and a wonderful walk through forested countryside.

For more information about the Medieval villages of Girona and the Costa Brava take a look at the official Costa Brava website.

Costa Brava filming locations

Posted on 4 February 2021 by Richard Calvin

A brief history of the Costa Brava filming locations

The Costa Brava has long been a popular location for Movie and TV Shoots. The first recorded production was entitled “Amor de Pescadora” by Eduard Marquina and was shot in Tossa de Mar in 1914. It is easy to find Costa Brava filming locations all along this stretch of coastline and below i outline some of the major movies to be shot here.

Movies shot on the Costa Brava during the 1950’s

Perhaps the Golden age of Movies shot on the Costa Brava with some of the biggest names in Hollywood filming here.

1951 Pandora and the Flying Dutchman staring Ava Gardner and James Mason. This was the first big North American movie to be filmed on the Costa Brava. Filmed entirely on location including the coastal towns of Tossa de Mar, Palamos, S’Agaro and Platja d’Aro. 1951 was the year that Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra married.

1952 Decameron Nights shot in Cala Francesc, Blanes starred Joan Fontaine and a young Joan Collins.

1956 The Spanish Gardener filmed in various locations along the Costa Brava including Palamos, Sant Feliu de Guxols, S’Agaro and Tossa de Mar. Dirk Bogarde was supported in the main role by Jon Whiteley and Cyril Cusack among others.

1958 Sea Fury filmed in Begur and staring Stanley Baker.

1959 Suddenly Last Summer was a blockbuster movie staring big name stars such as Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn. Filmed in various locations including Pals, Begur and Sant Feliu de Guixols.

Costa Brava filming locations from the 1960’s onwards

Notable movies shot on the Costa Brava from the 1960’s onwards include:

1960 The three worlds of Gulliver Staring Kerwin Mathews.

1961 Mysterious Island staring Michael Craig and Herbert Lom

1968 Some Girls Do staring Richard Johnson

1970 The light at the edge of the World staring Yul Brynner and Kirk Douglas

1971 Nicholas and Alexandra staring a long list of stars including Tom Baker, Laurence Olivier, Fiona Fullerton and Michael Redgrave.

1977 Valentino staring Rudolf Nureyev, Felicity Kendal

1992 1492: Conquest of Paradise Directed by Ridley Scott and staring Sigourney Weaver and Gerard Depardieu

Game of Thrones and Westworld filming location

More recently Girona was selected as a filming location for the celebrated series Game of Thrones. Visiting Girona to see the GoT filming locations is a popular day trip from the Costa Brava.

Part of the Westworld Series 2 was filmed in the medieval village of Besalu which was turned into a WW11 movie set for a couple of weeks.

Commercial shooting locations Spain

Over the years Charming Villas Catalonia has provided locations for numerous TV commercial and product catalog shoots. We have also worked with production companies from all over the world and provided Catalonia location shooting for the following shows:

Linnan tähdet from Finland, Playing it Straight from the UK, Ocho apellidos Catalanes from Spain and Red Light from the Netherlands.

Luxury villas on the Costa Brava

At Charming Villas Catalonia we have an extensive portfolio of high standard vacation homes in and around Tamariu. Please browse our selection of luxury Costa Brava villas and farmhouses. We have visited all of the properties on our website on multiple occasions. Our aim is to offer un-biased opinions on each property and help our clients choose the best property for their needs.

Locally based we offer a free Costa Brava concierge service to all our clients and can help arrange extra services and activities. We can give suggestions of day-trips and put together bespoke days out including some of our off the beaten track favorites.

Choosing where to stay on the Costa Brava

Posted on 14 January 2013 by Richard Calvin

First time on the Costa Brava?

For many Brits the mention of the Costa Brava can conjure up notions of tacky seaside resorts possibly something akin to Blackpool in the North of England. This couldn’t be further from the truth. This blog post is aimed at helping first time visitors choosing where to stay on the Costa Brava.

Port Lligat, Cadaques — The crystal blue waters of Cadaques

It is true that the Costa Brava was the first “Costa” to open up to mass tourism in the 50’s and 60’s. However because of the rugged nature of the Costa Brava (The Wild Coast) developers quickly moved further south in search of flatter, easier accessible land to build accommodation. So with perhaps the exception of Lloret de Mar and Platja d’ Aro you find largely untouched small towns and villages all down the Costa Brava coastline.

Begur and Cadaques

A very popular area is the area around Begur. You have various beaches to choose from and is very family orientated. Another popular town, and probably my favourite, is Cadaques. Cadaques is situated in the “Cap de Creus” national park and is somewhat isolated from the rest of the Costa Brava. This is the main reason why it has retained so much character and has not been spoilt by development.

Cadaques, Costa Brava — Cadaques on the Costa Brava

What I normally suggest to people is that Cadaques is perfect for those who want to stay put. If you like to explore other towns, villages and beaches then Cadaques is probably not for you. The road in and out is pretty narrow and winding and can be a lengthy journey. So if you go to Cadaques, plan on staying there and not travelling very far. Of course there are some beautiful little bays and coves close to Cadaques and along the Cap de Creus. Most are walkable or are a short journey by car but other towns are more of a trek. If you enjoy exploring other villages and beaches then I would suggest staying around the area of Begur or Tamariu.

Luxury vacation homes on the Costa Brava

At Charming Villas Catalonia we offer a wide selection of carefully chosen vacation rentals on the Costa Brava. We offer a free concierge service and can help our clients in choosing the best place to stay on the Costa Brava.

Costa Brava towns — Towns of the Costa Brava

If you are looking at a two week vacation and this is your first visit to the area then it may be a good idea to go with two different villas in two different areas. This way you will probably get to see more meaning that it will make your choice of where to return for future visits easier. And we are sure that once you discover the Costa Brava you will want to return time and again!

Further information about the Costa Brava can be found on the official Costa Brava website.

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!

Tag Archives: Costa Brava towns