Day trips from Barcelona

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.

Cala Guillola
Cala Guillola, Cap de Creus, Cadaques

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.

Costa Brava Vineyards

The aim of this blog post is to list a selection of Costa Brava and Girona vineyards that offer to the public activities such as wine tasting, tours, meals and picnics.

The history of wine in Catalonia

In around the 6th century BC the Greeks founded their first trading post on the Costa Brava coastline, Empòrion (market place, and origin of the modern day name Emporda). A few centuries later the Romans would take over and call it Emporiae. Now it is known as Empuries. Since the Greeks first introduced and cultivated vines here 2500 years ago Catalonia now has no less than 10 distinct wine growing regions of which DO Emporda is one.

Costa Brava Vineyards
Costa Brava vineyards (photo credit Perelada.com)

Costa Brava vineyards map

Below is a map showing the locations of DO Emporda vineyards who offer wine tourism packages. More information can be found at the official DO Emporda website.

DO Emporda wine producers

Celler La Vinyeta La Vinyeta is one of the youngest and most dynamic DO Empordà projects. Its owners, Josep and Marta, are two young entrepreneurs who set up the business in 2002 with just 4 hectares of old vines. In 2006 they built the Cellar and began to produce their first bottles. In the space of just a few years, La Vinyeta has received numerous plaudits and has earned the appreciation of many visitors. La Vinyeta offers wine tours of the vineyards with tastings.They also offer picnics among the vines. La Vinyeta

Celler Espelt Espelt has been founded by members of a long line of winemakers. Their mantra is that the culture of wine lies in agriculture, quality, creativity and passion. The wine making tradition of Empordà and the love for the earth led those behind the project to plant vines in the Cap de Creus Natural Park. Espelt has a shop which is open to the public and offer wine tastings. Espelt

Celler Hugas de Batlle

The “Celler Hugas de Batlle” is a small family ran winery based in the center of Colera. It has a patio which serves as a production area and a shop inside with a place for tasting. The Celler offers various wine tasting options including a breakfast option and tours of the vineyards. One of the few Cellers right on the water. Celler Hugas de Batlle

Celler Arché-Pagès is a family-owned winery located in the town of Capmany. Five generations of winegrowers have cultivated the estate’s 14 hectares of vineyards. Mainly indigenous varieties of grapes are planted such as Garnacha and Cariñena. The company exercises absolute control over the entire process, from pruning the vines to selling the wine. This modern and dynamic winery offers visitors the chance to visit its facilities. To stroll through the vineyards and to taste wines with a distinctive personality. Arche Pages

Mas Lunes Mas Llunes is a modern winery that specializes in the production of wine from the estate’s own vineyards. It is owned by the Roig de Garriguella family, which has been closely involved in wine growing in Empordà for several generations. They offer wine tastings and tours of the vineyards in their own 4×4 vehicles.
Mas Llunes

Mas Oller Mas Oller currently has 12 hectares of wine-producing vines and 4 hectares of newly planted vines. The approach of Mas Oller is based on reviving the winegrowing tradition of Empordà, with a modern interpretation of the concept of wine. Both the winery and vineyards can be visited at Mas Oller. The enoteca offers visitors the chance to purchase and taste the wines that it produces in an idyllic setting. They offer tastings and visits of the vineyards. Also check their website for information on special cheese and wine tastings. Mas Oller

Celler Can Sais

This small family-owned winery with a long wine growing tradition is located in the old part of the town of Vall-llobrega, in the Gavarres Massif. Can Sais attempt to produce wines with concentration and personality, wines that say something about the area and its way of life. They offer guided visits of the vineyards and instalations, wine tastings and other activities such as wine therapy massages. Celler Can Sais

Celler Bell-Lloc This Empordà farmstead is imbued with a philosophy rooted in the land, which takes advantage of recent advances to provide quality, without losing spirit and authenticity. They offer celler visits and a gastronomic experience of a meal paired with their own wines. Finca Bell Lloc

Cellers d’en Guilla New wines produced with grapes from old vines: this is the approach adopted by Cellers d’en Guilla, a new winery with limited production located in the Delfià district of Rabós d’Empordà. Offering visits and wine tastings with local food products.
Celler Guilla

Terra Remota Terra Remota is a winery that is highly sensitive to its surroundings and, consequently, is strongly committed to becoming integrated within its environment. The result is a top quality wine and an enchanting landscape. They do winery visits, tastings and picnics amongst the vines. Terra Remota

Most Costa Brava vineyards require pre-booking of tastings and it is recommended to make contact at least 24 hours in advance. Contact details are listed on the websites of each Celler.