The Costa Brava has many great beaches from the isolated, hard to get to bays and coves on the Cap de Creus to the popular sandy beaches of Begur and Palafrugell. With over 200kms of coastline from Portbou in the north to Blanes on the southern tip there is a beach for everyone. Here is a selection of our personal favourites.
Our favourite beaches on the northern Costa Brava
Cala Taballera, Port de la Selva
The largest beach in the Cap de Creus peninsula. It is a good two hour hike from Port de la Selva and well worth the effort.
Platja del Ros, Cadaques
The beaches of Cadaques are not huge but this is one of the best and has great views of the Cadaques seafront in the background.
Sa Sabolla, Cadaques
A pleasant 45 minute walk from Cadaques in the direction of Cala Nans and the lighthouse this is a firm favorite of ours. Pebbles rather than sandy and a great place for a swim.
Cala Joncols, Roses
Roughly half way between Roses and Cadaques Cala Joncols makes a great stop off for a swim if you are walking the coastal “Cami de Ronda” between the two towns.
Our favourite beaches on the mid-section of the Costa Brava
Aiguablava beach, Begur.
The beautiful turquoise waters of Aiguablava make this one of the most beautiful beaches of the Costa Brava. This beach has a few restaurants, toilets and showers and a large car park nearby.
Platja Castell, Palamos
With over 300m of fine sand, this is one of the largest and less busy beaches in the Palamos/Palafrugell area.
Tamariu beach, Palafrugell
One of the most popular beaches of the whole Costa Brava, Tamariu beach has beautiful clear waters and fine sand. There’s also a choice of restaurants to choose from on the beach front.
Portixol beach, L’Escala
Portixol beach is a great sandy beach sitting half way between the charming coastal village of Sant Marti d’Empuries and the larger town of L’Escala. There are a number of similar lovely sandy beaches each side of Portixol and a selection of restaurants within walking distance.
Cala Montgo, L’Escala
Just on the southern edge of L’Escala Cala Montgo is a lovely sandy bay with great views of the Montgri national park. There’s also a couple of nearby restaurants to choose from.
Sa Riera, Begur
Another of our favourites, Sa Riera in our opinion, is the best beach of Begur. A large area of sand and a handful of restaurants to choose from the beach offers space yet at the same time a sense of intimacy.
Llafranc beach, Palafrugell
Similar to the nearby Tamariu beach, Llafranc has a lovely sandy beach and a number of beach side restaurants to choose from.
Cala Estreta
On the Cami de Ronda coastal path one finds Cala Estreta and El Crit beaches and are a nice walk from either Platja Castell or from Calella de Palafrugell to the north. Isolated and with no bars or shops these are a great beaches to escape the crowds.
Sa Conca, S’Agaro
With numerous facilities, you can access it both by car and on foot, via a pleasant stroll along the coastal path. It has a blue flag and a few metres away from here is also the Port d’Aro marina.
For more information about the beaches of the Costa Brava check out the Patronat de Turisme website.
Here is a map showing the locations of our favourite beaches on the Costa Brava