Costa Brava
The Costa Brava earned its name honestly: a rugged coast of pine cliffs, fishing hamlets and coves that no road will ever reach. What makes it unusual is the camins de ronda, the coastal paths that link one cove to the next and are often the only sensible way in — which is why several of the best beaches here stay quiet even in August. The guides in this section cover the Girona coastline from Blanes up to Cadaqués and Cap de Creus, with the practical detail that decides a day out: wind direction, parking systems, seasonal road closures, and which coves keep anything open out of season.
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The Camins de Ronda: Walking Between the Costa Brava Coves
The camins de ronda are not scenic footpaths that happen to be old. They are a legal servitude made visible, and on much of the Costa Brava they are the only way in. Where they came from, what holds them open, and the three things that close them.
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The 15 Best Beaches on the Costa Brava (2026 Ranking)
Our editorial ranking of the best beaches on the Costa Brava: from the protected coves of Cap de Creus to the picture-postcard fishing hamlets of Begur and the wild, undeveloped cliffs near Tossa de Mar.
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Cala Pedrosa, Palafrugell: The Complete Guide to the Cove with a Restaurant and No Road
Cala Pedrosa has a restaurant and no road, so everything on the menu walks down a cliff or arrives by boat. A guide to the cove, the two walks in, and how to plan the way back.
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Cala Estreta, Palamós: The Complete Guide to the Cove with the Fisherman’s Hut
A fisherman’s hut has stood at Cala Estreta since at least 1531. It has been a wind refuge, a Sunday kitchen and somebody’s home — and it is currently padlocked. A guide to the cove and the walk in.
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Cala l’Almadrava, Roses: The Complete Guide to the Beach Named After a Tuna Trap
L’Almadrava is named after a tuna trap that ran off this beach until the 1930s. A guide to the fishermen’s barraca, the listed Coderch house on the point, and the beach that works when the tramuntana blows.
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Cala Joncols, Roses: Six Kilometres of Dirt Track and a Cellar on the Seabed
Cala Joncols is not a beach with a hotel on it — it is a hotel with a beach, run by one family since 1955, with a cellar of wine ageing on the seabed of the bay.