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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Platja Sa Conca, Cadaqués: The Complete Guide to the Last Cove Before the Wild Coast
Sa Conca is the last cove before the Cap de Creus wild coast begins, and the trailhead for the seven-kilometre walk to an 1864 lighthouse that Cadaqués saved from demolition.
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Platja Sa Conca, Castell-Platja d’Aro: The Complete Guide to the Beach the Monolith Chose
In March 2021 a steel monolith appeared overnight on Platja Sa Conca and lasted two days. A guide to the beach it chose, the designed coastal path that reaches it, and why its width has nothing to do with the tide.
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Cala del Senyor Ramon, Santa Cristina d’Aro: The Complete Guide to a Beach Its Own Town Can’t Reach
Cala del Senyor Ramon belongs to Santa Cristina d’Aro, sits eleven kilometres from it, and has a mountain in between. A guide to the beach with no town behind it — and to the dolmen on the other side of the ridge.
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Cala Treumal, Blanes: The Complete Guide to the Steepest Cove on This Coast
Cala Treumal breaks waves on days when the beach next door is flat, and the reason is its slope. A guide to the cove on the Blanes–Lloret boundary, the cactus garden above it and when it is safe to swim.
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Cala Sant Francesc, Blanes: The Complete Guide to the Cove Beneath Marimurtra
Cala Sant Francesc sits directly beneath Marimurtra, the botanical garden a German merchant started building here in 1918. A guide to the cove, the garden above it, and the thirty parking spaces they share.
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Platja de Castell, Palamós: The Complete Guide to the Beach Palamós Voted to Save
In 1994 the town of Palamós voted on whether to build on Platja de Castell, and said no. A guide to the last large undeveloped beach on the Costa Brava, its Iberian settlement and the walk in from La Fosca.