This is the unspoilt Costa Brava or Catalonia which has escaped invasion by Tour Operated holiday groups and where most of the properties are owned by Barcelonians. With an abundance of delightful coastal towns and idyllic sandy coves, this region is rarely overcrowded and has retained real Spanish charm. This is an area you will want to return to again and again.... Every day you can find a new diversion, be it a cultural pursuit, taking the kids to a waterpark, playing tennis, snorkelling, sailing, or a lazy day at one of the beautiful sundrenched sandy coves with clear water and beachfront restaurants. The coastal resorts all have a choice of waterfront restaurants, cafes and shops and it is a real pleasure to wander the little streets around the harbour fronts and enjoy the spectacular scenery of this rugged coastline. Development here has slowed right down and you will come across villas unexpectedly tucked away. No large apartment development is possible as the rugged terrain, thankfully, does not allow for this, leaving the shoreline intact with some wonderful coastal path walks.
Begur is a charming hillside town with a castle at its crown. The cobbled streets add to the character of the town and offer a really excellent choice of Catalan restaurants which nearly all have al fresco eating in the summer months. In addition there are several tapas bars, individual and exquisite clothes, antique and specialist food shops, cafes and late night cellar bars. There are two plazas both of which have entertainment in the high season. No wall to wall discos here or loud music but there are a couple of clubs situated just out of the main part of the town. The overall atmosphere is very Spanish with local artists' paintings and crafts displayed in the old square during the summer. Every Wednesday the market stalls spill into the narrow streets where you can buy fruit and vegetables, clothes and accessories. There are excellent supermarkets, specialist fishmonger, butchers' shops and freshly baked baguettes in many of the bakeries. Within 5km of Begur are the excellent beaches and coastal villages of Aiguablava, Sa Riera, Aiguafreda, Sa Tuna, Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc each with its own unique character. The coastal path walk between Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc provides a relaxing pre-dinner or pre-lunch stroll, which can be followed by a drink at one of the many waterfront cafes or bars and the treat of spectacular scenery en-route. Tamariu - a most picturesque bay with a sandy beach. A promenade with restaurants and shops fronts the beach and creates a very convivial al fresco atmosphere. Approximately 4km from Begur, Tamariu has an extremely pretty sandy bay with a promenade and waterfront restaurants, shops and cafes. Villas decorate the surrounding area of Tamariu, known as Aiguagelida and there is also a small bay with this name. Llafranc a chic coastal resort with a crescent shaped sandy bay and promenade has restaurants, hotels and shops along the front, looking straight out to sea. A small marina at the far end of the bay adds to the local interest. From Llafranc there is a coastal path walk to the exquisite string of sandy coves and waterfront shops and restaurants of Calella de Palafrugell. Calella de Palafrugell - The largest of Palafrugell's beach resorts has a series of pretty coves strung out like pearls behind the fishing village with whitewashed arches on the promenade. Fishing boats are pulled up on the sand and the seafood restaurants beside the water are always busy at weekends. Development here has been low-rise and low-key with everything on a human scale. A cliff path leads in around 20 minutes to Llafranc, making a delightful pre-dinner stroll. High above the bay, the Jardi Botanic de Cap Roig is a botanical garden designed by Russian emigre Nicolai Woevodsky and his English wife Dorothy in the 1920s. The gardens feature cypress, cedar and mimosa trees as well as Mediterranean flowers and herbs, plus a mock castle at the centre and stunning views of waves crashing against cliffs. Calella de Palafrugell is best known as the home of havaneres, performed on the beach at a popular festival each summer. The singing of hananeres is usually accompanied by the drinking of cremat, a spicy Creole concoction of flaming coffee, rum and cinnamon with a twist of lemon. Aiguafreda - Extract from The Sunday Times Travel section, 9 March 2008, listing Aiguafreda as one of the top ten beaches in the world!
"My favourite beach is called Cala d'Aiguafreda and it doesn't have sand. It has flat rocks as warm as electric blankets and tiny rock pools that make perfect wine coolers. Wrapped in pine woods and sheltered from the tramontane wind, it smells intoxicatingly of ozone and resin and is lapped by waters as clear as Bombay Sapphire. That's nothing special in these parts. The beaches of the Baix Emporda, as this part of the Costa Brava is known, belong in a superleague of their own; but, for my money, tiny Aiguafreda is number one. That's due in no small part to the fabulous Hostal Sa Rascassa, located in heavenly isolation a few steps from the beach. Owned by the ebullient Oscar Gorriz, this simple, stylish place (recently voted one of Spain's best decorated hotels) with a candlelit open-air restaurant, a beach bar and a Wednesday night music club, is a diamond set in an emerald forest beside a sapphire sea". [Chris Haslam] Sa Tuna - South along the enchanting coast road, the bay of Sa Tuna must be one of the most beautiful in Europe. There is little to match a meal outside the Hostal Sa Tuna, right by the sea on a calm, warm evening. Sa Tuna is an old fishermans village and a real favourite of the Catalans, never too crowded but always lively enough, and with an atmosphere that easily makes you understand the history of the place. Many of the people who live here have been in the bay for generations, calmly uninterrupted by the visitors. Above Sa Tuna, the carefully developed areas of La Borna and Cap de Begur have stunning views of the bay, the coast and the sea. You can travel to Sa Tuna from Begur south along the main coast road, but if you are lucky enough to find the alternative windy road from Begur to Cap de Begur and La Borna, finally arriving at Sa Tuna, you will be discovering a little bit more of Begur's history, as this is the old road which the fisherman would use to reach the bay. At LA BORNA and Sa Tuna the sea flows through a rocky inlet with dramatic scenery into a protected bay with a sand and shingle beach. View interactive map of the Costa Brava below or click here
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Places to visit: There are many places of interest including inland medieval towns such as Peratallada, 20 mins from Begur. This village is kept in pristine condition and has some very individually styled restaurants and shops. Visit Salvador Dali's castle which he gifted to his wife Gala, at Pubol (20mins Begur) and his amazing museum at Figueres (40mins Begur), where you cannot fail to be drawn in by the extensive and fascinating exhibits. At La Bisbal (20mins Begur) the streets are littered with ceramic shops and there is also an antique centre. Girona is a wonderful city to visit. The River Onyar, lined by buildings in red and ochre, divides the old city from the new A walk up the lively riverside Rambla takes you towards the city's spiritual core and major landmark, the magnificent cathedral. Its 1680 baroque facade conceals a graceful Romanesque cloister and what is said to be the widest nave in Christendom. Girona is commonly known as mini-Barcelona, with its own charming Ramblas and interesting shops and pavement restaurants. There is a large market here every Saturday. Barcelona, if you crave city life, is approximately one hour by train from Flaca, where you can leave your car (20mins from Begur) and get right into the centre of Barcelona. Barcelona is a confident, progressive city and the classic tourist images of Spain seem firmly out of place in Barcelona's bustling central boulevards and stylish modern streets. And style is what brings many visitors here, attracted by enthusiastic newspaper and magazine articles which make much of the outrageous architecture, user-friendly city design, agreeable climate and frenetic nightlife. Barcelona has continued to blossom from provincial city to putative European capital. When the Olympic Games had finished, the city was left with an entirely new harbour development containing the futuristic Olympic Village. The border of France is approximately one hour away but you will find all you need and more in this beautiful and charming unspoilt region of Spain, Costa Brava, Catalonia. Be sure to take a map with you or buy one in a newsagent's store. This is an area of immense beauty and car hire is highly recommended if you want to experience the diversity of this region. It is advisable (and less expensive) to arrange Car Hire prior to your holiday and we can arrange this on your behalf, as well as flights and insurance. |
