What is Costa Brava Known for
Costa Brava is the region of the north east of Spain that has a coast, it expands from Blanes to Portbou, where the french border is located. It is great vacation spot for the natural landscape lovers, and for the fans of charming coastal towns.
The Costa Brava known for the beautiful beaches, like Sa Tuna or Canelles Petites, also for the white coastal towns like Cadaqués or Port de la Selva, for the cuisine like the Germans Roca, and for the surrealist painter Salvador Dalí.
A great number of tourists are drawn to the Costa Brava each year, mainly in the Summer months to relax in the beaches and enjoy the calm of the territory that has inspired so many musicians and artists.
One example of a musician who referenced Costa Brava in their song is Freddie Mercury, the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. In the song “Montserrat” from Freddie Mercury’s 1988 solo album “Barcelona,” he mentions both Costa Brava and Cadaqués:
“Costa Brava, Costa Plenty Costa Blanker, still my heart Cadaqués on a lazy day Costa plenty, so far away”
Why is Costa Brava so famous?
Costa Brava known for their beaches and idyllic towns is famous for being on the the best vacation areas in Spain, compared to Ibiza, the Canary Islands, the Costa Brava has a similar tourist demography, but it has the option to spend a few days in the big city, Barcelona, as it is only 1,5 hours away by car or 1 hour by train.
The Costa Brava beaches
There are many spectacular beaches in the Costa Brava. Just to name a few, Sa Tuna, Cala Montjoi, Canyelles Petites, and Cala Tamariu are one of the best in the region.
If you are interested in the beaches of Costa Brava check the post: Top 5 Best Beaches in Costa Brava, where we have compiled in our experience which are the best depending on where are you staying.
Also if you like to do nudism in the beach, the Costa Brava offers many beautiful beaches where you can enjoy the sun and the sea, how you like.
Yes, nudism is allowed. Although it is not as common as it used to be nude beaches are still prevalent in the Costa Brava. Also topless is very common in the Catalan beaches, it can be surprising for some tourists but it is normal in the region.
The beaches are a place to enjoy the sun, the water and beach so we encourage to enjoy as you like and let the other people do the same. We do recommend going to know nudist beaches like the ones in the article, if you want to do nudism at the beach.
The Costa Brava Cultural Heritage
The region has a very reach history, from the Greek and Roman ruins in Empúries to the Castell de Verdera, to the medieval castle overlooking the sea in Tossa de Mar. The Costa Brava is full of Castles and historic sites.
Of the most famous sites is the Iberian city of Ullastret. Located in the South Empordà, it is the largest Iberian urban center that has been located in Catalonia to date. It is situated in the region that the authors of the Greco-Latin language attributed to the Indigetes, an Iberian tribe. The visit we made was fantastic, with and audio guide you can walk through the ruins, enjoy the landscape and the history of the place.
The ruins of Empúries can be visited as well, these are located near the the village of Empúries and Escala, just in front of the sea. It was a great coastal town often visited by the Romans and Greeks.
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dali is renowned for his powerful and ethereal surrealist paintings. He was born in Figueres, the capital of Alt Empordà in the Costa Brava and spent the last part of his life in Port Lligat, near Cadaqués. Check out our post on Port Lligat, where the idyllic place that inspired Dalí, is today a great small town to visit, with incredible shallow beaches.
His natal town, Figures, has the museum where the majority of his paintings are exposed. It is a must visit if you visit Figueres. Just the exterior of the museum is worth watching, and the interior is out of this world.
When I visited it, with about an hour was enough but if you are a fan of his work, you can spend all day there admiring the surreal art that made Dalí famous world wide.
For more information on the museum please visit the official page: Fundació Gala – Salvador Dalí (salvador-dali.org)
Cuisine
Costa Brava is known for its cuisine for many years now, one of the most famous chefs in the world, Ferran Adrià had its restaurant in Cala Montjoi in Costa Brava, it was awarded the best restaurant in the world for four consecutive years. It was sadly closed in 2011.
Right now, the most famous chefs in the region are the Roca brothers, in Girona. The restaurant called “El Celler de Can Roca” is currently one of the best in the world. Furthermore, they have an ice cream shop in the center of Girona.
Plus, there is great restaurants in the region, we have compiled them in the post: The 5 Best Restaurants in Costa Brava for the food lovers.
Coastal Towns
Apart from the re-known beaches in Costa Brava, the towns that are part of the landscape, specially the white towns in the north like Cadaqués (photo), Port de la Selva, and the historic town in the south like Peratallada and Begur are a must visit for all the tourists.
Water Sports
Surf, wind surf, kayaking, scuba diving and many more water sports are practiced a lot in the region. The Costa Brava is known for the wild aquatic fauna, and high wind in the northern part, so water sports are very popular as the natural and weather conditions are perfect.
The tramontana the prevalent wind in the region is ideal for wind surf. Towns like Sant Pere Pescador and Port de la Selva are great to practice this sport, and practitioners can be seen almost daily in summer.
Tossa de Mar is famous for the scuba diving schools, we got our open water certificates there. It is a very recommendable experience. Other coastal towns like Llançà also offer this type of services, as scuba diving in the natural reserve of Cap de Creus is incredible.
For the ones that want to enjoy the sea with a more relaxed sport, kayaking is the ideal sport in the Costa Brava. It is very popular around the Cap de Creus (Roses, Cadaqués, Port de la Selva, Llançà, etc).
There are also shops that rent the kayaks for a few hours for a cheap price. I recommend renting the kayak in Port Lligat, where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery that inspired Dalí, and after you can visit the house where he lived, which is now a museum.
What are some facts about Costa Brava
- The name Costa Brava signifies in Catalan wild coast. This name is very appropriate as it is filled with rocky cliffs, coves, rock formations that are jay-dropping.
- Salvador Dalí, the world known surrealist artist, was born in the Costa Brava town of Figueres. His Dalí Theatre-Museum is a top draw in Figueres, and his impact can be seen all across the region.
- The Greeks and Roman have a huge influence in the region. An evidence of this are the old cities of Rhodes and Emporion which are now Roses and Ampúries.
- Cadaqués has long been a sanctuary for artists, drawing geniuses like Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dalí.
- Local culture includes traditional crafts including pottery, ceramics, and handmade goods, which can be obtained at markets and stores.
Is Costa Brava a party town?
Discos
Yes, the Costa Brava has many great discos for the party goers. One of the main discos is Passarela in Empuriabrava. If you are located in the Alt Empordà this is the area you should go, the main parties are in Empuriabrava, in Passarella or in Onoff. There is also a “xiringito” near this area in the Rubina beach, where you can calmly enjoy a drink in the beach watching the sunset, and later enjoy the music until late in the night.
In Alt Empordà there is less known but also great disco near Port de la Selva called Mackintosh Discotheque. If you are looking for a more psychedelic experience, I recommend Le Rachdingue located in the mountain between Vilajuïga and Pau.
Festivals
The region hosts various festivals and events, including the Cap Roig Festival, which features concerts and performances in the stunning Cap Roig Botanical Garden. It is a great festival which takes places in Summer, so if you are in the region, check out if there are tickets available, as they sell out pretty soon. Check out the official page of the festival: Cap Roig Festival.
Also in late August check out La Santa Market – La Santa Market a more chill festival with cool food-trucks and good music.