Things to do in the  Costa Brava

The Costa Brava means the wild coast, and the rugged and diverse landscape offers visitors plenty of attractions and places to visit, plus a wide choice of beaches and summer events to enjoy. The long stretches of sand combine with wide bays and quiet coves, which highlight the diverse nature of this wild coastline.

Along with modern attractions and facilities, medieval monuments and fortresses can be explored, along with a host of cultural and historical attractions along the Costa Brava and south near Barcelona.

Whether you are visiting north eastern Spain for a short break or a family holiday, you will find plenty of things to see and do on the Costa Brava. Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar are great places to go if you want a lively holiday, and if you prefer to visit some historic sites and enjoy relaxing in peaceful surroundings, Girona is a fascinating city.
Figueres, Calella, Blanes and Roses are also well worth a visit, and whatever you choose to do on the Costa Brava, you can travel around easily by hire car from the airport at Girona or Barcelona.

Airport car hire Costa Brava and Barcelona

Barcelona and Girona are the nearest airports to the Costa Brava, and you can book a flight to the Costa Brava from most UK airports. Airport car hire can also be pre-booked before you travel, and if you use our search engine to compare car hire prices on the Costa Brava, you can find some great car rentals offers and promotions at Barcelona or Girona Airport that are not available elsewhere. Car hire at Barcelona Airport starts from just €70.00 per week, and you car hire companies at the airport include Hertz, Helle Hollis, Avis and a wide choice of local car hire firms who can offer you cheap car hire prices. Whether you are visiting Barcelona and the Costa Brava for a short break or a family holiday, the cheapest way to get around is to pre-book a hire car from the airport, to save money and avoid delays when you arrive at the airport. Barcelona and the Costa Brava are fascinating areas to explore by hire car, and wherever you decide to go, you can travel in style and comfort by renting a car at Barcelona Airport.

Costa Brava attractions

If you are planning to enjoy a family holiday in the Costa Brava, some of the best attractions  include: Aqua Brava, a water park near the village of Roses, Cadaques Village, which is situated just to the north of Roses, the Castell de Pubol which was once owned by Salvador Dali, the Fiestas de Santa Cristina - if you are lucky enough to be in Lloret de Mar during July, enjoy the annual parades and festival with street processions and music, the Iberian Settlement in Ullastret, which dates back to the 7th Century, Marineland Water Park, Medes Islands, Serinya prehistoric caves and the Toy Museum at Figueres. One thing the Spanish know how to do well is have a good time, and if you get the chance to stay in a Costa Brava hotel when there is a festival in town, grab it with both hands.  Plenty of family fun attractions, combined with great nightlife and a wealth of great beaches and restaurants makes the Costa Brava one of the most popular destinations in Spain.

Costa Brava weather

The weather on the Costa Brava changes rapidly, and the wild coast offers visitors warm and sunny days in summer and a cooler climate in Autumn and winter. Summer temperatures in the Costa Brava are usually between 25-28ºC, dropping to 17-20ºC  in spring and Autumn and even cooler in winter. If you are planning to visit the Costa Brava, apart from summer, take a light jacket with you and warmer clothes in winter. The mild year-round temperatures allow visitors to make the most of the Costa Brava attractions and events, and the beaches are generally crowded in July and August.

Flights to Barcelona and Girona

Flights to Barcelona and Girona are available from most UK airports, including Manchester, Gatwick, Leeds/Bradford, Cardiff, Birmingham, London Luton, East Midlands, Newcastle and Liverpool, and most budget airlines offer flights to Barcelona, including Easyjet and Ryanair. Cheap flights to Barcelona, combined with cheap airport car hire at Barcelona and Girona Airports, and special rates in small hotels on the Costa Brava can reduce your holiday package costs when you book directly online. Airport transfers are available from Barcelona and Girona Airport to your holiday hotel, but the most economical way to get to your destination is to pre-book a hire car from the airport and avoid delays and extra cost when you arrive in Barcelona or Girona.

Map of the Costa Brava

Wherever you plan to go by hire car on the Costa Brava, towns worth visiting include: Calella, Begur, Blanes, Roses, Besalu, Figueres, L´Escala, Llafranc, Lloret de Mar, Malgrat de Mar, Olot, Palafrugell, Palamos, Pineda de Mar, Playa de Aro, Sant Antoni de Calonge, Santa Cristina D´Aro, Sant Feliu de Guixols and Tossa de Mar. You can pick up a tourist map of the Costa Brava from either an airport car hire company, from a tourist information office or from hotel reception, which will give you clear details of how to drive around the different resorts, and many Costa Brava maps also  highlight places of particular interest.

Costa Brava accommodation

Costa Brava accommodation offers visitors a range of great places to stay, both inland and on the coast. Small hotels and boutique hotels in the Costa Brava are growing in popularity, and you can find some superb places to stay in and around the coastal areas of the Costa Brava, which won´t cost you a fortune.  You can choose from family run hotels on the Costa Brava, small hotels with swimming pools, farmhouses and fincas, villas for rent and a wealth of accommodation to suit all requirements and budgets. You can also book all-inclusive hotels in the Costa Brava, but the best way to arrange your holiday is to book a cheap flight, reserve cheap airport car hire and a small hotel in the Costa Brava, by taking your time to look for the best deals available. Beach hotels on the Costa Brava, boutique hotels and private villas are all available at reasonable prices, and you can make the most of your holiday by pre-booking car hire from the airport at Barcelona or Girona.

Lloret de Mar Costa Brava

One of the most popular tourist resorts in the Costa Brava, Lloret de Mar, attracts thousands of visitors every year. Situated next to Blanes and Tossa de Mar, Lloret is 75 km from Barcelona and is the second largest town in Catalonia. Summer visitors  flock to Lloret de Mar, mainly from northern Europe, to enjoy the hotels, discos, casinos and restaurants which have made this resort so famous, along with the coarse sand beaches along the coast.  The main town beach is 2km long, and there is a medieval fort on the outskirts of the town called Castell de Sant Joan. The main symbol of the town is a bronze statue of a fisherman´s wife, which was created in 1966 by Ernest Maragall.

Lloret de Mar has now evolved into a lively 24 hour resort which attracts a mainly young crowd in the summer months, and is also popular with Stag and Hen parties throughout the year. If you are staying in Lloret, it is also worth arranging a day trip to Barcelona where you can enjoy all the sights and sounds of one of Spain´s most amazing cities.

Costa Brava nightlife

Catering for families or large groups of friends, nightlife in Lloret de Mar is lively. With over 100 bars and pubs plus a range of nightclubs and music bars, Lloret is the number one party town in the Costa Brava. Bar reps offer free entry and free drinks at most nightclubs and discos, and over 25 nightclubs keep revellers on their feet all night long. Karaoke bars also provide popular entertainment in Lloret de Mar, and there are plenty of night time attractions to keep visitors entertained. Nightlife in Blanes is much more laid back, and the resort attracts more families and couples, instead of large groups of young people. Authentic Spanish music and dancing is also performed live at many venues in Blanes, and this is one of the best places to see some traditional entertainment. Traditional dancing, including the sardana is often performed live in the town square in summer, and don´t miss the annual feria at the end of July in Blanes which brings the streets to life with processions, colour and live music.

If you are looking for a different type of nightlife on the Costa Brava, take a trip to the city of Girona, where you can enjoy a relaxing evening in a jazz bar with live entertainment, see traditional dance at one of the many live venues or relax to the sounds of Spanish guitar.

The Costa Brava attracts thousands of visitors to its shores every year, and with a wealth of summer activities, including water sports, festivals, annual events and some of the best bars, restaurants and nightlife in Spain on offer, there is little wonder the wild coast is so popular. If you want to experience the best of both worlds, hire a car from the airport and explore the coastal areas along with the cultural centres of Girona, the fascinating city of Barcelona and some of the most rugged and diverse countryside in northern Spain.