Costa Brava
The Costa Brava begins at Blanes, in Barcelona, just south of the Girona border, and stretches north to Port Bou, on the French border. It comprises the Catalan comarques of Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà and La Selva, almost entirely in the province of Girona. The term was coined by Catalan writer Ferran Agulló. in 19o8 in a newspaper article referring to its rugged (brava) nature. The best way to see the coastline is from the deck of a private yacht, or, failing that, by Crucero, the boat service that connects most of the main coastal towns.
Many Catalans think that cheap package tourism has destroyed this beautiful coast, but there are still some lovely spots. Even the worst resorts like Lloret del Mar and Ampuriabrava have no highrise horrors to compare with Fuengirola, Torremolinos or Benidorm. Many of the hotels and apartment blocks are quite elegant, and most of the camping sites are fairly discreet. There is a massive tourism infrastructure, with waterparks, golf courses, riding centres, go-kart circuits, flying clubs, sky-diving, parachuting, gliding and balloon centres, leisure complexes and theme park attractions at frequent intervals. Some of them are rather good! And of course there is a vast range of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. I particularly like the “chiringuitos”, snack-bars set up under awnings on or near beaches for the summer months.
This article was written by Francis Barrett. See also Francis' excellent guide to Ireland irelandbyways.com
Information about the Ampurdan
Ampurdan main page
Information about the Costa Brava
Accommodation in the Ampurdan and the Costa Brava
