How to get from snow fields to beaches in one day
Well, no, not literally. But during
the winter you can drive out North Easterly from Girone,
the capital of the Costa Brava area, and be skiing
in no time. In summer, you head the other way and get in a
day of tan and swim.
The Costa Brava is a 160-kilometre
stretch of beautiful, rugged coastline in Catalonia, the North
Eastern corner of Spain. Its natural beauty, miles of sandy
beaches and sunshine made it an obvious target for travel
companies when the package holiday industry took off in the
1960s.
Now you'll find modern, international tourist
resorts with high-rise hotels alongside unspoilt fishing villages,
sheltered rocky coves and medieval towns with ancient castles.
The Costa stretches from Blanes, north of Barcelona,
to Roses near the French border.
Besides the beach, the Costa Brava ("Wild
Coast") is also an ideal base for other adventures. The are
some extraordinary rock formations in the mountains to the
north west of Barcelona, which itself is in easy reach of
the coast.
Europe's biggest water park is located just
outside Lloret de Mar and the Marineland complex
near Blanes is another hugely popular family day out
with its dolphin, sea lion and parrot shows, water slides,
reptile house and children's zoo.
Drivers new to Spain should take a look at
our driving
regulations page, and familiarise themselves with the
road rules. Then it's just a matter of getting used to driving
on the left.
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the towns are calm and clean, and after a day's
wandering in the many villages, or sightseeing in
the surrounding hill country, or just lying
on the beach, you will find the evenings alive
with music and food.
