Lloret de Mar, a classic of family tourism
Little could the writer Ferran Agulló (1983-1933) imagine that the adjective "brava" with which he baptized the coast that links the towns of Blanes Y Portbou was going to frame one of the most traditional family destinations in Catalonia. But the truth is that, one hundred years after that successful baptism, the Costa Brava, the delicious strip of sea and mountains that unites the regions of The Jungle, the Baix and L'Alt Empordà , has become a first-rate benchmark for family vacations. A fact proves it: of the 16 towns in Catalonia that have the seal of Family Tourism Destination (DTF) six are on the Costa Brava -one more, Sant Feliu de Guixols , is in the process of being certified and will be the seventh in the area- exemplifies why it is a unique destination.
Gnomo Park playground, in Lloret de Mar
FROM SOUTH TO NORTH, FROM CALA TO CALA
But where to start? As the southern vertex of the Costa Brava, Blanes , a fishing village recognized by the DTF brand, is a magnificent starting point. It has everything for a family getaway. To begin with, beaches and coves such as Treumal or Santa Anna where you can enjoy a fun day of sun and sand. **A summer plus: the activities (from foam parties, inflatables, games, crafts...) ** that the children's club proposes during July and August. Two of the settings in Blanes that most surprise families are its two botanical gardens , among the most outstanding in the Mediterranean: ** the Marimurtra ** and Pinya de Rosa , both with a floral diversity from all over the world and unparalleled views.
Family sports lovers find proposals in the city as attractive as a bike ride through the Tordera river delta , while for those who are passionate about traveling to the past, there is no more enriching proposal than discovering the cultural and historical legacy of Blanes through the guided tours for families that, during the sunsets of July and August (only Fridays and Saturdays), they go through it. One step away from Blanes, Lloret de Mar is another of the classic coordinates of family tourism in the south of the Costa Brava thanks to its theme and adventure parks, water parks, delicious beaches... Gnome Park is an endless succession of inflatables, miniature golf and game circuits, while Tree Adventure It is a multi-adventure natural park in which children (from 3 years old) and adults enjoy zip-line descents, suspension bridges or jumps between the trees with ropes and nets.
What if the sun hits? Nothing like the aquatic experience it provides waterworld with its infinity of slides, kamikazes, rapid rivers, wave pools... Or a dip in the main beach of Lloret or on Fenals beach, where every summer children between 3 and 12 years old enjoy its two mini-clubs. In Lloret, the little ones can also let their imagination run wild through dramatized visits to the city's cultural heritage, or strolling through the idyllic setting of Santa Cristina , discovering the Indian past of the city through a visit to the Museum of the Sea or entering on the back of a segway in the majestic gardens of Santa Clotilde . Without forgetting the experience of touring the Parapet walk and its succession of coves before making a stop at the castle of San Juan and, from its vantage point, scanning the horizon for pirates as in the past.
North of Lloret awaits Tossa de Mar . Its calm and shallow waters -such as the well-known "sa banyera de ses dones" (women's bath), a small cove next to the northern end of the Mar Menuda beach or es Racó, the Gran beach area located under the walls – are the perfect setting for a delicious day of sun and beach. Or underwater adventures in the style of Jacques Costeau, contemplating the seabed on board the boat Gavina to then take a dip in the Giverola cove or rent a quad or an electric bike and enter the nearby places of Terra Negra or the Torre dels Moros.
Tossa de Mar: you will not forget it
Of course, so much activity will whet your appetite . In Tossa, the whole family can enjoy one of the gastronomic references of the area such as Can Simon's Kitchen , a restaurant located in an old fisherman's house next to the medieval wall and that offers home-made delicacies such as red mullet suquet, the prawn ravioli or the lemon cake with meringue ice cream. Taking into account the historical and cultural heritage of Tossa, it is highly recommended to visit the walled medieval area of Vila Vella to end with a visit to the Far of Tossa , today converted into a fantastic lighthouse interpretation center. But Tossa not only offers relaxing and cultural proposals.
There are also adrenaline-pumping ones, such as a day of paintball in one of the pioneering centers of this activity on the Costa Brava: Paintball Can Garriga . Parents and children can play fun games with each other or opt for painting battles between children – 7 and 13 years old; price: 15 e–, with smaller paintballs . Nestled between the massif of Les Cadiretes and Les Gavarres, the towns of Sant Feliu de Guíxols and Castell-Platja d'Aro exemplify the essence of the tradition of family tourism in Catalonia.
The first, with its two main beaches – Sant Feliu and Sant Pol –, is a gift for families who love active tourism and culture thanks to the hiking or mountain biking routes through l’Ardenya or cultural centers such as the Carmen Thyssen Space . Or unique rarities like the Museum of History of La Joguina , a spectacular private collection of 3,500 toys made between 1875 and 1975. For its part, in Castell-Platja d'Aro, whose seafront is a string of endless beaches and small coves, everything invites you to enjoy the aquatic environment, either with a fun day at the water park aquadiver or getting started in its crystalline waters with diving courses and dives by the hand of Diving Center Ictinio .
To enjoy a sunny day, plant your umbrella in Treumal
Lovers of history - like those of luxury walks, among which the round path of S'Agaró occupies a privileged place– you will enjoy a journey through time as you pass through the Roman town of Pla de Palol to the medieval center of Castell d'Aro, passing through the fortified farmhouses . It is worth taking in its panoramic views from the Puig Pinell viewpoint. Taking advantage of its proximity, Calonge-Sant Antoni is well worth a break to admire its medieval castle or do any of the horse routes , on ponies or in a small carriage (for children from 3 years old) proposed by the Unicorn Horse Riding Equestrian Center .
Canadell beach, in Calella de Palafrugell
THE SEA, TO SAIL, SWIM OR DIVING
With the massif of Les Gavarres a stone's throw away and a maritime DNA still latent in its day-to-day life, Palamós is one of the unavoidable family tourist epicenters of the Baix Empordà thanks to the panoply of experiences and proposals that it offers families. As an example, a button: one of the most unforgettable experiences of a family stay on the Costa Brava is the journey aboard the Rafael 1915. And it is that, between June and September, the Palamós Fishing Museum offers the possibility of sailing in this ancient boat, a unique opportunity for young and old to become for a few hours in authentic sea lions ! The lateen sail excursion (duration 3h 30min; 28e) that sails from the port every day offers the unique sensations of traditional sailing. Another alternative, designed above all for children, is the Barbarossa Corsair Route (duration 1 h 30 min; 15 e; from Monday to Friday and Sunday), with the pirate stories that are still told in the bay of Palamós as protagonists.
Panoramic view from Pals, with the Medes Islands in the background
Among Palamos Y L'Estartit there is a rosary of charming towns: Palafrugell , with its secluded sandbanks of Tamariu, Llafranc and Calella ; the coastal strip of Pals and its medieval town, with the Pedro viewpoint overlooking the Medes and the intense blue Mediterranean... Or Begur and its succession of beaches and coves with transparent waters like Aiguafreda, Fornells, Sa Tuna or Sa Riera , an ideal setting to enjoy all imaginable nautical activities, from a day of snorkeling, scuba diving courses, a kayak excursion or water skiing. Although for iconic prints of the Baix Empordà region, few as the approach to the towns of Torroella de Montgrí and L'Estartit.
Undoubtedly, the best vantage point to contemplate its privileged location is to an excursion to the top of Montgrí castle . Built between 1294 and 1301, from the fortress, located 303 meters above the sea, it is the great viewpoint of the Empordà from where you can survey the landscape that spreads out below: the Bay of Roses, the Canigó, the Montseny, les Gavarres, the Baix Ter and the Medes Islands... Among the treasures of L'Estartit, the Medas Islands archipelago stands out, one of the most important flora and fauna reserves in the Mediterranean and a paradise for scuba divers. To contemplate its seabed bursting with color and life, the best option is to embark on the Nautilus . The underwater vision provided by its submerged cabin (e19.50 adults; e12.50 children from 4 to 11 years old; infants from 0 to 3 years old, e2.50) opens a window to posidonia meadows, gorgonian forests, corals, barracudas, gigantic groupers... Still open-mouthed at such a spectacle, there is no better culmination to this dive than visiting the Mediterranean Museum .
This museum is also the headquarters of the Interpretation Center of the Natural Park of Montgrí, Illes Medes i el Baix Ter, a park of more than 8,000 hectares with significant landscape value and a large number of marine and terrestrial inhabitants . The truth is that this delicious coastal stretch, with the beaches of L'Estartit, de la Pletera and Mas Pinell o Montgó and Pedrosa coves It invites, due to its shallow and calm waters, to enjoy all kinds of activities in this maritime environment. That is largely taken care of by the Estació Nàutica L'Estartit-Illes Medes , whose recreational proposals adapted to different levels and ages range from snorkeling and sailing trips to jet ski excursions or guided segway routes.
The stone, the ogival centanas and the semicircular arches dress the streets of Pals
GREEKS, ROMANS AND NATURE
In addition to perfect spots where to dive, the crescent of the Gulf of Roses frames other family adventures. And it is that there are towns such as L'Escala, Empúries, Sant Pere Pescador and Empuriabrava. In this corner beats the historical residue of the Costa Brava, which survives, for example, in the ruins left by the classical culture in Empuries.
L'Escala, a place trapped in time
Here, with the memory of the Roman emporiae from the 1st century AD. , you can learn about some of its ancient inhabitants and how they lived through guided tours and the objects found at the site that are preserved in the museum. But not only the past is the protagonist of this part of the Costa Brava; so is one of the ecological jewels of L'Alt Empordà: the Aigüamolls de L'Empordà Natural Park . This mosaic of different ecosystems deserves to be discovered by exploring the GR-92 itinerary network and the mountain bike routes on your own, or guided by guides from the Aigüamolls de L’Empordà Natural Park – to find out all the details, go to the information center at The Cortalet (Tel. 972454222) –.
It is a unique opportunity to contemplate the daily life of animal species such as the fallow deer, the red fox, the marbled newt or the otter. Not to mention the spectacle that supposes to observe the birds : Lovers of this world, of all ages and from all corners of the world, come here to spot some of the 329 species that cross the park on their migrations. The royal duck, the purple heron, the white stork, the flamingo ... thousands of birds like these cross the sky during this period and impregnate the wetlands with an original symphony of sounds.
Follow in Dalí's footsteps in Portlligat
Contemplating the flying virtuosity of the birds is likely to awaken the spirit of Icarus in the family, a dream that is easily achievable in this part of the Costa Brava. A large number of specialized companies allow you to fly through the skies and emulate the birds of the park. For example, Sky Empuriabrava offer initiation flights by small plane taking off from the Empuriabrava aerodrome, a flight that can go from 15 to 60 minutes (150 e-400 e) and that allows you to contemplate Roses, the Cap de Creus , the ruins of Empúries and the Medes.
For those who prefer calmer views, there is always a trip aboard a hot air balloon like the ones proposed Globus Empordà . This company offers tours (100 e) for children between 5 and 10 years old with whom to enjoy the beautiful landscapes of L'Empordà.
The Port de la Selva is in the northernmost Costa Brava
DALI AND CAP DE CREUS
The towns of Roses and Portbou, with notorious towns halfway such as Cadaques, Portlligat either The Port of the Jungle , frame the northernmost Costa Brava, a piece of the Mediterranean that treasures another of the purest natural corners of the region: the Cap de Creus Natural Park.
Roses, a first-rate family tourism destination thanks to its varied repertoire of leisure activities, is a magnificent family base camp to delve into this protected area, as well as the traditions, culture and gastronomic tradition that beats in the towns of its contours. For example, ships The Blues of Roses , catamarans with submerged windows, reveal the hidden coves of Cap de Creus and the richness of its seabed on their journeys through the waters.
They are not the only treasures they give away. Also the possibility, from a different perspective, of touching the legendary grounds of Salvador Dalí in the region. That's what the crossing takes care of on board the traditional Safari V boat (3 hours; 19 e adults; children from 0 to 5 years old free; from 6 to 12 years old 50% discount), in addition to going to the end of Cap de Creus and some of its fascinating corners –such as the Guillola bay or the Hell cave– stop at the luminous and bohemian town of Cadaqués, where dali spent long periods during his youth, and in the Portlligat House-Museum , his most enduring refuge with Gala, his wife and his muse.
If you still want to enter that sea that has accompanied us on this trip, but want to try it from another perspective, it is never too late to start diving with a baptism like those that, from 10 years of age (49 e), offers small and large Sub Roses . Back in Roses and to regain strength, there is nothing like stopping at one of the flagship restaurants of the area's gastronomic tradition: ** Els Brancs , with a Michelin star **.
With renewed energy, the day may well end in the Aquabrava Water Park or take the opportunity to visit the Citadel of Roses and the castle of La Trinitat. Activities are held here for children such as "The Milfulles backpack" (3 e), which allows you to discover how the Greek and Roman children or the soldiers of the fort lived and what they played, or "The castle game", a family gymkhana ( 3 e) to discover the enigmas of the fortress.
* This article is published in the Condé Nast Traveler Monograph for July-August number 78. This issue is available in its digital version for iPad in the iTunes AppStore, and in the digital version for PC, Mac, Smartphone and iPad in the Zinio virtual kiosk (on Smartphone devices: Android, PC/Mac, Win8, WebOS, Rim, iPad) .
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