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Catalonia
Spains most beautiful, diverse and prosperous region
Catalonia occupies a broad triangle wedged between France, the Mediterranean and the rest of Spain. To the north it is bordered by the Pyrenees which spill down towards the ruggedly beautiful Costa Brava and then towards Barcelona, Europes most exciting city. Catalonia glows with rolling hills, manicured vineyards and sparkling sandy coves with turquoise waters, it is a rich land of painters, poets and troubadours with an ancient heritage and language of its own. The countryside inland is wonderful, but once you discover the coastline you may never want to leave!
Barcelona
One of the great European cities, Barcelona is easily reached from the Costa Brava by car or train from Gerona. It makes a great day out for all the family, with wonderful sightseeing amazing architecture and fabulous shops, not to mention the Olympic area on Montjuic mountain.
How to get there
The main airport for the Costa Brava is Gerona, which is served by charter and low cost airlines most days a week. Gerona is 45 min drive from the coast. Barcelona has a greater choice of scheduled and low cost flights and is 2 hours drive from the Costa Brava. Perpignan, just over the border with France, is also about 2 hours drive away. It is also possible to drive down through France allow 15-18 hours from the channel ports.
The Costa Brava
Stretching from the French border down to Barcelona, the northern half of this coast is one of the most spectacular in Europe, which gorgeous sandy coves, quaint fishing villages and rugged pine clad cliffs. The historic provincial capital of Gerona and wonderfully preserved village of Pals are well worth visiting, whilst the stunning bays of Aigua Blava, Sa Tuna and Tamariu are perfect spots for a relaxing beach holiday. Another must see would be the Salvador Dali museum in Figueres a truly surreal experience! Larger but still unspoiled resorts such as Platja de Pals, Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranch offer superb beaches and fine restaurants, whilst the pretty market town of Palafrugell is well worth visiting. The surrounding countryside is lush, rural and very pretty, much greener than more arid parts of Spain! The busy popular resorts of Lloret and Tossa del Mar are further south and rather more mass market than the real Costa Brava we feature here.
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Catalonia
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