Free Guide to Spain's Coasts
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TOP TIPS FOR TRAVELLERS TO SPANISH MEDITERRANEAN COASTS Going to visit a MedPlaya Hotel? Here are some top travel tips to help you plan! WHAT WILL YOU FIND IN THIS GUIDE? COSTA BRAVA COSTA MARESME COSTA DAURADA COSTA BLANCA COSTA DEL SOL MedPlaya has 15 hotels on the main Spanish Visit beautiful Costa Daurada for its golden coasts such as Costa Brava on the North, Mediterranean beaches. Salou is a popular Costa Maresme or Costa Barcelona, the family resort with safe shallow waters, the golden sandy coast of Costa Daurada, biggest theme park in Europe -Port Benidorm’s Costa Blanca with its mellow Aventura- together with a great variety of weather throughout the entire year and the entertainment facilities and attractions. Andalusian Costa del Sol in the South. Each Benidorm on Costa Blanca surrounded by one of these coasts offers a unique up to 1558m high mountains, is perfectly experience for all kinds of travellers. protected against the cold north winds. Therefore, the weather in Benidorm stays Visit Costa Brava for its wild coastline with very mild even through winter times. A city big, wide, sandy beaches good for families, as famous for being one big party, it also has a well as some more deserted and hidden proper Spanish old town center ‘Casco coves with clear, turquoise-coloured waters. antiguo’. Costa Brava is also full of beautiful medieval towns that ooze charm and small town Escape cold winter days travelling to the atmosphere. Costa del Sol, a year-round cosmopolitan resort with beautiful yacht harbours, Situated in Catalonia, on the Costa Maresme, the most romantic and charming white just 50 kilometers north of Barcelona, towns in all of Spain and hundreds of Calella is a modern resort, perfect for those chiringuitos (bar and restaurants on the looking for a busy and upbeat holiday, with beach) along the Costa del Sol, where you lots of organised activities. can eat fresh fish and seafood for a low price. WHAT WILL YOU FIND IN THIS GUIDE? WHY, WHEN AND DATES TO WATCH OUT FOR TIPS FOR TRANSPORT ACCOMMODATION THINGS TO DO … AND MUCH MORE! COSTA BRAVA & COSTA MARESME Why visit? When to visit? ‣ For most beautiful sandy coves surrounded Unlike southern coasts with sometimes hot by wooded pines and colourful rocks. winds in summer, it almost never gets too Whatever kind of beach you’re after, hot in Costa Brava. So, if your main reason whether it’s a family-friendly stretch of for visiting is to visit the beaches and you’re sand that the kids can build castles on, looking for gorgeous hot weather, obviously, somewhere to go diving or a discreet the summer months are the time to come. nudist cove, you’ll find it here. Be warned though, this is also peak seasons ‣ This stretch of the coast is a foodie and many of the hotels will get booked up paradise. Catalonia has one of the highest at least several months ahead. The season concentrations of top-class restaurants in here is much shorter than even one on its Spain. It is also famous for its superb wines. southern neighbour Costa Daurada, ‣ The same spectacular scenery as the Cote therefore, most of the resorts are closing d’Azur but for a lower price. from early October until April or even end of ‣ For Art (Dalí’s triangle), best medieval May. villages and thousands of flower, boat and music festivals. Dates to watch out for ‣ Palafrugell Spring Festival takes place between May 21 and 23rd with a carnival complete with floats and music. ‣ 3rd June 2011 – Corpus Christi – Tossa. Ornate ‘carpets of flowers’ – flower mosaics outside churches. ‣ 3rd July 2011 Calella de Palafrugell - Cantada de Havaneres festival. This is one of the major fiestas in the area and has been known to pull in some 40,000 visitors. ‣ 29th June – 1st July 2011 Festival of Sant Pere, Tossa – sardanes, concerts, fireworks etc. ‣ 2nd July – 17th August – Annual Cap Roig Gardens music festival at ‣ Calella de Palafrugell. This is one of the major music festivals in Catalonia and in the past, has featured Jamie Cullum, Leonard Cohen, Santana, Rod Stewart… ‣ For the most impressive physical challenge ever Iron Man 2nd October in Calella. ‣ Check for other activities and events at Costa Brava, COSTA BRAVA & COSTA MARESME How to get there? Girona Airport is 30 minutes’ trip to Platja D’Aro, 45 minutes to Tossa de Mar and Calella. Barcelona Airport is 50 minutes from Calella. 1,45h to Tossa del Mar and Platja d´Aro. Local transport Rent a car From Barcelona It’s far the best way, especially if There are no direct trains from Barcelona airport to you travel from Barcelona airport. Costa Brava resorts. Therefore, you have to get a train In both Girona and Barcelona from Terminal 2 to Barcelona Sants station and then airports there are plenty of car another train to Calella (every 15 minutes), which is hire companies where you can not too bad. Buy your ticket to Calella directly at the get a good deal renting your car airport station, although you have to use your ticket for a week for as low as 105€ in twice when changing trains in Barcelona. It´s a little May-June, 140€ in July-August, cheaper this way. It will take you about 1h08 and 6€. booking early. There are no train stations in Tossa del mar or Platja When getting from Girona d’Aro, the nearest is in Blanes, then you have to take a A i r p o r t t o C a l e l l a , a v o i d bus to get to Tossa or Platja d’Aro. So, the best way to unnecessary tolls on AP-7 road get there by local transport is to take a Bus from the and take N-II or A-2 instead, it´s Airport, about 15€ per person to Tossa and 21€ to free and does not take longer Playa de Aro. Sarfa bus than toll highway. From Girona to Taxi might be very expensive. Check for price first +34 Tossa and Platja d’Aro it´s free of 93 226 8686 (120-150€ to Tossa and 65-80€ to tolls. Calella). When getting from Barcelona Check on-line webs for private transfer. Can vary from Airport to Calella it´s a toll 15€ per person in a shuttle and up to 300€ per highway worth 4,80€, 6,35€ both private car. to Tossa or Platja d’Aro. It can take twice a time to get to resorts From Girona Airport if you wish to avoid tolls from Bus to Platja d’Aro 50 min 5,50€/person. Teisa. Barcelona. Taxi 40-55€ Getting a car is also very helpful if Bus to Tossa del Mar 35 min 16€ round trip. Teisa. you want to visit cozy villages, as Taxi 50-65€ Costa Brava is a very large region Bus to Calella 1,25h Sagalés bus timetable. 8€/person. and not having a car will result Taxi 50-65€. quite uncomfortable here. COSTA BRAVA & COSTA MARESME Accomodation The Catalonia Tourist Tax applies to any facility where tourists stay overnight — from campgrounds and youth hostels to hotels and cruise ships. For 3 star hotels and lowers it’s 0,45 cents per person per night. The tax is charged only for the first seven nights of your stay. People aged 16 and younger are not charged tourist tax. The tourist tax is subject to a 10% VAT (Value Added Tax; Spanish: IVA; Catalan: L’IVA) charge. (For example: 0.45 cents + 10% = rounded up to 0.50 cents) MedPlaya has 3 hotels in different locations of Costa Brava and 1 in Calella HOTEL MONTERREY HOTEL ESMERALDAS HOTEL SAN ELOY Platja d’Aro Tossa de Mar Tossa de Mar Hotel Monterrey is a modern hotel ApartHotel Esmeraldas at the heart An absolutely unique 2-star hotel San close 75m to the beach, perfect to of Tossa del mar offers basic kitchen Eloy is a perfect base for families with enjoy the relaxed resort of Platja facilities and it’s close to the beach its spacious swimming pools, tennis d’Aro. and centric for everything. courts, great entertainment and plenty of outdoor activities within and out of the hotel. HOTEL SANTA MONICA Calella Hotel Santa Monica in Calella just 100m from the spotless shallow beach perfect for small kids and all who want to practice water sports or plan visiting Barcelona. COSTA BRAVA & COSTA MARESME Things to do in Costa Brava ‣Visit Vila Vella, a walled town that was built ‣ Slide down the water slopes at one of the in the 1100s but reinforced with formidable Costa Brava’s waterparks. There is a free defenses and watchtowers in the 1500s bus from Tossa del Mar to Waterworld because of the threat from North African water Park in Lloret de Mar. Laberint Park pirates in Tossa del Mar. at Aquabrava water park is a serious fun for ‣Board a glass-bottomed boat at Platja Gran children with Pirate ship, mazes and from Tossa de Mar’s nautical club. Europe’s biggest wave pool. ‣Relax on one of the incredible beaches or ‣ For the great day with children also visit calas *coves of Costa Brava. Mona Foundation, a sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees. ‣Or drag yourself away from that beach and... ‣ Scuba dive in the Medes Islands in ‣ Learn to fly at indoor wind tunnel at L’Estartit. Empuriabrava. ‣ Make the day unforgettable for children ‣ Visit medieval towns of Pals, Besalú and and take tourist train from Roses to Cap de Peratallada, if you do not have a car, there Creus national park for stunning are 4 hours’ excursions from Palamós near landscapes of the park, the vineyards and Platja d’Aro.