The Costa Brava, authentic experiences all year round Press Kit 2019 Cover Photograph: Calella de Palafrugell, IPEP Inner photographs: Girona, Àlex Tremps. Cadaqués, Maria Geli - Pilar Planagumà. Teatro Museo Dalí, Fundación Gala Salvador Dalí, Imma Parada. Arroz Mar y Montaña, Joan Divi. Viña D.O Espelt Viticultors, Archivo Imágenes PTCBG. Gambas, Maria Geli - Pilar Planagumà. Islas Medes, A. Gosteli. Skydive, Mike Burdon. Hotel & Spa Terraza, Javi Cabrera. Begur, Jaume Campderros. The Costa Brava: authentic experiences all year round 3 The Costa Brava, authentic experiences all year round Walking the Costa Brava’s coastal paths, pedalling through the province of Girona on greenways, tasting D.O. Empordà wines, parachuting down over the bay of Roses, sampling local gourmet food in Michelin-starred restaurants, revelling at musical festivals, having a go at scuba diving or an introduction to astronomy… these are just a few of the truly authentic experiences that the Costa Brava offers visitors in search of memorable holidays. Situated between Barcelona and the sports tourism destination and has two French border, the province of Girona teams in Spanish first division football is promoted under the Costa Brava and and women’s basketball competitions: Girona Pyrenees tourism brands. With Girona FC and UNI Girona. its amazing wealth of attractions, the region is just waiting to be discovered The Costa Brava is an all-year-round and lived intensely. Visitors are drawn holiday destination known for towns to this welcoming, tourist-friendly area like Lloret de Mar, Roses, L’Escala, Platja and to the chance to experience Dalí’s d’Aro and Cadaqués. It has suitable homeland, with its vital, inspirational inclusive infrastructures, facilities, setting, its traditional and innovative tourist products and services for visitors cuisine, its multicoloured patchwork wishing to spend memorable holidays of different landscapes and the with their family, partner or friends. idiosyncrasies of everyday life in its Whether fans of sports or outdoor capital city, Girona. activities, culture enthusiasts, business professionals, wellness devotees, The capital of the province is a medium- foodies or cruise passengers, on the sized, well-communicated city, with an Costa Brava they will all find something airport and high-speed railway station, to suit them among the wide choice of halfway between the coast and the top-quality products and activities. Pyrenees. Girona is reputed for being one of the cities with the highest The Costa Brava also has a standard of living in Spain. It is a specific range of luxury, exclusive popular city-break destination thanks tourist products, which includes to its cultural, sightseeing and shopping accommodation with the accent attractions, along with its good road and on small, family-run and boutique railway links. Its heritage is particularly hotels, as well as transport and activity well conserved, with an old town where companies, luxury and bespoke numerous places of interest are to be specialist travel agencies, which provide found. It is well worth visiting the city exclusive programmes, personalised in May to see the Girona Flower Time services and select experiences for festival, and in autumn, to coincide visitors wishing to discover the region in with the city’s patron saint festivities a different way. and the Temporada Alta performing arts festival. The city is also a reputed The Costa Brava: authentic experiences all year round 4 Mediterranean light Travel to a land and landscape steeped in culture In many people’s minds the Costa Brava With over 550 heritage sites of Culture on the Costa Brava, though, is is identified by its 245 golden sandy outstanding interest listed in the not limited to Iberian, Greek and Roman beaches and its coves and creeks province of Girona, the Costa Brava’s remains, the legacy left by Salvador Dalí surrounded by vegetation and rocky range of cultural tourism options and the collections housed by the 26 cliffs, stretching from Portbou to Blanes attracts millions of visitors seduced by museums on various subjects that make along 220 km of coastline. At present, the region’s rich, intense historical and up the province of Girona’s Regional 37 beaches and marinas fly the blue artistic heritage. Museum Network. Culture also means flag awarded by FEE (Foundation for the hundred festivals of different types Environmental Education). It is an area where Romanesque art that take place in the province – music, once proliferated and where genuine theatre, art, cinema, circus, magic –, Picturesque little seaside villages like heritage masterpieces still survive today, local festivals declared of national Cadaqués, Calella de Palafrugell and as is illustrated by the monasteries of interest, the network of memorial sites Begur, and tourist resorts like Roses, Sant Pere de Rodes and Sant Pere de (Exile Memorial Museum and Walter L’Escala, Platja d’Aro, Tossa de Mar, Galligants, or the castles of Begur and Benjamin) or the special themed routes, Lloret de Mar and Blanes provide a Montsoriu, all enduring witnesses of a including indianos architecture, literary, multitude of options to welcome and golden period in Catalonia’s history. scientific and art nouveau themes, delight any visitor attracted by the which have been created to present, Mediterranean light and climate. The medieval villages of Peralada, Pals, explain and share the roots and history Peratallada, Madremanya and Monells of this region and its people for the The destination also has eight seaside are excellently conserved architectural visitor’s benefit. towns with the Family Tourism Seal ensembles that are valued for their (DTF), which specifically provide all the interesting secular and religious For the last three years, the Som holiday products and services to cater sculptural features. These villages are Cultura (‘We Are Culture’) festival has for families’ needs. also outstanding in terms of their rich been held throughout the province of craftsmanship heritage, as can be seen Girona every November. The cultural The Costa Brava’s main holiday towns from the annual calendar of numerous experiences month has the intention of are Roses, Sant Pere Pescador, Torroella themed events such as fairs, festivals stimulating interest and encouraging de Montgrí-L’Estartit, Calonge i Sant and markets linked with their history. both local inhabitants and visitors to Antoni, Castell-Platja d’Aro, Sant Feliu de attend cultural events in the autumn. Guíxols, Lloret de Mar and Blanes. Travellers should not miss the Dalí Triangle, formed by the Dalí Theatre- It is worth noting that the 2018 Year of Museum in Figueres, the Salvador Cultural Tourism in Catalonia continues Dalí House-Museum in Portlligat and into 2019, and the Catalan Tourist the Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol, and Board and the Costa Brava Girona which also includes special temporary Tourist Board are currently involved exhibitions at its sites. With almost in a programme of international 1.4 million visitors per year, it is the promotional and media events most visited museum ensemble in the to publicise the region’s cultural province and the third most visited in attractions. Catalonia. The Costa Brava: authentic experiences all year round 5 A Michelin-starred region The province of Girona’s culinary wealth It is also worth mentioning that Jordi makes it a real pleasure to sit down in Roca’s chocolate factory, Casa Cacao, List of Michelin-starred a restaurant and taste its surf and turf is due to open in Girona in mid-2019, cuisine, with such treats as chicken and that the end of 2020 should herald restaurants: cooked with langoustines, rabbit and the opening in Roses of Ferran Adrià’s El clam rice dish, squid with meat stuffing, Bulli Foundation project, a future centre El Celler de Can Roca *** always washed down with excellent D.O. for culinary creativity and research. Miramar ** Empordà wines, of course. The province of Girona has always Les Cols ** The superb quality of the destination’s been renowned for its cuisine, and for Els Brancs * cuisine is based on its locally-sourced the last few decades, for its wines as ingredients, time-honoured recipes well. And the best way to discover the Les Magnòlies * adapted to suit modern tastes and the world of Empordà wine and the area Bo.TiC * expertise demonstrated by its chefs and where it is grown is to go on a wine tour the more than 2,000 restaurants serving of the Costa Brava, following the D.O. Ca l’Arpa * different types of food, with the accent Empordà Wine Route. With an area of Ca l’Enric * on Catalan, seasonal and signature 2,000 hectares of vineyards grouping Casamar * cuisine. The diversity, wealth and quality together over 300 winegrowers and 43 of the region’s produce is noteworthy, wineries, 27 of which offer wine tourism Els Tinars * as are the numerous quality labels experiences, the destination enables La Cuina de Can Simon * in use, such as the Girona Excel•lent visitors to immerse themselves in the certificate. This pride in local products universe of wine, terroir, tramontana Fonda Xesc * is popularised through food fairs and wind and countryside. Massana * festivals, which are often complemented by gourmet-themed campaigns, much Few places can rival the Empordà in Empòrium * to the delight of amateur cooks and producing varieties with such authentic, Peralada* food lovers alike. distinctive flavours and which are so worth discovering and tasting through Terra * (a new addition) The destination is renowned for its wine tourism. For the last six years, the sixteen Michelin-starred restaurants, Vívid festival has taken place every April, which clock up twenty stars making it the month for wine tourism altogether. These include the Roca experiences throughout the Costa Brava. brothers’ El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, ranked the second-best Similarly, the last few years have seen restaurant in the world in 2018 by the an increase in the number of companies prestigious Restaurant Magazine.