Spain's Costa Brava (literally, “rugged coast”) certainly enjoys a beautiful and dramatic landscape, but there's much more to it than meets the eye. Located northeast of Barcelona, the Costa Brava attracted Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and other artists, and today there are nearly fifty art museums and collections, the most famous being the Dali Museum in Figures. Foodies also know Spain's Costa Brava and Girona well, thanks to El Celler de Can Roca and the astonishing concentration of Michelin stars in a non-metropolitan area. Here, then, are 7 reasons to pay a visit to the Costa Brava:
1. Beautiful Sea and Mountain Views
The Costa Brava's rugged landscape, from cliffs plunging into the sea to its terraced vineyards and rolling hills make for gorgeous views, whether taking them in on a morning walk, cycling, a balloon ride, or adventure sports such as skydiving.
2. El Celler de Can Roca, Girona and Michelin Star Dining
Three brothers, Joan Roca (chef), Josep Roca (sommelier) and Jordi Roca (pastry chef) have made 3 Michelin Star El Celler de Can Roca what many consider to be the best restaurant in the world. The design of the building is elegantly minimalist, but even small amuses bouches burst with flavor, and the type of food you actually want to eat, and with hospitality that doesn't always accompany other 3 Michelin star restaurants. If your heart is set on dining at El Celler de Can Roca, you'll have to plan well in advance: to be precise, 11 months in advance, since often reservations are snapped up within minutes of the reservation calendar opening at midnight Girona time, the first of each month.
Even if you can't secure a reseservation at El Celler de Can Roca, be sure to try one or several of the other Michelin star restaurants in the area, such as 1 Michelin Star Massana in Girona, 2 Michelin Star Miramar in Llanca, 1 Michelin star Fonda Xesc in Gombren, or one of the several other Michelin star restaurants in the Costa Brava.
And foodies with a sweet tooth will want to try the inventive pairings of soft serve ice cream with delcious toppings at Recambolesc Gelateria, the creation of El Celler de Can Roca Pastry Chef Jordi Roca.
And for readers in NYC seeking a taste of Costa Brava style tapas, I recommend a trip to Casa Mono. I was recently treated by the Costa Brava Tourism Board to a lunch served by 1 Michelin Star Casa Mono with guest of honor Joan Roca, and each course was fantastic, especially the “Salvador Dali Empty Egg” appetizer of prawns and caviar with garlic soup, with the soup poured tableside into the egg.
3. DO Emporda Wine Route
Winemaking in the Emporda region dates back to Roman times, and the vineyards here benefit from warm summers, mild winters, and sandy, acidic soil, with mountainous soil a mixture of slate and granite. The result are higher quality grapes and better wines, which you can sample from the many wineries along the wine route, such as Celler Martin Faixo (don't miss tapas at the family's Enoteca MF in Cadaques); Celler Hugas de Batlle; La Vinyeta; Espelt Viticultors; Masia Serra.
4. Dali Museums in Figueres and Cadaques
The main Dali Theatre-Museum is in Figueres, about a 30 minute train ride from Girona to the Figueres train station, and either a taxi or a 15 minute walk from there. You'll want to allow plenty of time to take in Dali's many surrealist sculptures, paintings and jewelry pieces. If you want more details about what you're seeing, you'll want to bring a guide book with you or purchase one from the gift shop, since no audio guides are available.
Dali's house in Cadaques, while a much smaller museum, is also a worthwhile visit for Dali enthusiasts, with the garden as much a highlight as the house itself. Be sure to reserve tickets in advance, as only 8-9 visitors are taken through at a time at pre-reserved times.
5. Great Bike Riding
Girona is known as the seasonal home to many of the world's top professional cyclists. But you don't have to be a pro to enjoy the great cycling conditions: a comfortable climate, beautiful rides on quiet roads that take in sea views and mountains, and great quality of life, thanks to the superb local cuisine and wines, Michelin star restaurants for special occasions, and cyclist coffee shop La Fabrica Girona. For a custom cycling tour and Canyon bike rental, I recommend Bikecat.
6. Girona Flower Festival (Girona Temps de Flors)
Girona is ablaze in gorgeous colors and scents during the Girona Flower Festival, generally held during the second week of May. Don't miss the beautiful displays in front of Girona Cathedral, Saint Nicolas' Chapel and the Arab Baths. Because of how popular the festival is, I recommend avoiding the weekends, when Girona is jam packed with day trippers from Barcelona and nearby towns. Similarly, if you're visiting during this peak time, be sure to reserve your hotel and restaurants well in advance.
7. Easy to Get to Girona from Barcelona
Girona is just 40 minutes from Barcelona by high speed train, so it's easy to add Girona to a stay in Barcelona, or for that matter, to a trip to Europe, since there are nonstop flights to Barcelona from Berlin, Dublin, London Milan, Paris, Prague, Rome, Vienna, and other European cities, not to mention from NYC, Miami and other U.S. cities seasonally.
If you've visited the Costa Brava, what was your experience?
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Photo Credits: Bikecat, El Celler de Can Roca, Celler Martin Faixo, Enfo, Andrew Moore