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As Barcelonans know well, the Costa Brava, the coastal region in northeastern Spain that stretches some 45 miles north of the Catalan capital, just about has it all: pristine beaches, celebrated gastronomy, vineyards that date back to the ancient Greeks and art, too. “It’s a very fertile and striking landscape — the vines run right down to the sea in some places,” says the ceramist Caterina Roma, who grew up in Barcelona. “When survival is guaranteed, culture can develop, which is why the Costa Brava has always been so rich.” Just inland are clusters of gold-stone medieval villages; in the town of Púbol, about a 30-minute drive from the coast, you’ll find the 11th-century castle that Salvador Dalí, who lived in the region for much of his life, gave to his wife, Gala. “Dalí was deeply invested in the Costa Brava,” says Montse Aguer i Teixidor, director of the region’s three Dalí museums. “His work couldn’t exist without [it].”
The vast majority of travelers to the area are Spanish or French — the French border is roughly 20 miles north of Cadaqués, one of the Costa Brava’s many whitewashed seaside towns, and backed by the Cap de Creus, a wild headland that Dalí described as a “grandiose geological delirium.” This summer, Finca Victoria (from $240 per night), the first Costa Brava hotel in the Design Hotels collection, opened just outside the medieval hilltop town of Begur.
To explore the Costa Brava you’ll need a car, or at least a bicycle — the city of Girona, a bastion of Roman, Romanesque and Gothic architecture, is also the world capital of professional cycling — and, ideally, access to a boat. “My favorite spot is Cala des Tramadiu,” says the textile designer Nani Marquina, who lives 80 miles north of Barcelona, “a silvery-toned cove that can only be reached by sea.” Here, Marquina, Roma, Aguer i Teixidor, and the pastry chef Jordi Roca, all of whom live in or near the Costa Brava, share some of the region’s other most appealing places.
The Insiders
A native of Costa Brava, Montse Aguer i Teixidor is director of the Dalí museums: Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, the Gala Dalí Castle in Púbol and the Salvador Dalí House Museum in Portlligat.
Nani Marquina is the founder of the rug and homeware brand nanimarquina. She divides her time between the Costa Brava town of Esclanyà and Barcelona.
Jordi Roca is the pastry chef of the El Celler de Can Roca, which he runs with his two brothers, along with several other restaurants, cafes, shops and hotels in and around Girona.
The ceramist Caterina Roma has lived in the town of Púbol for the past seven years.
Illustrations by Richard Pedaline
Sleep
“Almadraba Park Hotel in Roses was built by Josep Mercader, an important Spanish chef who embraced French nouvelle cuisine, and a close friend of Dalí’s. It has the spirit of the 1960s, and the food is still very good.” (From about $140 a night)
“Hostal Empúries is a beautiful hotel in front of the beach, close to the Greek and Roman ruins of the [ancient city] Empúries. The minimalist design is typical of the Costa Brava, and it’s a very good price.” (From about $120 a night) — Jordi Roca
“Viu Empordà has the most beautiful homes to rent in the Empordà [the northern region of Costa Brava]. The founder, Pablo Rovira, started the company in 2020, at the same time as I opened my studio in Púbol. His latest house, Casa Brava, overlooking Sa Riera beach, is incredible.” (From about $3,500 a week)
“Hostal de la Gavina [in the resort town of S’Agaró, in southern Costa Brava]was built in 1932 as a hostel before being turned into a hotel. It’s luxurious but historically rooted, with real soul.” (From about $370 a night) — Caterina Roma
“La Bionda [in the town of Begur] has been a favorite for interior design enthusiasts since it opened in 2020. It’s a seven-room hotel in a typical 17th-century Catalan house with original vaulted ceilings and ancient wall paintings.” (From about $340 a night) — Nani Marquina
Eat and Drink
“Toc al Mar, on Aiguablava Beach, has the laid-back vibe of a chiringuito [small beach bar]. Share some appetizers and then have one of the rice dishes — they’re similar to paella — and a fresh fish to share. Afterward, take a little nap on the beach.
“In Cadaqués, Compartir is the relaxed sister restaurant of Barcelona’s multi-award-winning Disfrutar. The location is beautiful, the food is very imaginative and all the dishes are made to share.
“The owner of Villa Más has very good relationships with French vineyards, and there’s a long menu of natural wines. The tomato salad is delicious, and the fish comes straight from the sea in front of the restaurant every day.” — J.R.
“My favorite dishes at El Motel Restaurant in Figueres are the peas with botifarra [a traditional Catalan pork sausage], and the bacalao [salt cod], and they do spectacular taps de Cadaqués, a [small cake] made with rum, in the shape of a cork.” — Montse Aguer i Teixidor
“Tragamar is right on the beach at Calella de Palafrugell — you can dip your feet in the water after lunch. I recommend any of the rice dishes, or their signature, patatas Bhután. It’s a great place for a group of friends, but best visited out of season, as it can get very crowded.”
“Talla, in Cadaqués, is at the end of the bay and perfect for a romantic dinner. Chef Vito [Oliva Font, a Catalan from Barcelona] serves high-end, creative dishes: I love the grilled oysters and steak tartare.” — N.M.
“I go to És!Carxofa, next to my studio in Púbol, at least once a week. The chef is a young guy who lives in the village, and everything is very fresh. It has the spirit of Púbol, but it’s sophisticated, too.
“In Bisbal, Restaurant La Cantonada is a simple place that serves good-quality Mediterranean food. I love their braç de patata — a very traditional, homey dish made with potato and tuna.” — C.R.
Shop
“There are two boutiques I like very much in Girona: Tretze and Despiral, for their fantastic edits of Spanish and European labels. In Figueres, Rambla 29 has cute handbags, hats and costume jewelry.” — M.A.T.
“The town of Bisbal is renowned for its ceramics, and its small studios are having a moment. The ceramist at La Vacamorta is very good at throwing large pieces, and he uses an ancient Roman technique called terra sigillata to seal his work, giving it a really smooth finish.” — C.R.
“Pordamsa makes unique, handmade dishes for restaurants, including our own, that are inspired by the Costa Brava — they have a bowl in the shape of a sea urchin.” — J.R.
“Última Parada is a store and restaurant in Corçà owned by the photographers Bela Adler and Salvador Fresneda, who’ve traveled the world shooting for fashion magazines and have a real eye for vintage objects and furniture.” — N.M.
Take Home
“The seaside town of L’Escala is famous for its artisanal anchovies; they’re a great thing to take home and eat on a piece of toast. Lots of shops in the town sell them; just make sure you get the real anxoves de l’Escala. At the Museu de la Confitura in Empordà, you can buy delicious jams in unique flavors, like pear with rosemary and tomato with basil.” — J.R.
“Bring back a pair of handmade espardenyes — espadrilles with traditional ribbons made from jute and cotton, natural fibers perfect for warm weather. They’ve been worn in Catalonia since the Middle Ages. My favorite place to buy them is S’Espardenya in Cadaqués. — N.M.
Explore
“You can dig into the history of the area and see very good paintings by artists like Ramon Pichot, Ángeles Santos Torroella, Olga Sacharoff and Antoni Tápies at the Museu de l’Empordà — it’s just reopened after a four-year renovation. And don’t miss the wonderful view from Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, on a peak of the Serra de Rodes mountains.” — M.A.T.
“Hike the Camí de Ronda, a path that goes all along the coast. You can walk a little part of it, go for a swim, and then continue.” — C.R.
“El Port de la Selva has a very similar aesthetic to Cadaqués, but it’s not as busy in summer. Girona’s Sunset Jazz Club, which many locals don’t even know about, has regular concerts. And visit Sant Martí Vell, a village that the jeweler Elsa Peretti helped restore.” — J.R.
“You can reach the cove Cala Pedrosa, between Tamariu and Llafranc, via a small coastal trail that constantly changes: rocks, pines, hills. There’s a small beach bar at the cove.” — N.M.
Practical Matters
“Spring and autumn are my favorite times on the Costa Brava. Spend one or two weeks here so that you have plenty of time to explore the medieval villages, with their romantic churches, and to have at least a day in Girona.” — M.A.T.
“The magnetic appeal of this region lies in its connection to the sea. It’s essential to rent a boat, paddleboard or kayak and take along snorkeling gear.” — N.M.
“Renting an e-bike is a great way to see the small villages inland. There’s a new company called Nafent Bike Rental in Pals; Happy Bikes Girona is another. Some villages, like Pals, are more touristy, but they all have interesting architecture. I’m always asking myself, how could this building have been constructed in the Middle Ages?” — C.R.
These interviews have been edited and condensed.
The post The Spanish Coastline That Feels Like a Dream appeared first on New York Times.
