The 5 Best Coastal Towns in Costa Brava (Honest Guide)
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Letās be honest: most travel guides promise you an “untouched Mediterranean paradise” when you search for the best coastal towns in Costa Brava. What they conveniently leave out is the bumper-to-bumper August traffic or the terrifying, barrier-free hairpin turns it takes to reach the prettiest spots.
The differences between the towns along this coast are sharper than most articles let on. Some are perfect for a slow morning coffee and a walk.
Others need an early start or a high tolerance for tourist infrastructure. I spent ten days exploring the coast from Tossa de Mar up to CadaquƩs in late September, using Begur as my base with a rental car from Girona airport.
This guide is about the towns themselves: what each one is actually good for, how to reach them, and a few things I’d time differently if I went back.
In a rush? Costa Brava Towns at a Glance:
Best overall base: Begur ā 45 min from Girona airport.
Best atmosphere: CadaquĆ©s ā hire a small car for the hairpin road.
Quietest town: Tamariu ā ā¬2.20 cafĆ© con leche, almost no hotels.
Best time to visit: Late September ā warm water, thin crowds, open cafĆ©s.
Best airport: Girona ā 40 to 45 min to the central coast.
How the Costa Brava Breaks Down by Region
The Costa Brava runs roughly 200 kilometres from Blanes in the south to the French border in the north. The official Costa Brava tourism board splits it into three distinct sections. Knowing which section you’re targeting before you visit saves a lot of driving back and forth.
- The Southern Stretch (Blanes to PalamĆ³s): The most accessible from Barcelona, around 90 minutes by road, and the most developed. Good for families, less good if you want to feel like you’ve actually escaped.
- The Central Stretch (PalamĆ³s to L’Escala): This is where the best coastal towns in Costa Brava are concentrated, in my experience: Begur, Calella de Palafrugell, Llafranc, and Tamariu all sit here.
- The Northern Stretch (L’Escala to Portbou): Gets wilder, emptier, and harder to reach without a car. CadaquĆ©s is up here, and it earns every kilometre of effort.
The Best Coastal Towns in Costa Brava, by Section
Begur (Central) ā Best Overall Base
Begur is where I’d tell anyone to start for a first trip, and it’s the town I chose for my own ten days.
If you want a shortcut, I highly recommend booking a spot like Hotel Aiguaclara. It’s a beautifully restored mansion that puts you right near the main square so you can walk to dinner after parking the car.
It sits 30 metres above the coast on a hillside, which means it’s not a beach town in the usual sense.
You park in the village, walk the old streets, eat in the square, and drive 10 to 15 minutes down to whichever cala takes your fancy that morning.
The town itself has a good handful of restaurants and a genuinely local feel that the purely coastal villages can’t quite match. It’s also central enough to reach CadaquĆ©s or Tossa de Mar in under an hour.
- š Distance from Girona: 45 minutes
- šļø Coast Access: Directly above the Aiguablava and Fornells calas.
- š” Insider Tip: The walk up to the 11th-century castle ruins takes about 12 minutes from the main square and costs nothing. At 7pm in late September, the light turns amber on the surrounding pines and there are maybe ten people up there. In August, I’ve been told, it’s a queue.
CadaquĆ©s (North) ā Best for Atmosphere, Hardest to Reach
CadaquĆ©s is the most talked-about town on the coast, and honestly, it deserves the reputation. But you need to understand what you’re getting into before you arrive.
Once you’re there, it clicks immediately. White-washed buildings curving around a sheltered bay. The DalĆ museum connection, and the Cap de Creus Natural Park starting just beyond the town.
A quick warning: if you want to see the DalĆ house, you absolutely must book your entry ticket well in advance. It sells out weeks ahead in the summer)
- š Distance from Girona: 1 hour 30 minutes
- ā ļø The Drive: The final 12 kilometres from Roses involve continuous tight hairpin bends with no barriers on the seaward side. It takes about 25 minutes and it’s uncomfortable if you’re not used to single-track mountain driving. Meeting a coach on a blind corner is not fun. Hire the smallest car available.
- š” Insider Tip: It’s the furthest north, so focus your time here only if you’re dedicating most of your trip to this corner of the peninsula. Best for overnight stays and slow walkers.
Calella de Palafrugell (Central) ā Best Classic Fishing-Village Feel
Calella de Palafrugell is small, low-rise, and backed by fishing boats that still look like they actually get used. If you want the coastal atmosphere without the infrastructure of a larger resort, this is the best coastal town in Costa Brava for that specific Mediterranean visual without paying CadaquƩs prices.
If this exact aesthetic is what you usually travel for, you will definitely want to bookmark my guide to the 10 most beautiful fishing villages in Spain.
- š Distance from Girona: 55 minutes
- š„¾ Active Option: I walked the GR-92 coastal path from here to neighbouring Llafranc at 8am and passed two other people. The path takes 35 minutes one way, involves a short steep section near the Llafranc lighthouse, and is unshaded and rocky in places. Llafranc itself is essentially Calella’s slightly more upscale, polished sibling. Making it the perfect spot to grab a nicer lunch by the water before hiking back. By the time I returned at 10am, foot traffic had noticeably picked up.
Tamariu (Central) ā Best for Quiet and Low Key
Tamariu has very few cafĆ©s.. Almost no hotels with more than a dozen rooms, and a beach backed entirely by low-rise restaurants and old fishermen’s houses with no hotel block in sight.
It’s small enough that if you’re looking for nightlife, you’ll need to drive to Begur or Palafrugell for the evening.
- š Distance from Girona: 55 minutes
- š° Cost Context: The one cafĆ© facing the beach was charging ā¬2.20 for a cafĆ© amb llet in late September 2024. That’s the kind of town it is.
- š” Insider Tip: If you want a genuinely quiet coastal town in Spain that doesn’t feel packaged for tourism, Tamariu is the one. If you’re drawn to this vibe, I’ve also written about the quietest beach towns in Spain that hold up outside the summer rush.
Tossa de Mar (South) ā Best Medieval Atmosphere (Timed Right)
Tossa de Mar’s medieval walled promontory, the Vila Vella, is free to walk through and genuinely worth seeing.
But this is the clearest example of timing being everything on the Costa Brava. Tossa is only about 40 minutes north of Lloret de Mar, which means it catches a lot of day-trip traffic from the larger resorts.
- š Distance from Girona: 1 hour
- ā±ļø Critical Timing: At 8:30am in September, the alleyways are empty and cats sleep on the stone steps. By 11am, the tour groups arrive from the Costa Daurada and it shifts completely. Arrive at noon in July and I genuinely wouldn’t bother with it.
A Note on the Medieval Towns Inland
The hill towns above the central coast, particularly Pals and Peratallada, are worth half a day each if you’re based in Begur.
They’re not coastal, but they’re directly connected to the coast experience. Base yourself by the sea, drive 20 minutes inland one afternoon, wander the stone streets, eat lunch, and drive back.
They’re genuinely beautiful medieval towns that visitors regularly overlook, and they don’t require extra logistical effort if you have a car.
The Costa Brava regularly earns its place among the finest stretches of Spanish coastline.
If you want to see how it compares elsewhere, my wider look at the best beaches across Spain puts it in context.
Which Costa Brava Town is Right for You?
Every town on the Costa Brava has a different personality. Here’s the quickest way to decide where you’ll be happiest.
š Begur
- Best for: First-time visitors
- From Girona: 45 min
- August: Heavy but manageable
šØ CadaquĆ©s
- Best for: Atmosphere & scenery
- From Girona: 1 hr 30 min
- August: Very busy
ā Calella de Palafrugell
- Best for: Traditional Costa Brava
- From Girona: 55 min
- August: Heavy
šæ Tamariu
- Best for: Relaxing beach days
- From Girona: 55 min
- August: Moderate crowds
š° Tossa de Mar
- Best for: Medieval walls & beaches
- From Girona: 1 hour
- August: Busy
Costa Brava Towns Map
If you are a visual planner, I have put together a Costa Brava towns map below. It pinpoints exactly where these five spots sit along the coast, along with the route from Girona airport, so you can see exactly why I recommend basing yourself centrally in Begur.
What I’d Do Differently
The one thing I’d change is arriving a day earlier to CadaquĆ©s. I drove up for a single day. Which was enough to understand the town, but not enough to see it at night or catch the morning light on the bay before anyone else was up.
If you’re making the drive anyway, staying one night there and one night in Begur gives you a much better read of both ends of the coast.
I’d also skip Tossa de Mar entirely if I was arriving after 9:30am. The Vila Vella is worth seeing, but not if you’re walking it in a crowd.
I almost skipped Tamariu because it barely appears on most best-of lists, and that would have been a genuine mistake. It’s the town I keep recommending to friends now.
Getting There and Getting Around
The most practical airport for Costa Brava is Girona, which is about 40 minutes from Begur and an hour from CadaquƩs. Barcelona airport is around 2 hours to the central coast and closer to 2.5 for the north.
The Generalitat de Catalunya’s tourism information has current public transport options, but my honest summary is this. Public transport works for the larger towns, but it fails you completely once you try to reach the smaller calas or villages on cliff roads.
Honestly, the only way to do this list justice is with your own wheels. I always use Discover Cars to compare local and international rental companies before booking. And I’d pick up from Girona rather than Barcelona every time.
Several towns on this list are connected by seasonal ferry lines, which is a lovely alternative for a day of coast-hopping. Check routes and schedules on Ferryhopper before you go.
Need help planning your trip?
If you want a personalised itinerary for the Costa Brava based on your travel dates, party size, and what you actually want from the trip, I offer a custom planning service. You can find the details on the planning page.
Questions I Get Asked About Costa Brava Towns
What is the best place to stay in Costa Brava for a first visit?
Begur. It’s central, it has a real town feel rather than a resort feel, and it puts you within 30 minutes of both the central calas and day trips north to CadaquĆ©s. It’s my committed answer, not a hedge.
Do I actually need a car for Costa Brava?
Yes, if you want to reach more than one or two places. Buses connect the larger towns, but they run infrequently and don’t reach the cliff-road villages or the smaller calas. Without a car, you’ll spend your trip waiting for connections or staying close to wherever you’re based.
Is CadaquƩs worth the drive or is it overhyped?
It’s worth it, but hire a small car. The road is genuinely uncomfortable in anything wider than a standard hatchback, and meeting a coach on one of the hairpin blind corners is stressful in a way I wasn’t prepared for. Once you’re there, the town delivers everything it promises. Stay overnight if you can.
What is the prettiest town in Costa Brava?
CadaquĆ©s is widely considered the prettiest town in the Costa Brava. With its dazzling whitewashed streets, blue-shuttered houses, and rocky bays, it is an artistic enclave that famously inspired Salvador DalĆ.
However, if you prefer a sweeping hilltop view and medieval stone architecture over a traditional fishing village, Begur is a very close second. And requires much less driving to reach.
If you love this kind of aesthetic and are traveling beyond Catalonia, I have mapped out the 14 prettiest coastal towns in Spain to help you find similar spots down the coast.
Is Costa Brava better than Costa Dorada for a beach holiday?
In my experience, yes, for most travellers. The Costa Brava has wilder coastline, clearer water, and less mass-tourism infrastructure.
Costa Dorada is flatter, more developed, and better suited to families who want beach package infrastructure and flat sandy beaches. If you want character and swimming in clear water, Costa Brava wins.
What is the best time to visit Costa Brava?
Late September is the best balance I found: warm water (still 22Ā°C), thin crowds, open restaurants, and parking that’s actually manageable. July and August are hot, packed, and expensive. June is a good alternative if September doesn’t fit your schedule.
Which Costa Brava towns work best without a car?
Tossa de Mar has reasonable bus links from Barcelona and Girona. CadaquĆ©s has a bus connection from Figueres, though it’s infrequent.
For anything in the central section (Begur, Calella de Palafrugell, Tamariu), the honest answer is that a car is non-negotiable if you want to see them properly.
If you rely on trains and buses, I highly recommend skipping this region and checking out my guide to the best coastal towns in Spain without a car instead.
What is the best airport for Costa Brava?
Girona, without question. It’s 40 to 45 minutes from the central coast and dramatically less stressful than navigating Barcelona airport before a driving holiday. Ryanair and Vueling both serve it from multiple UK and European cities.
The Bottom Line
The Costa Brava is one of those places that rewards planning more than most. The towns are close enough together that a car, a good base, and a willingness to arrive places before 9:30am unlocks the whole coast in a way that a last-minute trip simply won’t.
Begur is where I’d start, CadaquĆ©s is where I’d end up for at least one night, and Tamariu is the one I’d quietly insist on in between.
Go in September if you can. You’ll have conversations at that Tamariu cafĆ© table, rather than queuing for one.
Plan the Rest of Your Spanish Coast Adventure
This breakdown of the Costa Brava is just the starting point. If you are mapping out a larger itinerary, comparing different coastlines, or just figuring out where to swim tomorrow, check out my other hands-on guides:
- Zoom Out: Still weighing your options across the country? Discover more hidden gems and compare different regions in my ultimate guide to Spain’s coastal regions.
- Get in the Water: Pair your town-hopping with the absolute best swimming spots using my Costa Brava Hidden Beaches & Calas Guide.
- Quick Escapes: If you are short on time and don’t want to rent a car for a week, see which spots make the cut in my roundup of the best coastal day trips from Barcelona.
Before You Book: The Tools I Actually Use
I only link to tools and platforms I’ve personally used and would use again. If you book through my links I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you ā which helps me keep writing these guides.
Sort by guest rating above 8.5 and check the map view before confirming.
Book as soon as you confirm flights. Summer prices in the islands rise fast.
Routes sell out in July and August. Book early for Balearic islands.
Boat tours, kayaking, guided hikes. Morning slots go first.
I never travel without it ā covers illness, cancellations, and lost luggage.
The easiest way to move between coastal towns without a car. Prices rise closer to departure.
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