Check out my ultimate Costa Brava road trip itinerary, to enjoy the top gems of Catalonia and explore the favorite region of Salvador Dali in Spain.
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An Ultimate Costa Brava Road Trip Itinerary
Where is Costa Brava
Costa Brava is one of the most popular travel destinations in Spain, located on the northeastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula. It is a part of the Catalonia autonomous community.
The region is popular for its fishing villages, rocky cliffs, and crystal-clear waters. The most important city in the area is Girona. So, it makes a great starting point for any Costa Brava road trip.
How to get to Costa Brava
The primary airport in the region, Barcelona-El Prat, is the largest and offers the most extensive range of airlines. However, depending on your location, Girona-Costa Brava Airport is a great alternative, especially popular for budget airlines in Europe. Be sure to check flight options via Skyscanner.
For rail travel, high-speed trains such as Spain’s AVE and France’s TGV provide convenient connections to both Girona and Figueres train stations. You can find the best ticket deals through Trainline.
Driving in Costa Brava
Driving in Spain for the first time? – You might find handy this Driving in Spain Guide, with Expert Videos, 360 Driving Tours and an On-The-Go PDF.
When to visit Costa Brava
Anytime. Costa Brava gets touristy during the summer months, but in winter it is still a popular winter-sun destination in Spain. My trip took place in February since I wanted to avoid the crowds of the peak season on the Mediterranean coast of Spain.
How much time to spend in Costa Brava
Most travelers visit Costa Brava for 2-3 days or as a day trip from Barcelona. However, one can easily spend a few weeks in Costa Brava. This 5-day Costa Brava road trip itinerary does not cover all of the gems in the Catalonia region. However, it is great to see the most iconic sights and form the first impression of Costa Brava.
For a longer itinerary, you can combine this trip with my Epic 7 Days in the Pyrenees of Spain, a Weekend in Lleida, a weekend in Andorra, a Tarragona Road Trip, a Barcelona to Valencia Road Trip, a French Riviera Road Trip, and a Madrid to Barcelona Road Trip.
Where to stay in Costa Brava
For this 5-day Costa Brava road trip itinerary you can stay in Girona or pick any of the top Costa Brava hotels on the map below. For luxury on Costa Brava you might consider – Alà briga Hotel, Boutique Hotel Villa Salvador, and Hotel La Malcontenta, mid-range – Park Hotel San Jorge, L’Azure Hotel, Arrels d’Emporda, Prestige Mar y Sol, and Parador de Aiguablava.
Best Restaurants in Costa Brava
Our 5- day Costa Brava Road Trip Itinerary
Day 1 – One day in Girona
Things to see in Girona
While it was not my first time visiting Girona, we decided to spend the first day of this Costa Brava road trip exploring the city.
Girona is one of the most well-known places in Costa Brava, especially since it was turned into one of the Game of Thrones Filming Locations in Spain. This town is a unique architectural blend of different cultures – the Romans, the Moors, and the Jews. The Cathedral of Girona has elements of Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque styles.
Girona´s most popular area is its Old Town, especially Rambla de la Libertad – a pedestrian street full of shops and cafes.
Unique Experiences to book in Girona:
- The 11 Tastings of Girona small-group tour and dinner (check availability)
- Jewish Heritage Guided City Tour and Museum Visit (check availability)
- Game of Thrones Small Group Tour (check availability)
- Guided 2-Hour Walking Tour with Food Tasting (check availability)
- Volcano Area, Besalú, and Banyoles Lake Tour (check availability)
- History and Gastronomy Small Group with Tastings (check availability)
- Local Wineries Tour with Breakfast and Wine Tasting (check availability)
- Discover the City – Audio Walking Guide App-Based (check availability)
Day 2 – Gardens and Kayaking in Costa Brava
Gardens of the Catalan Coast
On the second day of our Costa Brava road trip, we headed to JardÃn Botánico Marimurtra and Jardines de Santa Clotilde, known as some of the most unique Spanish gardens.
JardÃn Botánico Marimurtra is located in Blanes and offers gorgeous panoramic views of the Mediterranean. This place reminded me of one of my most romantic travel experiences around the world – the French Riviera Road trip. The plant collection of JardÃn Botánico Marimurtra reaches 4,000 plant species. It was created by a German businessman, Carl Faust in 1924. You can book the entry ticket here.
Jardines de Santa Clotilde is another beautiful natural setting, recently featured in HBO´s Series House of the Dragon. It used to be a vineyard area, before its owner Marquis of Roviralta, hired a landscape gardener and architect to create 27 m2 of beautiful gardens. While the elevations were the main obstacle in the process, they’ve managed to implement a few beautiful optical effects – like, when you see the staircase from the bottom it reminds a waterfall made of plants.
Kayaking in Costa Brava
Costa Brava is one of the most unique destinations for Kayaking in Spain. Since our trip took place in February and we were on the road with the kids, we decided to leave this experience for future trips. But if are planning this Costa Brava road trip during another season, I highly recommend experiencing kayaking in Costa Brava.
Escola de Vela y Kayak Sant Pol is one of the top-rated Catalan companies offering the best water sports tours in the region since 1996. Their privileged location at the beach of Sant Feliu de Guixols gives access to some of the best calas and natural gems of Costa Brava.
The company organizes tours at Sant Pol Beach – Sea Caves Kayaking and Snorkeling Tour (check availability) and in the small town of Sant Feliu de GuÃxols – Kayaking & Snorkeling Tour (check availability) and Morning Sea Kayak Tour (check availability).
Platja de Sant Pol in Sant Feliu de Guixols is also one of the most beautiful places to swim in Costa Brava. To avoid the crowds you can follow the coastal trail Cami de Ronda de S Agaro a Sa Conca to explore the beautiful calas (e.g. coves).
Day 3 – Begur, Pals, and Peratallada
There is no Costa Brava road trip without exploring the cute local villages of Catalonia.
For this itinerary, we have picked Begur, Pals, and Peratallada. But there are way more cute Spanish villages you can cover on a longer itinerary – Tossa del Mar, Calella de Palafrugell, Tamariu, Palamos, and L’Escala.
While the 3rd day of our Costa Brava road trip was rainy and windy, I still enjoyed it. The highlight for me was Peratallada. Its unique castle was built between the 11th and the 14th century and currently houses a luxury hotel & restaurant.
Begur and Pals were also great, but since it started to rain I could not enjoy both small towns fully. So, hope to return soon during the sunnier season.
Day 4 – Figueres and Besalu
Visiting the famous Dali Museum in Figueres
One of the biggest inspirations to plan this Costa Brava road trip was visiting the Dali Museum in Figueres. While it is not a child-focused museum, the extravagant designs and surrealist paintings felt inspiring even for my little ones.
Actually, there are 3 main spots related to the famous Spanish painter in the area – Salvador Dali Theatre Museum in Figueres, Salvador Dalà House Museum near Cadaques, and Gala Dalà Castle & Museum in Pubol. However, to visit the first two you need at least half of the day for each (a previous booking is also recommended since both locations are very touristy). So, since we wanted to see Besalu as well, we have only managed to visit the Salvador Dali Theatre Museum in Figueres.
In the afternoon, we headed to Besalu, known as one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Spain. It is such a picture-perfect place, full of cobblestone streets and historic buildings. The most impressive sight of Besalu is its Viejo Bridge, built in the 11th century.
Top experiences to book in Figueres:
- Dalà Theater-Museum Guided Tour (check availability)
- Salvador Dalà Theatre-Museum in Figueres private tour (check availability)
Day 5 – Cadaques & Empuriabrava
Another place I was extremely excited to visit during this Costa Brava road trip was Cadaques – one of the most iconic small towns in Spain (globally famous as Salvador Dali’s beloved hometown). Full of white-washed houses and hidden in a trendy Costa Brava bay, this pretty town reminded me of Mojacar and the Greek islands like Mykonos or Santorini.
Since we visited Cadaques in February, the town felt quite empty and half of the restaurants were closed. However, I have enjoyed the landscape anyway. Rumor has it that during the summer months, Cadaques is difficult to find parking spots (so, if visiting in summer – go earlier in the morning or book a tour).
You can also visit the House Museum of Dali near Cadaques, but we only drove from towards Cap de Creus.
Cap De Creus is known for some of the most beautiful epic cliffs in Spain. Located near Cadaques, the Cap de Creus nature reserve was the first natural park in Catalonia to cover both sea and land in 1998. Within the nature reserve, you can find lots of hiking trails and unique natural settings, like Cova de S´Infern, Cala Culip, Cala Cullero, and Pla de Tudela.
In the afternoon, we headed to Empuriabrava, often called “the Venice of Spain”. It is the largest residential marina in Europe full of canals, boats, and luxury villas. The most popular thing to do in the area is to rent a boat and explore the canals (we picked the eco-friendly electric boat rental with no boat license required).
Driving in Costa Brava and Scams
Let me warn you that not only is Costa Brava one of the most touristy places in Spain, it is one of the worst places when it comes to pickpocketers and scams on the road. Do not sleep inside your car at night along the highway and ignore if someone tries to stop you on the road (unless it´s police).
Here´s a popular scam on the highway from Girona to Figueres – La Jonqura – France. The robbers pass you with their car while making signs that something is wrong with one of your wheels. While you stop to check it out, one of them entertains you and his partner steals your handbags. They specifically look for non-local cars (knowing that tourists do not speak Spanish and usually have cash). Unfortunately, friends of mine were recently robbed like this. So, I went with them to the police office to discover that it was a frequent scam.
The police officers are after this criminal group. However, the problem is that the robbers are not Spaniards and use cars rented in France. So, by the moment the victims call the police, they have already crossed the border to another country and are outside of reach.
Costa Brava is a beautiful destination, 100% worth visiting. However, knowing about the current scams and taking extra precautions might help you avoid unnecessary problems and enjoy this Costa Brava road trip to the fullest.
Costa Brava for Salvador Dalà Fans
Costa Brava is closely linked to the renowned surrealist artist Salvador DalÃ, whose works are often featured in popular Spanish coffee table books. A trip to Costa Brava provides the perfect opportunity to explore significant locations tied to his life, such as his former residence in Portlligat, now the Salvador Dalà House Museum, the Púbol Castle, once home to his wife Gala, and the Dalà Theatre-Museum in Figueres, a treasure trove of his artistic legacy.
Map of This Costa Brava Itinerary
Top Beaches in Costa Brava
If you are planning this Costa Brava road trip in summer, check out these top beaches of the region:
- Cala Sant Francesc in Blanes (also known as Cala Bona)
- Platja Santa Cristina in Lloret de Mar
- Platja Mar Menuda in Tossa de Mar
- Platja de Sant Pol in St.Feliu de Guixols
- Palafrugell beach
- Cala Montgo, located between L’Estartit and L’Escala
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We’re in Barcelona at the moment and we’re thinking of driving this route later this month. Which stops would you recommend for swimming?
Hi, Carly! Thanks for your question – it might be helpful for many readers (since lots of people will end up visiting Costa Brava in summer) – I will update the post this weekend to add a few great places for swimming!
Love kayaking and exploring destinations in Spain for our summer trip so Costa Brava feels like an immediate win. Thank you for sharing all the unique experiences all in one post and also, super freaky about the robbers while driving scam?! That is something I haven’t seen anywhere else so appreciate the pro-tip!
I’ve never done Costa Brava but it’s always been on my list!!! Saving this for later 🙂
Oooh I have visited the Costa Brava before (we hiked along the cliffs and ate way too much fabulous food) but this just shows there is so much more to see and do. I love the sound of gardens and kayaking and I didn’t know about the Salvador Dali Theatre Museum in Figueres. That looks amazing.
We did some of the spots on the Costa Brava by cruise ship. But we always wanted to go back and explore at a more leisurely pace. This post gives us many more reasons to plan a longer stay. I love the variety in sights and the great outdoor activities. Can’t wait to get back!
Oh wow! I’ve been to Spain a fair few times but I never get the chance to visit Costa Brava. I honestly love a nice road trip and this is fantastic. A little bit of everything – coastal towns, gardens, castles and quaint cobble roads. I need to consider coming here next time!
I’ve been dreaming of visiting Spain forever, but somehow have never heard of this region!! It definitely seems like there are so many beautiful and interesting places to check out here. Thanks for sharing this itinerary 🙂
Costa Brava looks like a great place to visit! So many things to do. Very interesting info about the scams on the road- it’s always good to know about such things in advance in order not to fall for the scam.
Did you stay in Girona for the whole trip ?
Hi, Angela! Yes, we lived in one place near Girona for this whole itinerary – we did not mind driving around (but since I did not like our flat, I decided not to mention it within the article).