Over the past few years, the Balearics (the main ones being Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera) have experienced a tourism boost from travelers who once looked to Italy, France or Greece for European escapism, but now flock to archipelago off the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula for summer fun.
While the islands have amassed much of the buzz, one of Spain’s dreamiest coastlines is the Costa Brava, or wild coast, in the northeastern corner of Catalonia, just 90 minutes from Barcelona by car and less than an hour-long road trip from Girona. As its name would suggest, the Costa Brava’s rocky bays, craggy coves and rugged cliffs have made the coastline hard to develop, which itself is now a source of pristine pride for locals and visitors alike.
Hospitality here is done with a subtle hand, from small boutique hotels dotting the shores and family-run farmhouses scattered across the Empordà, one of the world's oldest wine areas.
So breathtaking and distinctive is the coastline that it inspired Salvador Dalí, a native to the region, who was born in Figueres, the capital of Alt Empordà, in 1904. The Casa-Museu Salvador Dalí is housed in Dalí's summer house, where the poet Federico García Lorca and filmmaker Luis Buñuel were frequent guests. Today the property is a pit stop along the "Dalí triangle,” a string of Dalí homes and museums located in Púbol, Figueres and Port Lligat where the artist lived and worked for much of his life.
In many ways, the fact that the Costa Brava remains so preserved in time is what makes it so surreal to experience. Sure, some new Michelin-starred establishments have moved in, but for the most part, it’s the same coastal fishing villages, medieval mountain towns and hole-in-the-wall dining spots serving classic tortilla española that still inspire the imagination of visitors to this day.
Stay
Situated just a five-minute walk from the beach and world-famous Casa-Museum Dalí in Cadaqués is Casa Nereta, a bohemian retreat in the former home and studio of famed Spanish painter Joan Ponç. Fittingly, the property’s 12 rooms — each swathed in jute rugs, raffia furniture and Noguchi-esque paper lamps — are designed to feel like a private home.
At La Bionda, an adults-only boutique hotel in the center of Begur, guests can enjoy breakfast inside the property’s greenhouse, where locally-sourced dishes are served in ceramic dishes made by Barcelona-based artisan Pau Costa at a shared table.
If you prefer to take your afternoon siestas in the Girona countryside, consider a farmhouse stay at Mas de Torrent Hotel & Spa, where the in-house eatery, Restaurant Mas de Torrent, serves local favorites like L’Escala anchovies and hand-cut Iberian ham. (Bike rentals if you wish to venture out.)
