Costa Brava
The Costa Brava begins where the Pyrenees mountain range meets the Mediterranean. It is a coastal area of rugged beauty in which the blue of the sea and the green of the pines define a surprisingly harmonious landscape. The first display of this combination is located in Catalonia's northern extreme, the Creus Cape Natural Park, a scuba-diving paradise. Port de la Selva and Cadaqués are fishing towns that recall and maintain alive the connection between their inhabitants and the sea. Next to Cadaqués, Portiligat is one of three places that keeps alive the memory of the genius Salvador Dali, with his house-museum located there. The other two places are his birthplace, Figueres, with its Dali Theatre Museum exhibiting a wide variety of his work, and the Púbol Castle, where the artist spent his remaining years.
The Empordà wetlands, a natural marshland area of great ecological value, are located in the large bay of Roses, as are the ruins of the ancient city of Empúries, one of the first Greco-Roman settlements in the Iberian peninsula.
Along the coastline there are beaches, coves, inlets and towns full of flavour and tradition like L'Escala, L'Estartit, Calella de Palafrugell, Palamós, Platja d'Aro, Lloret de Mar, Sant Feliu de Guixols and Tossa de Mar, all of which are first-class tourist resorts, joyful and bustling towns bathed by the waters of the Mediterranean. The Medes Islands Natural Reserve is a privileged area for scuba-diving.
The Costa Brava's inland area hides a few surprises like the Mediaeval towns of Pals, Peratallada and Monells, where time has stood still. The area's capital, Girona, is both an ancient and modern place, human and cosmopolitan, with monumental sites like its mixed style cathedral, Roman walls and Call area, the city's old Jewish quarter. Inland from Girona, nature displays itself in all its splendour in the volcanic area of La Garrotxa or the peaceful lake at Banyoles.
The old Sant Pere de Roda monastery, an impressive vantage point over the sea, and the numerous Romanesque churches scattered throughout represent the area's feudal, religious past that has marked the character of its inhabitants. Inheritors of a thousand-year-old culture, the people of the Costa Brava take life calmly without renouncing their festive spirit. Their gastronomy occupies a place of honour, with the fruits of the sea providing the ingredients for their spectacular seafood stews and the fruits of the earth providing high quality vegetables and vines for the area's Empordà Costa Brava D.O. wines. Special mention should also be made of the area's wild game and, above all, its wild mushrooms, for which the inhabitants feel a real passion.
Although not literally part of the Costa Brava, the most famous city is without a doubt Barcelona. Right on the Mediterranean waterfront, it is renowned for its beautiful architecture and many cultural highlights.
A special mention should be made of the miniature-state Andorra. It's tax-free policy and mountain location make it a popular destination for shopping and winter sports.
