Things to do in Costa Brava and Costa Dorada

When you hear about Cadaqués you immediately think about Salvador Dalí. The small town welcomes every year hundreds of visitors from all over the world, curious to discover "Dalí's village". But Cadaqués is not only Salvador Dali's museum-house; the city is also full of experiences!

Cap de Creus Natural Park

Close to the city you will discover Cap de Creus Natural Park. It sits on a 400 million year geological levels and is considered as a natural protected open area. This 13,886 hectares park offers forests, high cliffs, rocks islands and deep water. It is a very important area for the birds' migration. This gorgeous place is also famous for its diving and hiking.
More info about the park here

Cadaqués's Bay

Cadaqués's bay is the largest natural harbor of Catalonia. Admire the view and the boats that sail here. Summer time is particularly hot in Cadaqués. The beach is more than welcome here.

Santa María's Church, Cadaqués

This church was built in the XVII century. Every summer, classical music concert are given in this beautiful church. After your visit, walk on the streets of the city. In the old neighborhood, you will find art galleries, fashion shops and handmade shops.

Cadaqués Museum

This museum is full of Salvador Dalí's work. The museum has temporary exhibitions about the artist. Salvador Dalí was full of ideas, all different: I'm sure this museum will surprise you!
Admire various temporary exhibitions about related artists like Pichot, Niebla or Picasso.

Adress:

Narcis Monturiol, 15 - Cadaqués
(+34) 972 25 88 77

Opening hours:

Winter (from September to December)
10:30 to 13:30 and 15:00 to 18:00
Closed on Sundays
Spring (from April to June)
10:30 to 13:30 and 16:00 to 19:00
Closed on Sundays
Summer (from June to September)
Monday-Sunday: 10:00 to 20:00
Wednesday: 10:00 to 13:30 and 15:00 to 20:00
Opened every day
Careful that information can change with labor days, special exhibitions...

Salvador Dalí's Museum-House

If there is one place you should not miss it's: Salvador Dalí's Museum-House! You will find it in Portlligat's bay, Cadaqués.
It is interesting to visit the house for a better understanding of the artist and what was his life. You have to book the day and time of visit before going to the Museum-House (by phone or online). Visits are organized in small groups and last 50 minutes.
(+34) 972 25 10 15
More information and bookings here

Opening hours

February 9th to June 14th and September 16th to January 6th
Opened from 10:30 to 18:00 (last access 17:10)
June 15th to September 15th
Opened from 09:30 to 21:00 (last access 20:10)

If you are planning your holidays in Costa Brava, then I particularly recommend you to visit the Santa Clotilde Gardens in Lloret de Mar. This beautiful garden is reputed for its breath-taking views over the sea as it was created on the top of cliff. The gardens have been declared a site of national cultural interest. They were designed in 1919, by Nicolau Rubió i Tuduri, in the spirit of the Italian Renaissance style.

Santa Clotilde Gardens

The Santa Clotilde Gardens are a very peaceful place where you can enjoy the beauty of nature, with its tiered terraces, its crossing paths, steps and the murmur of water flowing in the fountains. These gardens are not a collection of plants and flowers like most of gardens but more a designed landscape garden. Indeed Nicolau Rubió had chosen to focus on the architecture more than on the botany. He took his inspiration from the gardens of Italian Renaissance and ignored his training about Spanish, Arabic and French gardens. If you like his work you can also see it in Barcelona, with the Laribal Gardens. During your visit you will see gorgeous marbles statues in the neo-classical style and the mermaids of Maria Llimona.

The Santa Clotilde Gardens were built for the beloved wife of the Marquis of Roviralta, former owner of the property, who wanted a special place for her; unfortunately she had already passed away before it was finished. The spirit of romanticism is ubiquitous throughout the gardens and expressed via the marble bust in the vines or views of the sea.
If you like to visit gardens you can also go to the Marimurtra Botanical Garden in Blanes

Practical Information

Contact

Adress: Passatge de Santa Clotilde. 17310, Lloret de Mar
Tel.:+34 972 370 471 / +34 972 367 750
E-mail: central-turisme@lloret.org
More information: www.lloretdemar.org

Openning Hours

Summer: April to September
Monday to Sunday: 10 am to 8 pm (last admission 7 pm)
Winter: October to March
Monday to Sunday: 10 am to 5 pm (last admission 4 pm)
Closed on December 25th and January 1st and 6th

Price

Adults: 5€
Students and Retired: 2.5€
Children: 2€
Special rates for groups (more than 25 persons)

Where to stay?

In Costa Brava there are not only the sun and beautiful beaches but many other attractions such as the castle and the old city of Tossa de Mar, the Ruin of Empuries or the Salvador Dali Museum in Figueres… If you want to fully enjoy this beautiful region I recommend you to take an apartment in Costa Brava and stay there for a couple of days. Have a look at accommodation along the Costa Brava on BarcelonaPoint.com, they have a wide range of Costa Brava apartments and hotels and I am sure you will find the perfect place to stay!

Welcome to the Jazz Festival in Figueres in Spain! This famous Jazz Festival usually takes place in the first week of April every year, hosting many national and international artists in order to attract many Jazz lovers and tourists from all over the world!

The city Figueres

Figueres is a city located in the province of Girona along the Costa Brava. As it is situated in the north-east of Catalonia next to the French boarder, it is 40 km away from Girona and 140km away from Barcelona. This place is well-known as the birthplace of the famous Spanish artist Salvador Dalí. One of the main attractions is therefore the Teatre-Museu Gala Salvador Dalí, a huge museum designed by the artist himself. Furthermore, the Castillo de San Fernando, as well as the beautiful Iglesia parroquial de San Pedro are great reasons to spend the holidays in Figueres along the Costa Brava. Another great occasion to stay in Figueres is the annual Jazz Festival.

Festival de Jazz de Figueres

The Jazz Festival is a center of attraction for more than two decades now. The festival does not only combine national and international artists, but does also serve as a launching pad for newcomers with talent. This festival is characterized by the variety and diversity of the program and the performing artists. Some of the participating musicians during the last years were the Barcelona Big Blues Band, J. Chamorro Quartet & A. Motis, as well as Sílvia Pèrez & Javier Colina Trio among others. Another top act is Canela, Dotras, Escuadra & Forcada well-known for their song “You don’t know what love is”. There are a lot of activities, street performances, workshops, and gigs in bars next to the Jazz festival itself, in order to provide Jazz lovers and tourists with a wide choice of artists and music pieces. Everyone will find an act or activity that will meet your expectations!

Practical information

How to get there

The festival takes place in the city Figueres, which can be reached easily by train, plane or car.

• - By train: The best option would be to make use of the railway station located close to the old town center. There are direct connections from Paris to Figueres, as well as connections to Madrid-Barcelona. For further information on the schedule and ticket prices, please have a look at the official webpage of the Spanish national railway company.
• - By plane: The city is about 50km away from the Girona-Costa Brava Airport.
• - By car: Figueres is located just next to the motorway along the Costa Brava called “Autopista del Mediterrani”. It connects Figueres with Barcelona in the South (it takes 90 Minutes) and Narbonne in France in the North (it takes 75 minutes).

The address where the Jazz Festival takes place is:
SALA LA CATE
C/ Rector Arolas 4
Figueres, CATALUNYA 17600, Spain

Prices and contact information

Prices vary from 5 to 15 Euros per person. You can request more information via info@jazzfigueres.com concerning exact prices, the program and so on.

Accommodation in Figueres

If you decide to spend your holidays along the Barcelona Coast or if you decide to stop by in Figueres just for the Jazz Festival for some days, I recommend you to stay in a Costa Brava apartment. You can find a suitable accommodation along the Costa Brava on BarcelonaPoint.com, an online booking provider offering a great amount of Costa Brava apartments and hotels next to Barcelona. They have accommodations suitable for any budget ;)

Just for a week in February, people from all over the world will head to Sitges for its most exciting event of the year: The Sitges Carnival.
This hot and wild Carnival will be held in Sitges - Costa Brava from February 7th to 13th, to the delight of its 300.000 visitors.

The Sitges Carnival

With more than 3,000 dressed-up partiers, the atmosphere will be full of extravaganza, feathers, glitter and glitz. The town becomes the tourist Mecca of Spanish and international gays, with incredible colorful and decadent shows. Floats, parades and joy will bring Sitges and its inhabitants to life.

Enjoy this Catalan custom and take part in the festivity which became the paradise of freedom and tolerance. The King and Queen of the Carnival will govern the party and put the whole population in good mood. Debauchery and Extermination parades and dozens of other cultural and exciting acts will be held in the streets of the small town of Costa Dorada.

Note that the Sitges Gay Carnival takes place 4 days before the real Sitges Carnival. During more than a week, the town will be partying, dancing and enjoying a crazy atmosphere. Don't miss exciting parties like The Pink Night, Tourist Night and Widows Night.

Sitges Carnival main shows and acts

Thursday 7th :
- 5 pm: Opening show by the King and its entourage at the Miramar building

Spain is one of the most popular travel destinations among tourists and the capital Madrid is with more than 6 million inhabitants one of the biggest cities in Europe. The biggest city along the Spanish coast is Barcelona. It is also one of the most popular European metropolises, therefore hotels and apartments in Barcelona are especially inquired. Besides the Balearic islands also the Canary Islands, the Costa Brava and the Costa del Sol are quite popular among tourists from all over the world.