Need suggestion for a winter vacation Costa Brava

by Lya
(France)

Hi,

My boyfriend and I plan to go to Costa Brava for a winter vacation in December for two weeks.

We want a quiet nice beach for just the two of us (which I think is easy to get, because it shouldn't be too crowded in winter).

We all love cooking, so, I think we'll rent a apartment for the holidays. Here comes my question, is there any place I can easily buy FRESH seafood (just come out from the sea would be great!)? Any beach still have fisherman fishing and selling their fish in a local market?
and hope the beach is not too far from a market where we can buy food.

The rest of time, I think we will just read on the beach or whatever, so a less windy / bit warmer beach would be nicer.

Oh, also, we'll fly to Barcelona first, so, hope we can find a beach not too far away.

Sorry to ask so much, as we have never been to Spain before.

Thank you!


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Hi Lya

Thanks for getting in touch.

You will have no problem finding a quiet beach on any part of the Costa Brava in December. If you take a look at our climate page you will get an idea of the kind of temperatures to expect. You may well be able to sit on the beach in just a t-shirt, but be prepared for the weather to be colder than that, so bring a sweater.

The smaller beaches will be more protected from the wind than the larger beaches, but smaller beaches mean smaller towns, so don’t expect too much to be going on.

I would suggest you visit the beaches of Palafrugell (Tamariu, Llafranc or Calella de Palafrugell). All these beaches are small and protected and are just 4km from the big town of Palafrugell (about 22,000 inhabitants). In Palafrugell you will find a lovely town square (Placa Nova) with buzzing restaurants and cafes, boutique shops, supermarkets and larger stores. You will also find the great Palafrugell fish market (a covered market) and a fruit, vegetable and flower market both on Carrer Pi i Margall, which leads off from Placa Nova. These markets are open every Tuesday to Sunday from 08.00 to 13.00. Sunday is the big weekly market - on this day you will also find clothes, electrical goods and toys on sale.

There are 4 buses a day from Palafrugell to Llafranc and Calella in the winter (takes about 20 minutes). If you want to visit Tamariu (which is a smaller village) you will need to hire a car in the winter. Given the time of year you are visiting, you may decide that you would rather stay in Palafrugell and just visit the beaches each day, rather than actually stay at one of the beaches. See SARFA for bus timetable and prices.

If you would rather stay in a larger town right on the coast, I would suggest Palamos (about 17,000 inhabitants). This is big fishing and port town. Particularly famous for its prawns. Here you will be able to watch the fishermen coming in with their catch. The main beach of Palamos is a long beach with the port/harbour at one end. However, it is easy to walk to smaller quieter beaches.

Both Palafrugell and Palamos are easy to get to from Barcelona airport by bus, but due to the number of stops on route it will take about 3 hours. Again, take a look at SARFA for more information.

Have a wonderful holiday.

Imogen