Costa Brava - which resort?

[Paddingtonthebear]

We will be booking an apartment in Sept for ourselves and toddler, flying in to Girona airport so somewhere not too far away from that.

We would like somewhere with a nice beach and it needs to have a bit of life. We would like somewhere that has shops/supermarket/restaurants etc within walking distance without us having to get a car and drive somewhere else every day. So not small and quiet, but also not a big built up brits abroad resort like Lloret de Mar etc.

Any suggestions?

It might be very different now but I used to really like Calella and I think it fits your criteria. Lovely shops, proper working town. Pretty churches, very clean beach and nice places to eat. My friend went to pineda last year and said it hadn't changed much. Anywhere along that stretch of the coast with a station would be a good bet then you wouldn't even need a car. So look at Blanes, santa susanna, pineda and Calella.

Ooh ok that's helpful, thank you!

Blanes. Love it. Hired an apartment a few years ago. Try to go when the international fireworks festival is on.

Thanks!

We stayed in llafranc last year and it was gorgeous.

Thanks!

Any experience of Begur??

Agree with Calella de Parafrugell, Llafranc. Also look at Tamariu- we had a lovely holiday there a few years ago. Great beach with restaurants/bars in a horseshoe round it. Might be a bit quieter than you want though. Popular with Spanish families from Barcelona.

Would there be much open in those places in Sept?

For reference we went to Punta Prima in Menorca last year, in June, and found the resort very small/limited

Ok think I've found something nice in Platja de Pals. Anyone have any experience of the resort?

I've never been to platja de pals but I was also going to suggest blanes. It has a lovely seafront with some great, traditionally Spanish bars and restaurants. It is a popular destination but still very much inhabited by Spaniards and so less touristy than neighbouring lloret. Having said that, lloret can be fantastic if you know where to go. I have been many many times and never ever go in any Brit bars, pubs or discos.

malgrat de mar / santa susanna are lovely resorts within walking distance of each other or they have a land train linking them too for a few euros.

we have stopped in hotel pappi in malgrat before and its lovely just be sure to ask for a room not above the nightclub (only open once a wk but my gosh it is open all night).

if you dont have children there was a lovely fergus adults only hotel in santa susannah, i snook in for the loo and was very impressed.

malgrat has an old and a new bit and theyre is some lovely restaurants all in walking distance. we loved one called casa nova, beautiful steak!

Shortlisted two apartments, similar price, one in Blanes and one in Platjya de Pals. Not sure which to pick?!

Tossa de Mar is a very pretty resort with a good amount of touristy shops and supermarkets, plus a really attractive historic area around the castle with some authentic Spanish restaurants. The main beach is not so good as the sand is gritty and sharp but there is a smaller beach area with rockpools to one side of the town.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread... I was just wondering how the op got on? We've booked cheapo flights to Girona so looking at where to stay next year

Probably best to start a new thread. I'm also thinking of Costa Brava next year too but Salou which isn't too near Girona

Don't confuse Calella de Mar with Calella de Palafrugell. The former is quite built up with high rise hotels etc and the latter is one of the most stunning low rise classy resorts on the Costa Brava. Tossa de Mar ( really pretty) often gets confused with Lloret de Mar, it's bigger brasher "Brits abroad" neighbour. There are probably nice parts of Calella de Mar and Lloret, but the other 2 resorts are really beautiful. I'd also second Llafranc and Tamariu or any of the beach resorts down from Begur. We go to Tossa every year at the end of September and it's still busy. I don't like Salou at all, too built up for me. Anywhere north of Tossa de Mar up to the French border, you can't go wrong. Going south towards Barcelona it's a bit high rise. It has the advantage of the train line though.

Hi!

We went to Pineda de Mar last year and loved it so much we went back again this summer! It's about 40 mins drive from Girona airport. Small town, welcomes tourism but still very working Spanish,plenty of cafes and restaurants, big promenade and long beaches, great for kids, about an hour and a bit on the direct train to Barcelona, train runs through resort and all the way down the coast. This year we also did trips to Calella, Blanes as well as Barcelona.

Thank you for coming back! Really helpful Just need the hotels to release their rooms

Pals town is lovely and there are small beautiful beaches nearby such as Aquieblava ( not sure if that's spelled right!)