Walking the Catalan Coast
- Relaxed walking off-the-beaten-path on the Catalan Coast
- Medieval Begur with its 10th-century castle
- Salvador Dali's former haunt, the white-washed town of Llafranc
- Tropical botanic gardens of Cap Roig
- Pintxos and paella by the sea on long stops for lunch
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive BegurThe charming old hilltop town of Begur is a world away from the busier Costa Brava resorts. Its narrow streets are lined with colonial-style buildings, Moorish and Spanish architecture, and colourful fishermen’s huts, and is overlooked by a 10th century medieval castle.
Arriving at either Girona Airport, or Figueres Vilafant Train station, a short transfer (1h or 20 min respectively), will take you to Begur. Wander through the lively town, before tucking into an authentic Catalan dish of “mar i muntanya”, a delicious mix of sea and mountain flavours.
The Hotel Rosa located in the heart of Begur is a welcoming family run hotel. It has a delightful roof terrace to relax on, a wellness centre and an excellent restaurant offering Mediterannean cuisine.
A walk through the Catalan countryside and past lots of little neighbourhoods will bring you to Sa Tuna and Cala d’Aiquafreda. Sa Tuna is the perfect place to stop for lunch and a glass of Tinto de Verano. Then pause at Cala d'Aiguafreda, located on a beautiful bay and surrounded by pine trees, before making your way back to Begur.
Ascent/Descent: +/-270m
The Hotel Rosa located in the heart of Begur is a welcoming family run hotel. It has a delightful roof terrace to relax on, a wellness centre and an excellent restaurant offering Mediterannean cuisine.
Today's walk offers just a little bit more of a challenge with some interesting and diverse terrain. Leaving Begur behind, you head down from the hills through pine forests, breathing in the fresh sea air as you make your way to the beautiful Mediterranean coast. At Aiguablava you’ll pick up the coastal trail that traverses the coast to the seaside village of Tamariu. A quick dip in the sea and a stroll on the sandy beach, then onwards inland into the hills before descending down into Llafranc.
This beautiful white-washed seaside town was a regular haunt of film stars and artists, including Salvador Dalí himself, throughout the 20th century.
Please note: A short section involves navigating around some rocks and boulders on the shoreline. If you prefer not to do this, there is an alternative route available.
Ascent/Descent: +303m/-483m
The Hotel Terramar is a seafront hotel offering panoramic Mediterranean views from its bright, spacious and modern rooms. As well as offering great views and relaxing surroundings, the hotel also has a restaurant serving fresh seafood and seasonal cuisine.
Heading inland today gives you the chance to explore another different side of Costa Brava, the beautiful Catalan interior. The historic market town of Palafrugell is well worth a browse (open every day apart from Mondays). Perhaps pick up some fresh fruit for lunch, and then wander around the old town walls, before continuing to the seaside town of Calella de Palafrugell.
Ascent/Descent: +81m/-69m
Hotel Sant Roc is a friendly, peaceful hotel located in the heart of the Costa Brava. On arrival it’s a quick and easy few steps to the beachside bar or onto the sandy bay for a refreshing dip. The Sant Roc also boasts an international restaurant with far reaching sea-views.
Beautiful sandy coves combined with pastel-coloured buildings make it easy to see why Calella de Palafrugell is often named as one of Spain’s prettiest coastal villages.
Take it easy and enjoy some time lazing on the beach. Or we highly recommend a visit to the botanic gardens at Cap Roig. Wander through its terraces connected by a cypress stairway, accompanied by the sweet smell of geraniums and bougainvillea, all the way down to the sea.
Hotel Sant Roc is a friendly, peaceful hotel located in the heart of the Costa Brava. On arrival it’s a quick and easy few steps to the beachside bar or onto the sandy bay for a refreshing dip. The Sant Roc also boasts an international restaurant with far reaching sea-views.
Carry on along coastal trails littered with some of the most picturesque coves in Costa Brava, perfect for refreshing dips in the sea. Turn inland and enjoy the contrast of walking through hills clad in pine, olive, and oak trees before returning to the coast at La Fosca.
Ascent/Descent: +176m/-194m
The Hotel Ancora is just a short walk from the beach at La Fosca. The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool and gardens, as well as a restaurant, which proudly serves local produce and freshly caught seafood from Palamos fishery.
Heading towards Palamós today, you will pick up the Cami de Ronda coastal path. This winding series of paths were used for centuries by smugglers bringing in their contraband. With the glittering Mediterranean on your left, and pine clad hills to your right, make your way to the elegant resort town of S’Agaro.
One of the Costa Brava’s most glamourous enclaves, S’Agaro was made famous by movie stars during the golden age of Hollywood. It is home to some beautiful architecture and beaches, as well as some fantastic restaurants—the perfect place to finish your walk!
Ascent/Descent: +72m/-108m
Hotel Sant Pol belongs to Sant Feliu de Guixols town, situated in front of a beautiful beach called Sant Pol, in the Costa Brava (Catalonia). The Hotel offers 22 bedrooms, all of them with a large balcony, twelve rooms with a beautiful sea view to Sant Pol´s bay. All of them are full equipped with air conditioning, central heating, satellite TV, free Internet access (WIFI), free save box, direct telephone line, minibar, fully fitted bathroom with hairdryer. Thanks to its location, just in front of the beach, the Hotel becomes a place of charm with exceptional views, furthermore to offer a privileged situation where beach lovers will be able to enjoy the sea and the aquatic activities variety proposed around the area.
Your tour finishes after breakfast and you say a sad goodbye to the Costa Brava. You can make your way by bus back to Barcelona or Girona, or we can arrange a private transfer for you for an additional cost.
This trip has a carbon score of 10kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 10kg is equivalent to 18 lattes. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?If you would like to experience a more authentic, off-the-beaten path side to the popular Costa Brava, this is the trip for you. The walking is easy-moderate overall with a couple of days graded as moderate due to the terrain, with plenty of swimming opportunities and delicious food and drink!
Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.
Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 5 Years
The walk is graded overall as easy-moderate. However, a couple of the days are moderate grading - Days 3 and 6. You will walk on a combination of dirt trails, quiet roads and on beaches which can be a little tiring for between 3—4 hours a day. The ascents and descents are fairly gentle (between 70m and 485m). Day 3 is graded as moderate as it involves 300m of ascent and 485m of descent, as well as having a coastal section which involves navigating around the shoreline and some boulders (there is an alternative for this section if you prefer to avoid it). It has some drop-off’s so if you have vertigo there is the option to take the alternative inland route. Day 6 is also graded as moderate due to there being a few tiring sections of walking on sand as well as a short section where you are required to use a handrail to climb up to some stairs and navigate through a hole in the rock. The longest walk is on Day 7 which is 16.5km on an easy coastal path.
7 Nights accommodation is included in hand-picked hotels of a 3-star standard. We carefully select small friendly hotels that offer great value, food, and a warm Catalan welcome. Here you will see a selection of the properties we normally use, however they are subject to availability and therefore alternatives of a similar standard may be offered.
You can add extra nights to suit your requirements — please contact us for details.
Accommodation Location
We will always try and accommodate you at the locations detailed in your itinerary. Occasionally, because of limited availability, there is the option to be accommodated at an alternative location. In the unlikely event that we have to accommodate you elsewhere we will advise you of this before confirming your booking
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
This holiday is available to solo walkers, although a single supplement is payable. If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate your request, although it is not generally possible to secure more than three single rooms in a party. A single supplement is payable.
Meals
Breakfast is included each morning, while lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. For lunch, you can stop at local shops, cafes or restaurants on the way. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or nearby restaurants.
Additional Nights
Girona and Barcelona are both cities well worth a visit, and we will happily arrange extra nights here for you either before or after your trip.
We can also arrange extra nights at any of the overnight stops on your walk. Speak to one of our Destination & Adventure Specialists for recommendations!
We will provide you with detailed route notes and some of the paths are way-marked so you shouldn’t have any problems finding your way. The trails are a mixture of GR routes and local paths.
- 7 Nights in 3-star hotels
- 7 Breakfasts
- Daily baggage transfers
- Transfer from Girona Airport or Figueres Vilafant train station to Begur
- Welcome meeting
- Route notes and maps
- 24/7 telephone support from our office and local partners in Spain
- Travel insurance (required)
- Travel to Girona/Figueres and from Sant Feliu de Guíxols
- Lunches and Dinners
- Drinks and snacks
- Personal equipment
- Additional nights before, during or after the walk
- Private transfer from Sant Feliu de Guíxols to Girona or Barcelona
You can start your walk anytime between March and end of June, and between the beginning of September and the middle of October, subject to availability. We do not offer this tour in July and August due to the very high temperatures at that time of year.
Time of Year
In our opinion, the best months to travel are May and September, when the temperatures are nice and pleasant for walking. Flowers will also be in full bloom in May.
By Air: There are regular flights with the low-cost airline Ryanair from many European cities to Girona Airport (GRO), the closest airport to Begur. From Girona airport, you will be transferred to your accommodation in Begur which takes approx 1 hour.
You can also fly into Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN) with Ryanair and Easyjet. From the airport, you can take the shuttle train to Barcelona Sants Train Station (every 30 mins, duration 20 mins), and then change trains for a train to Figueres Vilafants (50 mins). You will be transferred from Figueres Vilafants to your accommodation in Begur (1 hour).
By Bus: There are several buses a day from Sant Feliu de Guíxols to Barcelona Airport and Centre, with Moventis Sarfa buses taking 2 hours.
There are also several buses a day from Sant Feliu de Guíxols to Girona Bus Station, again with Moventis Sarfa, taking just over 2 hours. From here you need to take a bus or taxi to the airport.
Private Transfer to Girona: We can arrange an optional private transfer from your last accommodation to Girona Airport. Please select this option when making your booking.
Your bags will be transferred for you each day so that you don't need to worry about carrying them and can simply walk with a day pack.
The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.
Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.
We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as the region is extremely popular and the accommodations do get booked up quickly.
The walk is graded overall as easy-moderate. You will be walking on good paths which are not too steep, and for between 3—4 hours a day. The longest walk is on Day 7 which is 14km on an easy coastal path.
Your detailed information pack will be sent to you after you book. This has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, waterproof clothes and a day pack.
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