6 things to do, eat and see in Costa Brava weekend

Until I moved to Barcelona two years ago, I never understood why people made such a big fuss about living close to nature. Yes, of course, the sea is great but it wasn’t ever an obsession of mine. As a city girl, the occasional trips abroad used to be enough to get me going for another year, or so I thought. Turns out since I moved to Catalunia, I’ve discovered a newfound love for nature.

Costa Brava, Catalunia’s Girona Province is one of those amazing places close to home where I can go on a staycation in less than three hours. Sorry (not sorry) for bragging a little but that feels pretty good, especially with the current travel restrictions #covidsucks. Costa Brava is also a place I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a low-cost chilled weekend getaway in Spain.

From amazing beaches to stunning landscapes and food to die for, Costa Brava is a go-to place for beach-goers, sun chasers and food lovers.

1.Catch the sunrise in Cap de creus (Creus Cape)

Let’s be honest, I am not usually a fan of waking up at the crack of dawn, but this was worth it. Apart from the amazing mountain landscapes, Cap de creus is also a fantastic spot to watch the sunrise. In my case, we drove from Roses to Cap de creus, which is about a 40 minutes drive. So if you happen to be in Cadaqués or somewhere nearby, you may not even have to wake up as early as I did to catch the sunrise at 6.47 am. Either way, even if you are not an early riser (that’s OK, I got you!), this is definitely worth making an exception for, trust me.

2. Spend the afternoon in a hidden beach in Cadaqués

I visited Cadaqués for the first time about 4 years ago when I still lived in London. I did part of the Camino de Ronda, which is Costa Brava’s famous seaside hiking route. Already then I was a big fan. Imagine going for a hike, with the most amazing creeks along the way, where you can go for a swim or even take a quick nap before hitting the road again. Well, that’s exactly what the Camino de Ronda has to offer. Although for a weekend, you may not have time to go for a full-on hike, I would strongly recommend setting foot in one of these many amazing hidden beaches. My personal favorite would be Playa del Ros. It’s a small creek which although can fill up fast, has the benefit of feeling super exclusive because of the ways the rocks surround it. It’s not too far from the center either, for anyone looking to get to it by foot.

3. Enjoy a delicious black rice paella dish on a rooftop restaurant in Roses

Now, what’s the point of visiting a place if there’s no good food, right? Well, this definitely won’t be a concern in Costa Brava. Like pretty much everywhere in Spain the food is delicious. Paella and fideua (that’s essentially the same concept as paella but with noddles instead of rice) are my favorites. El Mirador de l’Amadrava is a great spot in Roses to enjoy an affordable earthy Spanish meal. There we ordered x3 large seafood paella, black rice paella, and fideua dishes. It did not disappoint. The portions were generous, with plenty of seafood and all three dishes cooked to perfection.

The restaurant oversees the beach so it is also a great place to enjoy the so-called Spanish “sobremessa.”The word sobremesa literally means "over the table" and refers to the art of conversation after a meal. Instead of taking the last bite and leaving, People in Spain often stay at the table conversing, savoring each other's company. Fun fact: this word doesn’t exist in any other language.

4. Get your hand on Cadaqués’ famous Taps Dolços

In case you hadn’t noticed, eating is a big passion of mine and arguably one of the best things in life, in my humble opinion! So it’s only fair that I had to try out some more Spanish delicacy on my trip to Costa Brava. Taps dolços is one of them. It’s a typical pastry from Cadaqués. It tastes very much like a bizcocho, and it’s shaped like a mushroom. For anyone out there with a sweet tooth, this is THE dessert for you. You can easily get your hand on a couple in the port at Cadaqués.

5. Go for a morning swim in ones of Roses’ most popular beaches

Located in the Cap de Creus natural park (Roses) and surrounded by the Pyrenees mountains Cala Monjoi is one of the most popular beaches in Roses. It is also right next to El Bulli restaurant, which used to be one of the best restaurants in the world (it closed in 2011), and was owned by chef Ferran Adrià.

Because of its remote location, this beach is a great place to start the day. If you are as lucky as I was, you may even have the whole beach to yourself for a little while.

6. Watch the sunset in Mirador del Puig Rom

To me, there’s nothing better than ending the day watching the sunset especially when I am on holiday. It always makes me feel super grateful and lucky. The mirador del Puig Rom is a great spot as it offers a spectacular view of the city of Roses. There you can also see some of the most beautiful sunsets. One downside is that without a car it might be a bit tricky to get to as it’s at the top of a hill, but I’ve seen some people cycling there, so definitely not impossible!

Of course, there are millions of other things you could do in Costa Brava, like visiting Girona, Dali’s house or stopping by the beautiful Tosa de Mar or Blanes but for this, you’ll need more than just a weekend :)