The 11 best beaches on the Costa Brava to enjoy in summer

The heat is approaching and, with it, the desire to cool off, put on our snorkel goggles, plant an umbrella on the beach and fill the cooler with soft drinks and fruit for a long day at the beach.

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For this reason, we bring you the best beaches of the Costa Brava, not only because they are some of the most beautiful jewels of Catalonia, but because its waters are characterized by being clear, transparent and surrounded by rocky landscapes and white sand that characterizes this area of Catalonia.

Platja del Portitxol, a day of relaxation

This is a large beach where, unlike many smaller coves, you are more likely to find space to lay your towel and expand the base of your summer camp. It is delimited, on one side, by a viewpoint and, on the other side, by the muscler islands.

The Portitxol is located next to the Archaeological Museum of Empúries, so it is ideal for a cultural getaway and a dip at the end of the day.

📍L‘Escala

Platja d’Es Codolar, at the foot of a castle

The Platja d’Es Codolar is located at the foot of the walls of the Vila Villa de Tossa de Mar, which, together with its Mediterráneo landscape, make it an idyllic place to go swimming. It used to be a fishermen’s beach, since its location is a natural shelter from the wind and waves.

Its name comes from codols, pebbles in Spanish, so we recommend wearing river flip-flops or booties, because, although you run the risk of looking like a guiri, you will be much more comfortable when entering the water.

📍Tossa de Mar

Cala Aiguablava, the most beautiful cove on the Costa Brava

Many say it is one of the most beautiful coves of the Costa Brava thanks to its turquoise waters, its fine sand and the idyllic enclave surrounded by pine trees where it is located, nothing to envy to a Caribbean beach. It offers several services such as restaurants or beach bars and you can also rent pedal skates.

If you can, we recommend going during the week, or early in the morning, since it is such a popular destination, it tends to be quite crowded in the summer months.

📍Begur

Es Castell, to discover new maritime routes

If you are looking for a different plan and something more adventurous than lying under the sun for hours, you should definitely go to Es Castell. This sandy beach has a kayak school where you can rent canoes to make routes, with or without a guide, through the Parc Natural del Castell-Cap Roig.

It also has a parking area just a few meters from the beach.

📍Palamós

Cala Pola, the home of a mermaid

To get to Cala Pola we have to go through a winding road, but it is completely worth it. It is located between some of the typical rocky cliffs characteristic of the Costa Brava and the Camí de Ronda in fact, you can reach it following the GR92 from Tossa de Mar.

It is ideal for families, as it has services such as showers and beach bars. In addition, legend has it that sometimes a mermaid named Pola appears on the beach and attracts bathers with her singing.

📍Tossa de Mar

Sa Boadella, perfect for scuba diving

This beach is also one of the largest, measuring 250 meters. It is accessed through a pine forest and, unlike other coves on the Costa Brava, it is sandy, but its seabed does have rocks, which is why it is ideal for snorkeling.

Sa Boadella is perfect to spend the day, as it has a small bar that offers refreshments, food and ice cream in case you get the munchies in the middle of the day.

📍Lloret de Mar

Aigua Xelida, the cove that hides a literary history

It is a small cove, so we recommend you arrive early to lay your towel. To reach it, you will have to go down some stairs that go through the rocky walls that surround it, so we recommend wearing appropriate footwear, as flip-flops are usually uncomfortable.

As a curiosity, the Catalan writer Josep Pla dedicated a narration to it where he explains how he tried to make a boat trip starting from Aigua Xelida that finally failed.

📍Tamariu

Gola del Ter, where the sun sets over the water

Undoubtedly, this beach is one of the most spectacular. It does not look like the typical cove of the Costa Brava, as it is surrounded by dunes and its wild air reminds us more of a Californian beach than a Catalan one.

In the beach of the Gola del Ter, as its name says, the mouth of the Ter river meets the Mediterráneo. If we go at sunset, we can see the sunset over the river, an unusual sight in Catalonia, since being oriented to the east, we see the sun rise under the sea, but never set.

Illa roja, for a day of total disconnection

To get to Platja de la Illa Roja you will have to walk a short stretch of the Camí de Ronda, but it is completely worth it.

This is a nudist cove very popular internationally and, unlike other beaches on the Costa Brava, the Illa Roja has no services such as showers or a bar, so we recommend you go prepared with a coolerto spend the day.

📍Begur

Santa Cristina, for a family day out

It is a sandy beach with shallow waters, which makes it ideal to spend the day with children. During the Festa Major of Lloret it becomes the port of reception of the maritime procession that transports the relics of Santa Cristina to the hermitage with the same name.

In addition, very close to it is the Piña de Rosa Botanical Garden, perfect for a walk after a day at the beach and enjoy the wonderful scenery offered by the Catalan coast.

📍Lloret de Mar

Cala Estreta, in the middle of nature

In the middle of Parc Roig, we find this cove a few kilometers from Palamós. It is only 100 meters long and, as its name suggests, is small and narrow. On one side it has an old renovated fisherman’s house that gives it that authentic air so typical of the Costa Brava and, if you want, you can rent it for the day.

It is accessed by a dirt road surrounded by pine trees and during weekends in July and August has lifeguardservice.

📍Palamós