Turquoise water coves, fishing villages, paellas by the sea and corners that seem to be taken from a postcard . The Costa Brava has it all, and although the train takes you to its doors, the most secluded coves are only accessible by bus, without the need for a car or to fight for a parking space under the sun.
So if you want to escape the city this summer and get to Girona’ s most famous beaches by public transport, this quick guide is for you.
The main bus lines to the Costa Brava.
The company Moventis-Sarfa, part of the Sagalés group, is the main bus operator connecting Barcelona with the main destinations on the Costa Brava. Buses depart mostly from Estació del Nord, although some also stop at Fabra i Puig or the airport.
Timetables and frequencies vary according to the day and the season. In summer, there are more frequencies, especially on weekends, so it is advisable to check them on the Estació del Nord website or on the operators’ website.
Most popular destinations and approximate travel time:
- Lloret de Mar → 1h 20 min.
- Tossa de Mar → 1h 35 min
- Blanes → 1h 30 min
- Sant Feliu de Guíxols → 2h
- Platja d’Aro → 1h 45 min
- Palamós → 2h 10 min
- Calella de Palafrugell → 2h 30 min
- Llafranc → 2h 30 min
- Tamariu→ 3h min
- Begur → 2h 45 min
- Cadaqués → 3h 30 min (with transfer)
BONUS: Camí de ronda without train
Want to walk from cove to cove with brutal views? Take the bus to Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Platja d’Aro, Palamós or Calella, and do some section of the Camí de Ronda. Sarfa buses connect all these towns.
Where to buy tickets
You can buy tickets directly on the Moventis website(www.moventis.es), at Estació del Nord ticket offices or through apps such as Omio or CheckMyBus.
If you are traveling on weekends or holidays, book in advance, especially if you are going to popular destinations such as Calella de Palafrugell or Tossa.
How to get there by car
There are two main ways to get by car comfortably from Barcelona to the Costa Brava.
To Blanes, Lloret de Mar and Tossa de Mar, the shortest way is by the C-32, the coastal road, which takes you directly to these towns.
From here , to reach, for example, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, it is convenient to take the AP7 and turn off, generally, at exit 9, which allows us to go to the area of Begur, approximately.
For further on, the area of l’Escala and Roses, you have to continue along the AP-7 until you pass Girona. If you want to go to the area of Cap de Creus, Roses, Llançà or Portbou, you will have to turn off at Figueres, where you can take the different roads that lead to the area.