Well, a good start for narrowing the list down is to look exclusively at EU Blue Flag winning beaches in Costa Brava. The Blue Flag is only granted to beaches that meet 29 criteria for excellence, with everything from cleanliness, to water quality, to the quantity of lifeguards come under scrutiny, ensuring that the Blue Flag really is a sign of quality. To give you an idea of the quality of the region, Costa Brava has the largest concentration of Blue Flag awarded beaches in Spain – no wonder it’s popular, though it does make my task of narrowing down the best that bit more difficult!

Gandia

Nobody knows a region better than the locals, and that is why you can safely say Gandia is one of the finest beaches in Costa Brava – there are hardly any tourists there. This one is purely popular with the locals, and that alone should make you consider visiting this Costa Brava holiday gem! The beach itself is enormous, with fine white sands stretching off into the distance – and if you tire of this, the restaurants and cafes nearby make a delicious change of pace.

Aigua Blava

Aigua Blava is tranquil and calm – perfect for a break away from the clubs and bustling towns. The waters are clean, relaxing and calm, and wash peacefully over the golden sands. This Costa Brava beach is the smallest listed here, which provides a charming intimate feel allowing you really to feel like you’re getting away from it all on your Costa Brava holiday.

Tamariu

Slightly larger than Aigua Blava is Tamariu – the little cove is a short hike across picturesque cliff tops, and well worth the slight effort of finding on your Costa Brava holiday. The sand is fine, the water is clear and the nearby amenities are top notch, with welcoming restaurants and charming boutiques lining the promenade ensuring a break from the relaxation is never far away, for those strange enough to want it!

Llafanc

Llafranc, while larger than the previous two Costa Brava beaches listed, is still small enough to feel cosy. The port is picturesque, there’s plenty of space for children to play, and the sands are perfect for relaxation and working on your tan in the brilliant sunshine. As seems compulsory for blue flag Costa Brava beaches, you can be sure to find many fine restaurants along the promenade meaning that what started out as a ‘couple of hours sunbathing’ can easily extend into the evening – only ended when hunger pangs draw you to one of the nearby restaurants or cocktail bars, as the daylight draws to a close.

This is just a smattering of the many fine beaches along the Costa Brava, and as long as the beach is blue flag listed, you can be sure of quality. While the best time to visit the region is May-June (before the crowds) or September-October (after the crowds), the beauty of the amount of quality beaches is that if you find one too crowded, you can always head to the next one and still be assured of a relaxing day out.

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About the Author:
Daniel Eyre is the Product Manager of Search Travel Online. Search Travel Online is part of the Co-operative Group, specialising in discount holidays and cheap hotels in Costa Brava, Spain.

It is a well laid out city with broad streets and wide walkways. The city transport and tourist infrastructure underwent a massive program of improvement and modernization from 1987 to 1992 in preparation for staging the Olympic games, and today that legacy still ensures good quality, plentiful accomodation and good transport links.

The people here seem to have a passion for all things artistic and as such you will find many street artists and performers and, as well as a profusion of the more usual galleries, concert halls, museums and exhibitions. The nightlife is also good, Barcelona is definitely a party city and the streets are generally safe at night although all the usual precautions are still advisable.

The food is generally of a very high standard especially the tapas, selections of different foods such as olives, spicy chorizo sausage etc which is a good reasonably priced option in the bars. Seafood is especially good, as Barcelona is truly Mediterranean city. When eating in restaurants send back anything you didn’t order, those wonderful looking appetizers are not a gift from the kitchen and you will end up paying for them!

Barcelona has a a temperate climate more than hot enough to fulfill most peoples idea of good holiday weather but without the fierce heat of the south that can render the middle of the day useless for anything other than sitting in a (preferably air-conditioned) hotel room.

Must see highlights:

Museu Picasso: On Carra Montcada the museum houses a large collection of Picasso’s work especially his rose and blue periods and the later cubist variations, and also his engravings pottery sculpture and lithograph he was a very busy man! The museum is housed in two adjoining medieval palaces.

The Rambla: A mile long walkway built over the remains of a dried up riverbed. A bi touristy but usually populated with street performers and artists. A great place for an evening promenade or an afternoon coffee at one of the many outdoor cafes, but in crowded parts keep you hands on your wallet.

Museu de Geologia: The oldest museum in Barcelona and since 1882 has been home to a large and fascinating collection of paleontology and geological exhibits go on the first Sunday of the month when admission is free.

Tibidabo: The summit of the hill Collserola arrive by the tramvia blau to la Atalaya (the old watchtower) for a stunning view of the city, also at the top are a nineteenth centuary amusement park and a mechanical museum.

Catedral: Work originally started on the construction of this beautiful gothic cathedral in 1298 on the site of a 1st centaury chapel the central spire was added as late as 1913.The elaborate and decorative chorus should not be missed.

L’Aquarium de Barcelona: Situated on the waterfront this transparent aquarium is one of the largest (if not the largest) in Europe. It has a large collection of marine life from all over the world and especially the Mediterranean. You can walk through a transparent tunnel while the sharks move menacingly above your head.

Museu Temple de la Sagrada familia: A museum dedicated to Gaudi’s great unfinished masterpiece. A wonderful opportunity to see a great work of art in construction. Take the lift up the tower to get a good overview of the scale of the project.

Barcelona people are generally friendly and helpful to tourists but don’t be surprise if your guide book Spanish are not as popular as you thought here as although the locals speak Spanish the real language is Catalan. Barcelona has all the ingredients for a good holiday. Good food, good weather, Great culture and wonderful people, A week there will always be a week well spent.

Article source: www.articlesbase.com
About the Author
Free travel insurance tips and advice www.nearlyhealthytravel.com/.

If you avoid the larger, crowded beaches, you’ll discover many small, charming resorts and villas tucked away in picturesque, whitewashed villages. These are often perched above secluded, scenic coves, and are bounded by wooded hillsides and rolling vineyards ‘ ideal places to stay when exploring this region renown for its extraordinary natural beauty and cultural heritage.

The best time to visit the Costa Brava is during May and June, when the resorts and villas are less crowded and temperatures are in the mid 70s. September is also a good time, but the weather can sometimes be rainy.

Heading north from Barcelona, you’ll encounter beautiful beaches, warm seas, small sandy bays, and quaint little fishing villages. Apart from the beaches and coastal scenery, the region has a highly rated, distinctive cuisine, several natural parks, a rich Roman civilization heritage, and museums featuring many of Spain’s famous artists. If you’re looking to give the crowds a miss, make an effort to visit some of these delightful place.

Tamariú is a lovely whitewashed village that overlooks a small cove with startling blue waters, set around with pink rocks. The restaurants along the promenade offer delicious grilled fish, paella and tapas, and local wines. There’s no nightlife to speak of, since the only resort closes at 11pm, which makes this a destination for those who appreciate quiet evenings, great seafood, and beautiful surroundings.

Backed by orange cliffs and wooded hills, Alguablava is a small traditional Costa Brava village with an immaculate sandy beach and the sea here is a particularly intense cobalt blue. Popular with older couples and young families, the nightlife is minimal, since the restaurants and bars tend to shut in the evenings. The town’s two hotels have excellent restaurants.

The coves between Aiguablava and Sa Riera, are among the Costa Brava’s most beautiful. Take a short drive inland to visit the medieval hilltop town of Begur, which lies in a semicircle around an imposing 15th-century castle, with five huge towers. The castle was occupied during the War of Independence. The narrow, winding streets end at the main square, where there are plenty of good restaurants.

Empúries is a fascinating archaeological site, just five minutes drive from L’Escala. First settled by the Phoenicians, then the Greeks and Romans, this was once a thriving city, founded early in the 6th century BC. Its ruins include temples, streets, shops, and the remains of villas and mosaic floors. In front of the ruins is a lovely duned beach with shallow water and soft sand.

To reach the secluded town of Cadaquès, you will have to drive along a steep road that winds through rolling hills toward the sea. At the coast, lines of old whitewashed, blue-shuttered houses stretch along the beautiful main bay, and the beach here is small and pebbly, with lots of boats coming and going. Restaurants, cafes, boutiques and galleries line the waterfront. Art lovers are well catered for here ‘ the Perrott-Moore Museum displays a collection of Dali’s graphic art, and the municipal Museu d’Art exhibits works by the locals, as well as paintings by Toulouse-Lautrec and others.

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About the Author
Rod Ritchie is a travel writer and editor. Solmar Villas offer holiday villas on the Costa Brava. Book quality Costa Brava villas online