The other side of the Costa Brava - Rich and Rose Day 7

There are places along the Spanish coast that have earned a certain amount of infamy among travelers: The Costa del Sol towns of Torremolinos and Benalmadena, for instance, or the Costa Brava towns of Lloret de Mar and Calella have reputations for attracting hordes of young Europeans enticed by the idea of good weather and cheap alcohol. And these reputations have proven hard to shake. In part because there is still a fair amount of truth to it during certain seasons of the year (spring break, summer holidays, etc), but the rest of the year it's easy to overlook the original reason these towns got gained popularity: they are beautiful towns, with picturesque coastlines and the charm of the old world within driving distance of major international airports. 

So with the forecast calling for rain (despite the crystal blue sky and distinct lack of clouds), we packed an umbrella and headed up to Lloret de Mar for a morning excursion. If you take the alternate to the highway, a slightly more expensive but more picturesque route, you can get to Lloret in just over an hour. Our first stop was the Santa Clotilda Gardens overlooking the town. Established in 1918 on the cliffs overlooking the Costa Brava, and mixing Italian Renaissance and Catalan Noucentisme, the gardens offer a spectacular look into the combination of history and natural beauty which first made the region famous.

The exploration of the garden, with its descriptions of the various flora  (both native and imported) was followed by a walk over to La Dona Marinera (the fisherman's wife), a tribute by sculptor Ernest Maragall to the women of past ages who were responsible for taking care of the whole house and everything else while their husbands went to seek their fortunes at sea. The walk along the cliff to the statue is lovely, and the view over the town center and the beach makes the walk even more special.


For more information about private guided tours along the Costa Brava or in Barcelona, contact The Spanish Touch at 888-480-0013.