Costa Brava Holidays: Resorts, Flights and When to Go

Families tend to start with the larger, well-connected towns at the southern end. Lloret de Mar and Blanes are the two biggest places here, both within about 23 minutes of Girona airport, which keeps the transfer short for children after an early flight. That makes them the natural base for Costa Brava family holidays, with Blanes adding the Castell de Sant Joan as an easy outing.

Couples and anyone after something quieter usually look further north and east. Calella de Palafrugell has fewer than 800 residents, Begur and Pals are small too, and Cadaqués, home to the Salvador Dalí House Museum, has under 3,000 people. Travellers who like history with their beach time will find castles, a dolmen and a Benedictine monastery around Roses, and Montgrí Castle above Torroella de Montgrí.

Lloret de Mar is the best known and most searched resort on the coast, a sizeable town with the shortest airport transfer from Girona. Neighbouring Tossa de Mar is smaller, built around the old walled quarter of Vila Vella, and works well for travellers who want character close to the airport. Blanes, at the southern tip, is the closest resort to Barcelona airport and has the Castell de Sant Joan above the town.

In the middle of the coast, Sant Feliu de Guíxols and Palamós give you working harbour towns; Palamós has La Fosca beach, the Iron Age site of Castell de la Fosca and the Museu de la Pesca, a fishing museum. Calella de Palafrugell, Begur and Pals are the quieter options, and Pals has its own Jam Museum.

Further north, Roses is a larger town with the Castell de la Trinitat, Santa Maria de Roses monastery and the Dolmen de la Creu d'en Cobertella nearby, while Empuriabrava and Cadaqués sit beyond it. Torroella de Montgrí, with its castle and the Museum of the Mediterranean, makes a good base between the two halves.

July and August are the peak months. Average highs at Lloret de Mar reach 29°C in both, with nights around 21°C. July is the driest month of the year, with roughly three rain days, while August sees about seven, often as short summer showers. These are also the school-holiday weeks, when package prices generally rise and the best family rooms go early, so booking ahead is sensible.

June and September are good shoulder choices at around 25°C, with fewer crowds, though each brings nine or ten rain days on average. October still averages 23°C but is one of the wettest months. May is milder at 21°C. From November to March daytime highs sit between 14°C and 18°C, which suits Costa Brava short breaks built around walking, castles and museums rather than the beach.

Two airports serve the coast with direct flights from the UK. Girona is the closer: the drive is about 21 minutes to Lloret de Mar, 22 to Tossa de Mar and 23 to Blanes or Sant Feliu de Guíxols. Barcelona is the bigger airport with more routes, and from there it is about 64 minutes to Blanes, 69 to Lloret de Mar and 75 to Tossa de Mar.

On package holidays to Costa Brava Spain, the transfer from either airport to your hotel is normally included. If you would rather explore the northern villages such as Cadaqués or Begur at your own pace, car hire from either airport is worth comparing. Barcelona also has a ferry port, about 38 miles from the centre of the coast.

A package holiday bundles your flight, hotel and transfers into one booking, and when sold as a package it is ATOL-protected, so you are covered if something goes wrong with the trip. When comparing Costa Brava package holidays, check which airport you fly into, the transfer time to your resort and the board basis offered, from room only through to all inclusive.

On this page you can compare live deals from Jet2holidays, TUI, loveholidays and On the Beach for holidays in Costa Brava, check hotel prices if you prefer to book separately, compare car hire, and browse tours and tickets for days out once you arrive. Costa Brava breaks of a few nights can be compared in the same way.