Costa Brava: Calella Palafrugell And Llafranc

Costa Brava, literally meaning “rough coast," is easily accessible from all of Europe, and is but a hop, skip and a jump (or floatplane) from Marseille, France and Genoa, Italy. Its white-tinted-with-gold-flecks of sandy coastline is popular with Northern Europeans and the region features the influence of its favorite son, Salvador Dali.

The fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell, in the province of Girona, was our first stop on the tour. The town reveals a picturesque bay speckled with boats, along with a beach to die for. Though busy in the summertime, Calella de Palafrugell does not have the large hotels and mass tourism of other villages along Costa Brava.

The coastline in Calella de Palafrugell stretches south to the Cape Roig headlands, which hosts a golf course and botanical gardens. To the north, the little village features a number of small coves linked to Llafranc by way of a delightful -- and amazingly short -- coastal walkway dotted with pines and cacti (below).

Though locals visit Llafranc, it’s the international tourists who dominate the site in the summer months -- particularly the English, Dutch and Americans. Monica, our tour guide, noted that it was Ava Gardner, American glamour queen and movie star, who “discovered” Llafranc while filming Pandora and The Flying Dutchman.

Llafranc, which has a smaller bay but a longer stretch of beach than nearby Calella de Palafrugell, was popular with artists such as Salvador Dali, and was a favorite of American author Ernest Hemingway. Just to the north of Llafranc is the El Far lighthouse perched on a steep cliff overlooking the town and the beach.

Many Spaniards view Llafranc as a luxury town, considering that it costs 4 million euros for a small “casa” overlooking the Mediterranean Sea (below). Some have described the village as the Laguna Beach of the rich, beautiful people who own the nothing-short-of-amazing homes in the area. Shades of Portofino!