Blanes – Costa Brava

Blanes is a town in the province of Girona, in Catalonia. Likewise, its 100 kilometers from France and only 74 kilometers from Barcelona; it’s the perfect place for a day trip from either of the latter or a great destination for your next holiday. For a long time, the people earned a living farming, cattle breeding, and fishing. Nowadays, tourism has further taken over as the main industry in the town and subsequently has allowed the economy of the city to grow considerably.

History of Blanes

Certainly, the first indication of settlements in the area where Blanes now stands, leads us back to an era before the arrival of the Romans. The War of succession was beneficial for the town, as subsequently allowed the city to begin to grow rapidly its agriculture, maritime activities and fishing. During the Spanish Civil War, Blanes suffered greatly; with constant bombardments of the town. However, it again recovered and began to develop into the fantastic tourist destination it is today.

What to do in Blanes

The beaches

Moreover, at the northwestern border of the Costa Brava you will find Blanes; a modern, dynamic and friendly city that offers a huge range of activities all year along. Obviously, the town has several beautiful beaches, some more basic and others very wild and natural. Here is a list of our top 3 favorite beaches:

# 1 Treumal beach

This is the smallest beach, at the northernmost region. It is surrounded by a wonderful landscape declared a National Area of Natural Interest. It’s one of our favorite beaches, due to its exotic natural environment. In addition, you will feel as if on a wild beach here, far removed from civilization! This beach is easily accessible by foot or by car (with a very convenient parking lot not far away). Some services are available on the beach; including ice-cream kiosks, pedal boat rentals and hammocks. Bring your favorite book, your sun-cream and your towel, and enjoy the wonderful weather of Costa Brava on Treumal beach!

Address: 17300 Blanes, Girona

# 2 Sant Francesc beach

This is the perfect beach for families, with many facilities and beautiful pines surrounding it. The beach is easily accessible on foot or by car; but we advise you to get there by passing along the Marimurtra Botanical Garden and enjoying the wonderful views of the sea from this point. You will find services, for instance stands, ice-cream carts, showers, skates, hammock rentals and boats; everything you will need for a pleasurable vacation. The beach itself looks like paradise with its golden sand and crystal clear water.

Address: Passeig Bitácora, 17300 Blanes, Girona

# 3 Blanes beach

Located in the city center, near to the port; moreover this is the most famous beach of Blanes. However, during the summer it’s usually the most crowded beach of the city. On this beach, known for its golden sand, you will find a wide range of facilities; including a kiosk for ice-cream, showers, skates and hammock rentals, boats, a children’s club and an emergency medical care center.

Address: 17300 Blanes, Girona

Sightseeing

Beyond the beaches, there are also several monuments and gardens to visit during your days in the town. These include the Viscounts of Cabrera, the Gothic Fountain and the Sant Joan Castel. Furthermore, we recommend that you visit the Marimurtra Botanical Gardens, which is one of the most interesting gardens in Europe!

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Address: Passeig de Carles Faust, 9, 17300 Blanes, Girona

Opening hours: Monday to Thursday from 10:00 to 15:00; Friday from 10:00 to 18:00; Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00; Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00

In the same vein, as you walk though this dreamy space along the cliffs that border the sea; and looms over one of the most beautiful and spectacular panoramas of the Costa Brava, you will see around 3,000 exotic species of flora. The garden is divided into three zones: subtropical, temperate and Mediterranean. The Marimurtra Botanical Gardens have been declared an Area of National Interest by the government of Catalonia. It was founded 80 years ago by Carl Faust, a German.

A spectacular international fireworks competition is also held in here each July. Moreover, if you’re in the Costa Brava that week, be sure not to miss it!

How to get there

• By car: Take B-10 and leave Via Laietana, Plaça de Pau Vila, Carrer del Dr. Aiguader and take exit 22. Take C-32 in direction of GI-600. Take exit 134 and leave C-32. Begging on GI-600 direction Blanes. It takes around 1 hour.
• Bus: You have to take the bus at Estación Norte, Barcelona. It takes around 2 hours to reach it by bus and it costs 6,5€ for one-way and 13€ for a round-trip ticket.
• By train: There isn’t any direct train to reach the town from Barcelona, you have to take first a train until Girona, then from Girona take a bus until Ctra. de Tordera and to finish walk until Blanes. It will takes around 2 hours.

We advise you to take a car, because it is the cheapest and the fastest way to get to Blanes from Barcelona. If you don´t have a car, the bus is also an easy option.

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