The local region
Begur –
La Colina is just 1km or 3mins by car from the surprisingly sophisticated historic town of BEGUR which has a lovely old central square with cobbled streets leading off. A maze of individual shops, tapas bars, restaurants and late night cellar bars adorn the narrow streets. Outside the cafes you can sit and watch the world go by while sipping your mid morning coffee or before dinner drinks. The choice of Catalan cuisine and fine wines is endless and in the high season you need to book to get a table before 11pm. We will often book during the day for the following evening whilst wandering around Begur. Market day in Begur is Wednesday and the streets heave with stalls selling everything from fruit and vegetables to underwear. Begur has a good tourist office where you can pick up leaflets on all that is going on and there is plenty of it in the high season with many concerts, art exhibitions and flamenco dancing. We keep a manual in the villa which is updated with local events. A couple of nights a week there is informal dancing in the two squares with live music of either a traditional Spanish style or rock. It is quite an experience just to sit and watch as old and young enjoy themselves. There are several antique shops and one-off clothes stores selling exquisite items at reasonable prices. On Friday evenings artists from near and far display their paintings and craft work in the square and the town really buzzes. There is a large influx of Barcelonians at weekends as many have country houses in and around the town so make sure you book a table in advance if you are planning to eat out!
Surrounding region -
We love to visit the many nearby coastal resorts; especially Calella de Palafrugell with its string of golden sand coves and waterfront restaurants. From here you can take the coastal path walk over to Llafranc, a chic town with a small marina and a promenade littered with cafes and restaurants and the occasional small family run hotel.
Calella de Palafrugell Calella de Palafrugell
Tamariu is a really beautiful bay with golden sand beach and a small promenade with hotel, cafes, shops and restaurants. The area around Tamariu is populated with villas and some apartment complexes whilst still retaining fishing village charm. Similar in some ways to Sa Riera, probably our favourite beach, which is a much deeper sandy bay and as such is never really crowded. Here you can hire kayaks and there is a sailing club. There are not too many water sports and the tendency is more for swimming, snorkeling and diving, with several diving centres near or in most of the resorts. You can also take a boat trip out to the Medes Islands where there is a coral reef and superb diving. If you can find Cala Castell, this is a large rugged beach with many walks signposted from the surrounds of the beach. It is down a long track off the road towards Palamos and too big to get crowded. There is also a very good restaurant along the same track enroute to the beach. We love to come here out of season and work off the excesses with good long walks.
Llafranc beach
Tamariu beach
Llafranc at night
Begur and its hilltop castle and sweeping bay
Palafrugell is an inland market town 10mins or so from Begur and here you will find a daily fish market and street market selling fruit and vegetables. On Sunday there is a much larger market which takes over several streets. Palafrugell was built as a maize to confuse the pirates in days gone by and it can be a bit of a nightmare finding your way into the centre. Beware of the extremely narrow streets, some of which only just accommodate the width of a car. Should you manage to find the centre, there is a large cobbled square with shops cafes and shops around its edge and a great sense of activity pervades.
La Bisbal, towards Girona, 15-20 mins from Begur is a great place to browse all the ceramic shops. There is a street full of ceramics from tat to chic and another part of the town dedicated to antique shops.
Cadaques
Sa Riera beach
For golfers, this is paradise as there are many excellent and some championship courses within a few kilometers of Begur. Not being golfers our knowledge is a bit sparce but information is readily available from the tourist office.
Dali’s museum is 45mins away at Figueres and even if you are not a Dali fan you cannot fail to be enchanted by his work which takes many forms and is so superbly presented at the museum which he created himself. At Pubol, about 20mins from Begur is the castle which he built for his wife, Gala, who would let him visit her only by invitation and this is a most fascinating house to visit.
The many inland medieval towns such as Pals and Peratallada have such charm and are preserved pristinely. The restaurants in these medieval villages are worth the visit as much as the places themselves.
Peratallada Pals
Girona is a 45min drive from Begur and this is a most beautiful city, known as ‘mini Barcelona’. It has a ramblas which imitates Barcelona’s famous ramblas only much shorter and it is a real delight to stroll around the ancient parts and the new parts of the city. The cathedral towers over the narrow streets in a quite forbidding manner and it is magnificent inside; well worth the climb up the steps. There is a very large market here on Saturdays. Parking is relatively easy, either in car parks or on parking bays. The city is divided by the river Onya and the houses hang over the river in their resplendent mass of colour. The shops here are very good and extensive and there is much entertainment on the Ramblas; a wonderful place to sit and have a long lazy lunch.
Girona's Ramblas and cathedral
The siesta is still respected in this part of Spain so remember that most shops close between 1 and 4pm and lunch usually starts around 3pm.
Barcelona is approx 1hr40mins by car but you can drive to nearby Flaca which is the nearest railway station to Begur (20mins) and jump on the train into central Barcelona and have a day’s sightseeing. Flaca is a small village and you can easily park your car here. It certainly takes the hassle out of trying to park in Barcelona.
If you are a skier, the nearest slopes are at Valtair 2000 which takes a couple of hours from Begur and you pass through some really interesting places enroute, including Comprador, a town on the river. The noise of the waterfall in the centre of the town where the river runs through drowns out everything; wonderful! Something about the sound of running water… Skiing facilities are pretty basic and there is not the choice of restaurants that you get in the more sophisticated resorts but a big plus is that there is no queuing! Further north is Andorra; quite lacking in character as a resort but pretty good skiing and no queuing! Prices are very reasonable for ski pass and ski hire, etc. We sometimes go on the spur of the moment and very reasonably priced accommodation can be found. The skiing areas are being opened up and extended and it is a very reasonable option for those wanting lower prices and no queuing!!!
The countryside around Begur and beyond is green and mountainous and the traffic light (unless you are driving up from Barcelona on Friday evening!) The roads are very well maintained and this unspoilt region is known as Barcelona’s playground for obvious reasons.
This is real Spain with not a souvenir shop, English pub or mass tourism telltale sign anywhere.
Since first visiting Begur we have introduced the area to friends and family, many of whom have bought or built holiday homes here and it is a real home from home for us; often we see more of our close friends when we are in Spain than when we are in the UK. You cannot help but fall for the charm and character of this region.
For more information or to check availability contact us:
020 8941 1700 or 07801 61 61 86
email sheila@havenonearth.co.uk
