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Costa Brava

Coordinates: 42°01′22″N 3°13′28″E / 42.0228°N 3.22449°E / 42.0228; 3.22449
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Lloret de Mar, the largest resort town on the Costa Brava

The Costa Brava is a coastal region of northeastern Catalonia, Spain, in the comarques of Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà and Selva, in the province of Girona. The Costa Brava stretches from Blanes, 60 km (37 mi) northeast of Barcelona, to the French border.

Etymology

The coast was named Costa Brava by Ferran Agulló (in Català, Ferran Agulló i Vidal) in an article published in Catalan newspaper La Veu de Catalunya in September 1908. Agulló, a journalist born in Girona, referred to the rugged landscape of the Mediterranean coast which runs from the river Tordera, near Blanes, to Banyuls with the name Costa Brava.[1][2] Costa is the Catalan and Spanish word for 'coast', while Brava means 'rugged' or 'wild'.[3] This term was officially recognized and promoted in the 1960s as it was deemed suitable to promote tourism in the region.[4] Before Costa Brava became the official name, other names were suggested, such as Costa Grega (Greek Coast), Costa del Corall (Coral Coast), Costa Serena (Serene Coast), Costes de Llevant (Levant Coasts) or Marina de l'Empordà (Empordà Marine).[5]

Geography

Extent

The Generalitat de Catalunya defines the Costa Brava as the coastal region that stretches from the Franco-Spanish border to the mouth of the Tordera, marking the border of the provinces of Girona and Barcelona. Portbou is the closest town to the border while its Blanes marks its southernmost point.[6] The Costa Brava Girona Tourism Board, a body of the tourism industry of the Province of Girona, promotes the brand name Costa Brava as an area of 5,885 square kilometres (2,272 sq mi). By this definition, Costa Brava includes the coastal comarques of Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà, Selva and the inland comarques of Pla de l'Estany and Gironès.[7][8]

The Cap de Creus is the easternmost point of the Iberian Peninsula.

Description

The northernmost part of the Costa Brava belongs to the comarca of Alt Empordà, and is marked by the Albera Massif and Cap de Creus, the easternmost prolongation of the Pyrenees. This area near the frontier is marked by rough terrain and cliffs, with small bays along the coast, in contrast with the large plains of the Alt Empordà region, where its capital Figueres is located. The first town from the border with France is Portbou, which grew around the railway station. A little down the coast are the seafaring villages of Colera and Llançà. North of the Cap de Creus lies the town of El Port de la Selva, while on its south lie the towns of Cadaqués and Roses. To the south of the Cap de Creus is found the Gulf of Roses, which stretches for fifteen kilometers with beaches and marshlands formed by the Muga and Fluvià rivers, with the protected areas of the Aiguamolls de l'Empordà along the coast. Empuriabrava, part of the municipality of Castelló d'Empúries, is one of the largest marinas in the world, built in the 1960s on the marshlands of the Muga river. Further south lies the town of Sant Pere Pescador and the coastal town of L'Escala. Between this two towns is the village of Sant Martí d'Empúries, which lies near the ruins of the ancient Greek colony of Empúries, founded in 575 BC.[6]

The bay of La Fosca, near Palamós, and the castle that dominates the beach.

The central part of the Costa Brava belongs to the comarca of Baix Empordà, whose capital is La Bisbal d'Empordà, with the Montgrí Massif extending on its north, from L'Escala to the village of L'Estartit, part of the municipality of Torroella de Montgrí. The Ter river pours its water at this point, near a small archipelago known as Medes Islands. Further south, following a stretch of beach and marshlands, are the towns of Pals, Begur and Palafrugell. At this point the Gavarres Massif meets the sea, with a coast marked by rugged cliffs, small bays and beaches amid coastal villages such as Aiguafreda, Fornells, Tamariu, Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc. The town of Palamós, further south, is a major commercial and fishing port. At this point the coast forms a bay between Palamós and Sant Antoni de Calonge, part of the town of Calonge. South of it lies the town of Castell-Platja d'Aro, including Platja d'Aro, a large tourist resort which has grown along a wide beach. Situated to the south are S'Agaró and the town of Sant Feliu de Guixols, which lies to the north-east of the Ardenya Massif.[6]

The beach of Blanes and the mouth of the Tordera river in the background.

The southernmost part of the Costa Brava belongs to the comarca of Selva, whose capital is Santa Coloma de Farners, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the Mediterranean Sea. Tossa de Mar is located to the north of the coastline, with several resorts and small bays along the littoral. Lloret de Mar, located to the south of Tossa, is the largest resort on the Costa Brava, with a population of over 200,000 at its peak during the summer. Blanes is the southernmost town on the Costa Brava and is the third most populous municipality of the Province of Girona.[6]

In the middle of the Costa Brava, about 30 kilometres (19 mi) inland from the Mediterranean Sea, lies Girona, the capital of the comarca of Gironès and the Province of Girona. The city has a population of almost 100000 and lies at the confluence of the Onyar, Güell, Galligants and Ter rivers. Ten kilometers north of Girona is Banyoles, the capital of the comarca of the Pla de l'Estany, on the shore of the Lake of Banyoles. Both the Gironès and the Pla de l'Estany are the inland comarques of the Costa Brava.[6]

Rivers

The main rivers that pour their waters into the Costa Brava are:[9]

Climate

The climate of Costa Brava is typically Mediterranean, mild and temperate, characterized by hot, dry summers, and moderately cold winters. The annual average temperature ranges from 7 to 28 ºC, while the highest temperatures are recorded in the months of July and August.[10]

History

In the 1950s, the Costa Brava was identified by the Spanish government and local entrepreneurs as being suitable for substantial development as a holiday destination, mainly for package holiday tourists from Northern Europe and especially, the United Kingdom and France. The combination of a very good summer climate, nature, excellent beaches and a favourable foreign exchange rate was exploited by the construction of large numbers of hotels and apartments in such seaside resorts as Blanes, Tossa de Mar, and Lloret de Mar. Tourism rapidly took over from fishing as the principal business of the area.

Cadaqués, an artist's paradise

Culture

While part of the Costa Brava coastline lent itself to tourist developments on a very large scale, other parts have retained a more traditional look. Small towns like Cadaqués, which is close to the French border and close to the foothills of the Pyrenees, have attracted artists, such as Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró and Pablo Picasso. The Dalí Theatre and Museum in Figueres is one of the most important and visited museums in Catalonia. One can also visit Dalí's House-Museum in Port Lligat, near Cadaqués and the Castle of Púbol in Púbol. The coast between Roses and Tossa de Mar has many delightful small coastal towns, such as Pals, Begur, Tamariu, S'Agaró, Empuriabrava, Llafranc, L'Estartit, Aigua Blava, Fornells, Calella de Palafrugell, Calonge, Palamós and Sant Feliu de Guíxols.

Calella de Palafrugell is one of the smaller resort towns in the Costa Brava

Environmental protection

In 1998, the coastal towns of the Costa Brava signed a charter, called the Carta de Tossa, which undertook to pursue environmental protection, along with tourism. This recognised the value of the region's wide range of natural habitats and microclimates. The Medes Islands off the coast of L'Estartit are in Spain's first marine reserve and provide a home to a wide range of fish and aquatic flora. The nearby wildfowl reserve on marshlands at Aiguamolls de l’Empordà also saved land from the potential ravages of development.

Tourism

Because of its natural beauty the whole area became very highly popular in the 'High End' Real estate sector. Especially the 'Golden Triangle' -Tossa, Sant Feliu de Guixols, towards Platja d'Aro and Llagostera. This area is very popular with its many golf courses and yacht ports.

References

  1. ^ Casellas, Irene (2008). "Costa Brava centenària [[:Template:Ca icon]]" (PDF). Presència (in Catalan) (1902): 3. Retrieved January 22, 2012. {{cite journal}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  2. ^ "Ferran Agulló and Ignasi Domènech". Government of Catalonia. gencat.cat. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  3. ^ "Costa Brava: a coastal gem". The Telegraph. August 18, 2010. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  4. ^ Aragón Cánovas, Francisco Javier (2004). Derecho y turismo. Universidad de Salamanca. p. 105. ISBN 9788478005642. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); More than one of |pages= and |page= specified (help)
  5. ^ Iglesias, Natalia (September 13, 2008). "Un siglo de Costa Brava [[:Template:Es icon]]". El País. Retrieved January 23, 2012. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  6. ^ a b c d e "Costa Brava - Catalonia" (PDF). Government of Catalonia, Ministry of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise. gencat.cat. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  7. ^ "About Us - Costa Brava Girona Tourism Board". Costa Brava Girona Tourism Board. costabrava.org. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  8. ^ "General information - Costa Brava Girona Tourism Board". Costa Brava Girona Tourism Board. costabrava.org. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  9. ^ "La Costa Brava". Enciclopèdia.cat. Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana. Retrieved January 22, 2012. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |trans_title=, |month=, and |coauthors= (help)
  10. ^ http://www.holiday-weather.com/costa_brava/
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