Capturing the Essence of Catalonia on a Coastal Journey

The best of Barcelona and Costa Brava on a Mediterranean coastal journey

Our third guided travel experience with Collette took us to three areas of Europe that we love and were excited to explore more — the coastal regions of Spain, France, and Italy. This is the first in a series posts about our Collette 15-day Mediterranean Coastal Journey tour highlighting the blend of features that characterize the best of Barcelona and Costa Brava.

Bon dia! (“Good morning” in Catalan.) Sunrise over the Mediterranean — Costa Brava, Spain

Barcelona and Costa Brava are part of Catalonia, an autonomous region (similar to a state in the USA) of northeastern Spain. Catalonia has cultural differences from other parts of Spain and it has its own language, Catalan, which is most widely spoken in the region. Most locals are also fluent in Castilian Spanish, the standard version spoken in Spain.

On each of the five days in Catalonia, we took advantage of Collette’s included tours and free time to enjoy art, scenic beauty, historic cities, charming villages, and culinary delights.

Irresistible Barcelona

Barcelona is the Catalonian capital located on Spain’s Mediterranean coast. While rich in history, it has a very contemporary and cosmopolitan vibe. There is also a strong design culture in the city that is showcased in its architecture, art, decor, and local products. I find it to be an irresistible city and I was excited to have a chance to visit again.

Outdoor market stalls on Plaça de la Seu (Barcelona Cathedral is also located on this square)

Gothic Quarter

Gothic Quarter

The oldest part of Barcelona is the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gòtic). A walking tour with an excellent local guide was included in our Collette itinerary and took us along its maze-like narrow streets to the Roman city walls and cemetery, Cathedral of Barcelona, and many other notable sites while sharing interesting information and perspectives.

Mr. TWS on a walking tour of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter

Gothic Quarter, Barcelona

The picture below is of tombs along what had been a Roman road discovered during restoration of the plaza in the 1950s. The discovery confirmed the early Roman origins of Barcelona beginning in the 1^st century BC.

Ancient Roman cemetery

Off the main streets of the Gothic Quarter in a courtyard are the 9-meter tall Corinthian columns of the Temple of Augustus which was dedicated to the Emperor Augustus in the first century AD.

Temple of Augustus

Temple of Augustus visit tip: Please be respectful of the people who live and work in the buildings around the temple and refrain from loud talking.

“The World Begins With Every Kiss” mural

While exploring the Gothic Quarter, look for the The World Begins With Every Kiss mural (above). It is a compelling collection of 4000 mosaics with personal images of Barcelona residents who responded to artist Joan Fontcuberta’s publicized request to share photos of themselves in “a moment of freedom”.

Eixample district and Modernism

Modernism is a late 19th to early 20th century cultural movement centered in Barcelona that influenced the city’s architecture, arts, decor, and literature. In addition to the prominent architectural examples of Modernist design of the 19th-century buildings of the Eixample district, you’ll notice examples in the interior decor of many shops, restaurants, and hotels.

Vibrant and stylish Eixample district of Barcelona

In a previous article, I wrote about the design culture of Barcelona in more detail.

Characteristic of Barcelona culture, “rauxa i seny” is variously interpreted as a mix of avant garde and common sense, impulse and sanity, spontaneity and measured process, madcap and businesslike. “Rauxa i seny” is the essence of Barcelona’s modernista design and prominently showcased in the Eixample. — TWS Rauxy i Seny Barcelona

Plaça de Catalunya

Plaça de Catalunya is considered the place where the old city of Barcelona meets the Eixample district which was first developed in the 19th century as a new extention to the city.

Spires of Cases Rocamora

I loved this view from Plaça de Catalunya of the towers of a large residential building, Cases Rocamora. It has a neo-Gothic style with distinct modernist details designed by architect Antoni Rocamora i Pujolà.

The world of Gaudi in Barcelona

There are seven works of architect Antoni Gaudi in and near Barcelona that are designated on the UNESCO World Heritage List. We visited two of his famous buildings during our time in Barcelona — La Sagrada Familia (included in tour) and Casa Batlló (during our free time).

La Sagrada Familia

When we previously visited Barcelona on our own, we were only able to admire La Sagrada Familia from the outside (which is fascinating), but included in our Collette itinerary was a guided visit inside the yet-to-be-finished basilica. Work began in 1882, and the project was taken over by Gaudi in 1883 until his death in 1926, with other architects continuing with his plan. Although it has been said that the work will be complete in 2026, locals we talked to don’t think that will be the case.

Towers of La Sagrada Familia

The lighting effects and intensity and colors vary at different times during the day. We toured late afternoon, and the lighting was wonderful inside. At any time, the interior features with so much symbolism are fascinating, and our guide did an excellent job highlighting them and explaining their significance.

La Sagrada Familia

Stained glass windows, lighting effects, and crucifix in Sagrada Familia

Casa Batlló

We also highly recommend a visit to Casa Batlló, and it  was a great free time activity for us on this tour. This residential building designed by Gaudi is on a section of Passeig de Gràcia known as the Block of Discord because on the same block are three diverse examples of Modernism by three prominent architects of the early 20th century. Gaudi’s Casa Batlló is one of them. Read more in my previous article about Barcelona’s Block of Discord.

Casa Batlló

The self-guided audio tour takes you through the fascinating six-story house and up to the rooftop terrace for views of the city and an up close look at the mosaic detail of the chimneys. A major feature of Casa Batlló, inside and outside, is the curvy design of stairways, walls, and doors.

Maritime effect of Casa Batlló interior

Casa Batlló mosaic chimney

Casa Batlló visit tip: It’s a good idea to purchase timed tickets ahead of time (as we did) to avoid waiting in long lines.

Montjuïc Castle and Cable Car

Montjuic cable car in Barcelona

Whenever we visit a place that has a cable car or funicular, we try to make time for a ride. The cable car up Montjuïc (meaning “Jewish Mountain” in Catalan) was part of our included coach tour of Barcelona. Atop the hill, we explored Montjuïc Castle, an old military fortress from 1640, and enjoyed the spectacular views of Barcelona and its busy port before returning to our coach via a short walk down the hill.

Montjuïc Castle atop Montjuic

Barcelona seen from the top of Montjuic

Montjuïc tip for art lovers: Foundation Joan Miró museum and the Botanical Gardens of Barcelona are also located on Montjuïc down the hill from the castle.

Getting around Barcelona tip: Barcelona is a wonderful city for walking around, especially as we did in Eixample, Las Ramblas, and the Gothic Quarter. Uber can also be a good option depending on your destinations. We used Uber for a 10 minute drive to the restaurant Patrón from Casa Batlló and then back to our hotel.

Barcelona shopping tip: For high-end souvenirs or gifts that reflect the design culture of Barcelona, browse the housewares and decorative objects at Vinçon and shop at Lladró for imaginative hand-crafted porcelain figurines and collectible items. Both are in the Eixample district.

Other free time suggestions: Visit other Gaudi landmarks like Park Güell, Palau Güell, and Casa Milà; stroll La Rambla, the famous tree-lined boulevard that runs from Plaça de Catalunya to the Columbus Monument at Port Vell; visit any of the city’s impressive museums.

Costa Brava

The Costa Brava begins about 37 miles northeast of Barcelona and stretches to the Pyrenees and the French border. It’s a beautiful area with picturesque seaside villages, sandy beaches, and historic towns. It’s easy to see why it was a primary inspiration for its own famous surrealist artist, Salvador Dalí.

Mediterranean views and beaches

Mediterraean Sea and beach below our hotel in Calonge, Spain

Two nights at a seaview hotel on a hilltop just above the Mediterranean gave us a chance to embrace a Mediterranean coastal experience while also taking days trips to key Costa Brava locations — Girona, Besalú, Figueres, and charming seaside villages. It was indeed the Mediterranean good life in Costa Brava during the warm and sunny days we were there.

Mediterranean sea view at hotel in Calonge

From our hotel, there was a path down the hill to two public beaches where lounge chairs and umbrellas could be rented. Mr. TWS spent some time in the Mediterranean, but I preferred to catch some rays on the beach. The hotel also had a large pool where we enjoyed some time with our tour friends.

Girona

Girona is the capital city of the Girona province of Catalonia. It is a must-visit for its colorful buildings along the River Onyar, impressive cathedral, squares and characteristic cobblestone streets. It’s often referred to as a Spanish Venice because of its many bridges connecting picturesque areas of the city. We took an included walking tour of the city, and then enjoyed an outdoor lunch of local dishes.

Cathedral and buildings of Girona on the Onyar River

Barri Vell area of Girona

A real treat for Mr. TWS was the guide pointing out where scenes from season 6 of Game of Thrones were filmed in Girona. The steps of Girona Cathedral represented the Great Sept of Baelor in King’s Landing in a famous scene with Jamie Lannister climbing the steps horseback to confront the High Sparrow.

Girona Cathedral

Charming Villages

A lovely excursion on the tour was a coastal walk between the seaside villages of Calella de Palafrugell and LLafranc, popular for beach holidays.

Callella de Palafrugell, an old fishing village of Costa Brava

Costa Brava seaside village

Llafranc beach

Surrealism of Salvador Dalí in Figueres

I’ve long been a fan of the works of surrealist Salvador Dalí, and Mr. TWS became a fan after our first visit to the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres several years ago. We were thrilled to get a chance to go back and explore more of the amazing place that Dali himself designed, lived, and died. The entire building is in itself a surrealist design.

Courtyard of Dali Theatre-Museum in Figueres

Interior entrance of Dali Theatre-Museum

Dali Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Spain

Besalú

Following our visit to Figueres, we were taken to Besalú, a picturesque medieval town on the Fluvià river. We walked across the 11th-century bridge to the old town to see key landmarks such as the Romanesque churches of Sant Julià and Sant Vicenç, the monastery of Sant Pere, and the Jewish baths. It was a hot summer day, so instead of shopping at some of the interesting shops along the cobblestone streets, we opted to cool off in a cafe with cold beverages.

Besalú

Dining

The Mediterranean Coastal Journey Tour has included meals (all breakfasts and several other meals) as well as opportunities to dine on our own, which is an aspect of the itineraries that we enjoy. There were many restaurants in easy walking distance from our hotel in Eixample. We had two dinners (including one group dinner)  at our seaside hotel in Costa Brava. The balmy temperatures of July made outdoor dining a special pleasure.

Outdoor dining in Barcelona

In Barcelona, there was a delicious welcome dinner at La Rita and another group dinner at Can Travi Nou, a 17th-century farmhouse in the Horta-Guinardó neighborhood on the outskirts of Barcelona. It was fun to learn that a scene from the 2008 film Vicky Cristina Barcelona was filmed there. (Please note that the restaurants selected for particular tours could be subject to change.) Don’t forget to sip some Cava, the Spanish version of sparking wine, while anywhere in Spain.

A Catalan sampler — Cava, paella, scallops, tapas, Crema Catalana – Paella photo by  Pablo Arroyo

Barcelona free time dinner recommendation: Patrón at  Travessera de Gracia, 44, is a restaurant that was recommended by staff at our hotel. It was a short Uber ride (about 10 minutes) to this tree-lined residential area of Eixample for great seafood, service, and romantic ambiance.

Tour manager and guide tip: Ask your tour manager and local guides for tips about free time activities and restaurant recommendations. They are eager to share their knowledge and enhance your trip.

Catalan traditional souvenir tip: El caganer is a traditional Catalan Christmas figurine depicting a character “pooping” — I know, it seems odd. But it is a traditional, and some say essential, element of Christmas decorations in Catalan homes. The figurine is usually hidden in the household’s nativity scene.

Stay tuned for the second part of  our Mediterranean journey as we traveled with Collette to the French Riviera.

Adéu, Catalunya!  (Goodbye, Catalonia!) 

Disclosure: Gràcies, Collette for sponsoring our Mediterranean Coastal Journey. It was our pleasure!

Related posts:

Be Enchanted — The Best of Madrid in Three Days Exploring the Balkans with Collette: Our First Guided Land Tour