The Costa Brava (; ; 'Wild Coast' or 'Rough Coast') is a coastal region of Catalonia in northeastern Spain. Sources differ on the exact definition of the Costa Brava. Usually it can be regarded as stretching from the town of Blanes, northeast of Barcelona, to the French border – in other words it consists of the coast of the province of Girona.
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 Europe. The combination of a very good summer climate, nature, excellent beaches and a favourable foreign exchange rate (before the creation of the single European currency), which made the Costa Brava an attractive tourist destination, 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.
Etymology
The coast was named Costa Brava by in an article published in the Catalan newspaper La Veu de Catalunya in September 1908. Agulló, a journalist born in Girona, referred to the rugged landscape of the Mediterranean coast between the Tordera river, near Blanes, and Banyuls (just over the border in France) with the name Costa Brava. Costa is the Catalan and Spanish word for 'coast', while Brava in both languages means 'rugged' or 'wild'. This term was officially recognized and promoted in the 1960s as it was deemed suitable to promote tourism in the region. Before Costa Brava became the official name, other names were suggested, such as Costa Grega (Greek Coast) due to the ancient heritage of this area which includes Greek-Phoenician settlements such as Emporion, Costa del Corall (Coral Coast), Costa Serena (Serene Coast), Costes de Llevant (Levant Coasts) or Marina de l'Empordà (Empordà Marine).
It may or may not be a coincidence that the name Costa Brava resembles Costa Blava (the Catalan designation of the French Riviera), which is a literal translation of the Spanish Costa Azul ("Blue Coast"). This in turn is a not-quite-literal translation of the French Côte d'Azur ("Azure Coast"); azul has the same etymology as azur, but it is the general Spanish term for blue, not specifically azure. A direct translation from French to Catalan would have yielded Costa d'Atzur.
Geography Extent There are several, slightly differing, definitions of the Costa Brava:
in his article, introduced the name Costa Brava for the coastline from the River Tordera, near Blanes, to Banyuls-sur-Mer, in France and some beyond the Franco-Spanish border at Portbou.
the Generalitat de Catalunya defines the Costa Brava as the coastal region that stretches from the mouth of the River Tordera, which marks the border of the provinces of Girona and Barcelona, and the Franco-Spanish border.
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 . 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.
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 kilometres 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 River Muga. 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.
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 River Ter 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 , Fornells, Tamariu, Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell. 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 that 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.
The southernmost part of the Costa Brava belongs to the comarca of Selva, whose capital is Santa Coloma de Farners, about 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.
In the middle of the Costa Brava, about 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 100,000 and lies at the confluence of the Onyar, Güell, Galligants and Ter rivers. Ten kilometres 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.
Rivers The main rivers that pour their waters into the Costa Brava are: Muga, which pours its waters at Empuriabrava, Castelló d'Empúries. Fluvià, which pours its waters near Sant Pere Pescador. Ter, which pours its waters near L'Estartit, Torroella de Montgrí. Tordera, which pours its waters near Blanes, marking the southernmost part of the Costa Brava.
Climate Costa Brava has a typical Mediterranean climate, mild and temperate, characterised by hot, dry summers and moderately cold winters. The annual average temperature ranges from 7 to 28 °C, while the highest temperatures are recorded in the months of July and August.
History
Until after the First World War, the beaches along the coast of Catalonia served for Sunday leisure pursuits for the local people, plus one or two from neighbouring villages. While world tourism had discovered the Côte d'Azur by that time, the Costa Brava remained unknown to it.
A few years after the Spanish Civil War when some sort of order had been restored, the gradual breaking down of Spain's international isolation in the 1950s cleared the way for new options in tourism. The sea and the sun were drawing increasing numbers of people, which combined with the Côte d'Azur already being overcrowded in those days, enhanced the appeal of Costa Brava for holiday-makers who made their way there.
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.
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.
Further south, Blanes is known for its connection with renowned Chilean author Roberto Bolaño.
Museums and collections The great artistic collection is a set of nearly fifty museums and collections listed among the five counties that make up the name of the Costa Brava. From north to south:
Alt Empordà Exile Memorial Museum Collection in La Jonquera Watercolor Museum. Collection Foundation J. Martínez Lozano in Llançà Municipal Museum of Cadaqués in Cadaqués Museum of the Citadel Collection in Roses Museum of Peralada Castle Collection in Peralada Museum of Taps Collection in Capmany
in L'Escala The Anchovy and Salt Museum Museum Vicenç Folgado Collection Archaeology Museum of Catalonia-Empúries
in Castelló d'Empúries Collection of the Parish Museum of Castelló d'Empúries Museum Curia-Prison Ecomuseum-Flour Mill in Castelló d'Empúries
in Figueres Dalí Theatre and Museum Museum of the Empordà Technical Museum of l'Empordà National Toy Museum of Catalonia Baix Empordà Farm Museum Collection in Torroella de Fluvià Gala-Dalí Castle Museum in La Pera
in Torroella de Montgrí Museum of the Mediterranean Collection Museum of Painting Palau Solterra Archaeology Museum of Catalonia-Ullastret in Ullastret Rural Museum in Palau-sator Collection Museum of Underwater archaeology, Ca la Pruna in Pals
in Palafrugell Foundation Collection Josep Pla Foundation Collection Vila Casas-Can Mario Fishing Museum in Palamós Collection Dolls Museum in Platja d'Aro Xevi Collection – The Magic House in Santa Cristina d'Aro
in Sant Feliu de Guíxols History Museum Casa Alberti Historical Museum of the City Museum of the History of Toy Salvage Maritime Museum
Plà de l'Estany in Banyoles Regional Archaeological Museum of Banyoles Darder Museum and Interpretation of space, both in Lake of Banyoles Gironès Collection Museum Raset in Cervià de Ter Historical Museum of the City of Girona in Amer Collection Museum of the Water in Salt
in Girona: Archaeology Museum of Catalonia -Girona Cinema Museum Art Museum of the Province of Girona Jewish Heritage Museum Collection Small Fantasy Museum, Llorenç Deulofeu Collection Treasure Museum of the Cathedral of Girona Collection Museum Foundation Emili Vilà in Llagostera
Selva Collection Municipal Museum Guilleries in Sant Hilari Sacalm Collection of the Museum Trias of Cookies in Santa Coloma de Farners Art Park in Cassà de la Selva Ethnological Museum Montseny, La Gabella in Arbúcies Josep Aragay Museum in Breda Collection Salvador Claret Automobile in Sils