Looking to book a family holiday to Spain in early September. The plan was to fly into Barcelona and stay there a few days then head to Costa Brava for about 5 days. I have been to BCN but not Costa Brava. It looks beautiful there but I am questioning if the beaches there are best/calm with easy entrance for toddlers (they would be going in the water w us anyway). My husband says AI suggests we head to Costa Del Sol instead for wider beaches with calm water for the kids. From my research, it seems Costa Brava is less touristy than Costa Del Sol, and Costa Del Sol is not driving distance from Barcelona (we intend to rent a car). There are also some beaches in Costa Dorado area that look nice. Not stuck on this itinerary at all , goal of the trip is a fun family holiday w beach time with the kids on the Mediterranean. Ideally, not full of touristy restaurants offering American hamburgers and the british invasion of Majorca (went there years ago and was disappointed not to find more authentic Spanish restaurants and lots of British pubs). Of note, my boys have never flown before so ideally trying to fly someplace direct. Hence, the fly into BCN and drive to the coast for a few days. Thoughts?
Posted by
new york
1726 posts
We plan to head for the Costa Brava in September, too--to Begur.
Beginning in Barcelona, that is your best choice.
There are many calm coves suitable for flat swimming and wading.
There are also some built-up resorts with high-rises and fish and chip shops but it's easy to just steer clear of those towns....
Look in and around Begur--Sa Riera, Callela de Palafrugell, or even Cadaques.
Sitges might be worth a look, too--south of Barcelona.
I'd try to skip the AI research and do a deep dive into the many websites that offer solid info on the beaches of Catalonia.
I do not like the Costa del Sol and beaches there may be wide but many have gritty, dark sand, and are lined with high-rise concrete hotels.....it would be nutty to drive there from Barcelona.
There is no such thing as a non-touristy beach in September on the Spanish coast. The differences between various resorts is the kind of tourist they cater to. You really missed the boat on Mallorca if you did not find any authentic Catalan food...can I asks where you went on that island?
My favorite beach area of mainland Spain is the Costa de la Luz; to get thereto could take a direct flight on Vueling from Barcelona to Jerez and rent a car to explore the Atlantic Ocean beaches in the province of Cadiz. I happen to be about ten minutes' drive from the beach of El Palmar de Vejer as I write this!
Posted by
OP
NJ
5 posts
Thanks. I was researching Callela de Palafrugell. I expect there to be some tourists whereever we go but I don't want the built up concrete high rise hotels like you mentioned. I was ideally trying to find a villa or apt w a pool, kitchen and area for the boys to run outside. Possibly get them bunk beds as I have seen that set up in a few lodging options.
Re_Majorca, we stayed in Magaluf. The main area made me feel like I was in the UK and not Spain ( at the time I was living in England, so I was looking for authentic Spain and not the Rose and Crown pub and fish and chips)
Back to trip planning, ideally I want fly into someplace direct, then we would rent a car to get around and have more flexibility w young kids.
Posted by
Bristol, UK
2179 posts
Magaluf is literally the worst part of Majorca. The very word induces a shiver down the spine of most Brits. It’s synonymous with young people partying hard and that kind of thing. Most of Majorca is lovely and ideal for a family holiday.
The beaches at the Costa del Sol actually aren’t that good and it’s incredibly touristy so I would avoid it.
Posted by
Portsmouth
6058 posts
I've been visiting Mallorca for over two decades and have never stayed in Magaluf (I drove through it once to reaffirm to myself why I never want to visit there). It is widely recognised as the worst place in Mallorca along with S'Arenal, the German equivalent of British centric Magaluf. There is so much more to Mallorca, it's an incredibly beautiful island with lovely beaches and fantastic food. I have never set foot in a British pub or even seen one outside of Magaluf.
I also visit the Costa Del Sol a lot, primarily Estepona, Malaga etc but avoid the more ex pat areas such as Benalmadena, Torremolinos etc. The beaches aren't great (Estepona is quite nice) but I'm not really a beach person as I prefer to swim in a pool rather than the filthy Mediterranean (it's one of the world's most polluted seas).
If you're minded to give Mallorca another go (I highly recommend it) then one of the best beaches is Es Trenc. It's part of a nature reserve so it's completely undeveloped with none of the high rise hotels found in many Spanish coastal resorts and it's perfect for young children as the water is very shallow for quite some distance (it never reached above my knees when I took my kids there when they were young).
Posted by
la rioja
768 posts
Hi Jaime,
this might not work for this trip, but a possibility could be the Basque coast.
Early September (the first week for example) can be great. We have gone to San Juan de Luz at that time and we've had great, good and once bad rainy weather. It will always be a bit of a risk, San Juan is a great place to visit.
The beaches around Bilbao can be nice to (with the same risks). From Logroño I have made many day trips in September to Gorliz with my kids when they were young (the days around the 21st of September are fiesta here and when there was good weather we would head up for a beach day). The beach there is wide and sandy, and the waves are usually very moderate. There is a webcam so you can see the beach, Webcam Gorliz
As for the food, it is great, and you shouldn't run into many tourist.
I am not sure which airlines it is, but one of them will have summer direct flights from Bilbao to Newark.
Posted by
1 posts
Hello,
In my personal opinion, it is a better option to spend your holidays on the Costa del Sol or the Costa Blanca, as the beaches are generally less rocky and the climate is more Mediterranean. There are also many excellent hotels, great restaurants, and tourist attractions to visit compared to Barcelona or the Costa Brava. I say this without taking anything away from the beauty of the Costa Brava or Catalonia.
I’m Spanish, and I’m sharing this based on my own experience and knowledge.
If you're interested, I can also recommend one of the best car rental companies operating throughout Spain.
Best regards.
Posted by
10236 posts
We live on an island is coastal Georgia so almost never do a beach vacation elsewhere, but 40 years ago I spent three days at Fuengirola on Costa del Sol. We also visited nicer places like Malaga.
Frankly, I was disappointed at the beaches in Costa del Sol. They were massively overloaded with tourists and the beaches themselves were at best mediocre, nothing as nice as most beaches in Florida.
I have heard from others that did Costa Brava and they had more positive things to say about it.
Posted by
4 posts
I think your husband may be right - for a beach holiday with toddlers, Costa del Sol is probably the easier choice.
Costa Brava is beautiful, but many beaches there are small coves, sometimes with rocks, steps or a quicker entrance into deeper water. Great for scenery, but not always the most practical with little kids.
Costa del Sol has more wide sandy beaches, easier access, promenades, beach restaurants and family-friendly areas. I would just avoid the most touristy spots and look more at Estepona, Manilva, Casares Costa, La Duquesa or Sotogrande for a calmer, more local feel.
The only thing is that I wouldn’t drive there from Barcelona with toddlers - if you choose Costa del Sol, flying into Málaga makes much more sense.
This article may help with choosing beaches:
https://sunsetrental.es/en/blog/best-beaches-costa-del-sol