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Stay put in Costa Brava or venture into Basque Country?

Hello everyone! My husband and I will be flying in and out of Barcelona in June. The only thing we are certain about is that we will be staying in Barcelona the last leg of our trip for four days. We have about nine days before Barcelona and that is where we are stuck! We will be renting a car and want to do some exploring.

We have been looking into Costa Brava and the Girona area. We have made a (refundable) reservation for now in Parafrugell for four days... our plan (currently) is to have that as our home base but explore the coastline, hit the beaches, etc. Next, we were thinking about heading towards Girona and having that as our next home-base for 4-5 days to explore more of the inland cities/towns, as well as maybe check out some smaller towns nearing the Pyranees, maybe go hiking etc.

The reason we are thinking about sticking closer to this area is because we aren't thrilled about the thought of driving seven hours north to San Sebastian... but the more we think about it, the more we have the fear of missing out on the Basque area.

In your opinion, do you think it's worth the seven hour drive (to AND from) ir do you think it's not worth the hassle and stay put in the NE Spain instead like our current plan?

Posted by
28090 posts

I think there is plenty to keep you occupied in Catalunya without spending the better part of two days driving to and from the Basque Country. There is more to the Basque Country than San Sebastian (starting with Bilbao, which I preferred), and your visit would be really rushed. You also can't count on what I would consider swimming weather along the northern coast of Spain in July, much less in June.

Posted by
1700 posts

I agree with acraven that it is not worth it to spend 2 days on the road to go to San Sebastian for what will probably be 2 days. There are so many places to visit in Costa Brava. If you don't have it on your list, you should add Cadaques and Port Lligat (to visit Dali's home). Girona is a wonderful medieval city for a base, in addition to its own sites. From there you can take day trips to some places in the Pyrenees, such as Besalu, Rupit, and Ripoll.

Posted by
3071 posts
Posted by
1194 posts

Hi from Wisconsin,
Do you like really, really good food? Then go to the Basque region. It doesn't matter if it is Spain or France.

The area if beautiful. I like to describe it as Ireland on steroids. Who knew Spain had a lush green region?

Again, if you like food....beware that in the more rural areas, when you order a glass of wine, the best in the house, for let's say $3.00 you are likely to get a small patter of cheese or sausage or just about anything. It comes unasked for. And there is no charge.

Oh gosh and the cider. We paid about $1.60 for a magnum of cider and were fed until the bottle was empty. What a crazy place.

And a bit to the west along the coast is a cave with paintings. A small place Pileta I think it is called. Over looking a bay off the big Bay of B.

Enjoy,
wayne iNWI

Posted by
86 posts

Just returned from a 10-day Costa Brava trip. For us, we stayed put (Cadaques) and let this town reveal its beauty to us slowly. I am sure the same could be said of any place including what is already on your agenda. A seven-hour drive is quite a distance for a region you could probably dedicate an entire trip to in the future. If you are staying in Girona, you can hit Pals or Peratallada in under an hour or Cadaques in 90 minutes. Fantastic hiking awaits near Cadaques!

Posted by
11570 posts

We had the time to do both the Basque area and the Costa Brava. The seven hour drive to San Sebastián seems to bother you so why don’t you fly there?
Or stay in the Costa Brava. They are both excellent places to explore. Do not miss the Dalì Museum in Figures near Costa Brava.