We are headed to the Catalan coast do a walking 7 day trip next April. Could someone share what the weather might be like and any place we should make sure to see. We are basically staying right along the coast the entire time. Walking 6-10 miles a day.
Also, I noticed that they have just places some new COVID restrictions. Hopefully, by April they will have it under control.
Thanks
Do you mean the Costa Brava? What are your start/finish points?
Have a look at Camins de Ronda (coastal pathways, "camins"=pathways in Catalan language) before you start planning :))
Enjoy!
Catalonia has quite the long coastline, stretching almost 400 km, the Costa Brava is the most famous one, but you also have the equally interesting Costa Dorada (https://www.spain.info/en/region/costa-dorada/), which is located south of Barcelona. Some of my favourite points of interests:
Garraf - laid back beach community just south of Barcelona. Popular with locals and with good seafood restaurants. There is also here a beach house designed by none other than Antoni Gaudí!
Poblet Royal Monastery - a UNESCO World Heritage Site and still active 12th-century Cistercian monastery. It was a fortified medieval royal residence and contains the unique hanging tombs of the old Kings of Aragon.
Tarragona - ancient seaside town with very good Roman ruins, including an amphitheater, intact aqueduct, and Praetorium Tower, was once the capital of Roman Hispania (modern-day Spain). Tarragona's medieval old town is a delight to explore too.
Les Ferreres Aqueduct - Roman Aqueduct you can walk on top of, a few km from Tarragona.
Sitges - the quintessential posh beach town, 30 min south from Barcelona. Has multiple small sandy beaches. Known for its gay scene, Sitges also has nice historic centre lined with boutique restaurants and shops.
Castillo de Miravet - A large riverside stronghold built by the Knights Templar with commanding views of the countryside. The adjacent medieval village spills down the cliff towards the rivers. A great place to bicycle, kayak, or take a leisurely boat down the Ebro river.
PS: In Spain we have a little saying - "en Abril aguas mil" which means "in April a thousand waters", which means prepare for lots of rain in April, it will certainly not be beach weather. Also depending on your dates you may be coinciding with la Dia de Sant Jordi on 23 of April, an important day for the Catalonia, a bit like a Catalan Valentine's day, but with books.
Thank you so much but we are thinking of starting in Begur on to Alguablava, Llafranc, Calella de Pala frugell, La Fasca and end in S'Argo.
Dates are April 16 to 24. It really rains alot in April? We are trying to find a place that is 60-70 degrees. Would going south of Barcelona be better or up in France?
I can attest to April being rainy in Spain, I once had an entire week washed out in Andalucia by near constant daily rain.
Best to go south of Barcelona, as the Costa Brava can get quite cold and miserable outside the high summer months, average temps in April vary between 17c - 10c in my experience. My recommendations would be the aforementioned Costa Dorada and the Costa del Azahar, basically the stretch of coastline between Barcelona and Valencia. It's a land full of ancient olive trees, citrus groves, sandy beaches, lazy beach towns, time-warped castles, and Roman Ruins.
you can read more here: https://www.roughguides.com/article/costa-del-azahar/
I second the above, April is early for the coast near Barcelona, whose climate is strongly influenced by the nearby mountains. Safer to go south!
My husband and I are also looking at taking a trip to Catalunya next spring, but slightly later in the season. I was interested in travel to the same location, but we are looking at May as a travel time. I would be interested in thoughts about the weather in May, also recommendations for where to stay for a quiet "time out" that would give us access to some coastal trails. We are reasonably fit seniors, but two hours (maybe three if there was a place to stop to eat midway) is probably what would make a pleasant day's trek for us. I have looked online at several locations to stay, including Begur, Llfranc, Calella de Palafrugell, and Tamariu, but I am not getting a really good picture of any of the locations. Thanks very much for any advice/input from those familiar with that part of the country.
Dorothy
@Dorothy.... check post #2 :)
