Girona & Costa Brava By Car Or Motorhome
Discover a wonderful city and some gorgeous highlights of the Costa Brava with our guest author Marina, a writer who grew up in the Mediterranean. You can fly into Girona with Ryanair from some UK & Irish airports, pick up a rental car or hire a motorhome – more about that later.
Girona – a wonderful, welcoming city
Girona’s city centre is really welcoming; walking through its narrow streets which look like a maze will make you time travel mainly due to its Jewish quarter, the biggest and best preserved one in the whole Europe. The reason why Girona kept this amazing Jewish quarter so well preserved is quite surprising; when the Jews were expelled from the city, the quarter entrance was bricked up and as the years went by, it was totally forgotten by the city inhabitants. It was luckily rediscovered during some street maintenance.
This beautiful Mediterranean city is surrounded by Roman walls. You can visit them, walk on top of them and enjoy a great view of Girona. One of the most popular postcard images of Girona is the colourful houses on the edge of the river, an image that may make us think about another amazing Mediterranean city: Florence.
If you like outstanding cuisine, you must taste the Celler Can Roca dishes. This restaurant is located in a quiet neighbourhood of Girona and, for several years, it has been chosen as the world’s best restaurant. For those willing to taste the brother’s Roca creations on a budget, the ice cream shop Rocambolesc is the place to be.
Every year, during the “Girona, Temps de Flors” Festival, the city centre turns into an unusual garden for a few days. The city’s streets, squares and monuments are decorated with thousands of natural flowers. It is the perfect occasion to discover Girona in a colourful and aromatic background. The city gets crowded but it is an event definitively worth attending; next edition will take place from 7th to 15th May 2016.
Visiting Girona by car or motorhome?
The old district of Girona is really narrow and has numerous pedestrian areas. As the city is quite small, the best way to visit it is to park outside the city centre and to get closer by walking.
We recommend the motorhome park Vayreda La Devesa, it is placed just next to a big park close to the city centre. For 10€ a day motorhomers can use all the facilities including water facilities but extra services, such as electricity, are charged.
Costa Brava roadtrip ideas
Once you are done with Girona you absolutely must visit and experience the Costa Brava. It is a perfect destination to break the everyday routine and to relax at the seaside. There are plenty of lovely little villages and gorgeous hidden beaches so we strongly recommend to explore Costa Brava by car, or even better by motorhome!
The Costa Brava beaches are well known thanks to the turquoise sea. This area hides many small creeks surrounded by plants and cliffs. The way to reach the most hidden creeks is often by swimming or walking, but the amazing scenery is definitely worth it!
Some of the best known fishing villages in the Costa Brava are Palamós, Calella de Palafrugell, L’Escala, Empúries or Cadaqués. Their Mediterranean scenery and their way of life have attracted many artists, including the great Salvador Dalí. Many of these villages have narrow streets and often traffic is banned due to the large number of tourists. So it is better to park outside the city centre and then discover them by calmly walking down their charming streets.
The Dalí museum is located in Figueres, the town where he was born, it is located a few miles away from Cadaqués. It is a compulsory visit if you plan to discover the work of this artist, considered as the best surrealist painter. The surprising building was conceived by Dalí himself.
Costa Brava recommended sites
There are many campsites in the area and most of them are ready to welcome motorhomes and also offer mobile homes. By staying at a campsite while visiting Costa Brava you will be closer to nature and you will be able to visit as many villages and beaches as you wish with no schedule restraint.
We recommend to stay at King’s Camping in Palamós if you are looking for a beautiful resort including a swimming pool, playgrounds for the kids, bars, a restaurant, a supermarket and even a bowling alley. At King’s Camping you can choose to sleep in your own motorhome, caravan or tent, to book a tent or mobile home or to sleep in luxury villa’s rooms.
If you prefer a quiet motorhome park Area Camper Park Massís del Montgrí is the place to be, this motorhome park is located next to the Montgrí Natural Park and a few miles away from L’Escala and Empúries.
How to rent a motorhome in this area
You can hire a private motorhome to visit Girona and Costa Brava on this interesting website: https://www.yescapa.com/
