Our sailboat, the Jolie Biche. At the marina in Palamós.
How are your sea legs?” asked the captain as our group of bloggers boarded the Jolie Biche at the marina in Palamós. I hesitated and scanned the Mediterranean sea for signs of white caps that would test my sea legs. Seeing nothing but flat sea, I answered “fine” as I hopped aboard ready to explore the famed Costa Brava coast. Boasting over 200km of pristine coastline, it stretches from the French Border down to Blanes, a beach town just north of Barcelona, where I had been two days ago exploring the Gothic Quarter.
Jellyfish hanging out by our sailboat before our departure along the coast
The first thing that immediately caught my attention were the jellyfish hanging out less than a meter from the boat. Although that would be it for our wildlife sightings for the day, it’s also possible to see dolphins, and even whales in season. And the one fish, I’m dying to see – a moon fish! The possibility of seeing a moon fish alone justifies a diving trip in Costa Brava alone, but I digress.
While there wouldn’t be more wildlife today, there would be:
Rugged cliffs that plunge into the sea!
Castle ruins along the Mediterranean coast
Castle ruins.
sandy beaches of Calella de Palafrugell
Sandy beaches and pristine turquoise waters
Secret hideaway for the rich and famous tucked out of sight for ultimate privacy among Costa Brava’s numerous nature reserves.
Opportunities to brave the crystal blue but chilly Mediterranean waters in sheltered coves. I chilled out instead some might say chickened out. But here, it was September after all! Tony from Contemporary Nomad is much braver than I and dove right in.
Calella de Palafrugell Coastline
There would be medieval coastal towns and former white-washed fishing villages serving the catch of the day.
At Llafranc our destination for some coastline hiking and lunch.
And perhaps most importantly, after a few chilled out hours of smooth sailing, I knew there would be a seaside lunch at Hotel Restaurant Terramar in Llafranc, waiting for me. Nothing beats a fresh seafood paella. And although I learned the secret to making a perfect paella in a previous visit to Catalunya, it tastes so much better when you don’t have to make it yourself.
Fresh seafood paella at Hotel Restaurant Terramar in Llafranc
I enjoyed simply taking in the views. The serenity of being on a boat and doing absolutely nothing for a couple of hours. Something I rarely ever do. That was the best gift that Tela Marina could have given me.
Logistics of Sailing the Costa Brava Coast:
Our route took us fromPalamós to Llafranc, (click the link to see the map) and took a couple of hours. A longer trip could easily be arranged. It’s worth going to Port Lligat, home to Salvador Dali’s house. Trust me, you’ve never seen a house like his. Fortunately it’s now a house museum so you can go inside. Also near Port Lligat there’s also the white village of Cadaques, where Picasso used to spend his summer vacations. In my opinion, it’s one of the prettiest villages along the Costa Brava coast.
Sailing classes are also plentiful in Costa Brava including in Palamós which has one of the best marinas along the coast.
Thank you to Catalunya Tourism for making my sailing trip possible. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.