ESTARTIT
Area: Costa Brava
Country: Spain


Location:
In the very NE of the Spanish mainland, on an E-facing coast in the Costa Brava. 47 miles NE of Lloret de Mar. 28 miles E of Gerona, 32 miles E of its airport.

Telephone code from UK:
34

Website:
http://www.publintur.es/

Position:
On a fairly open, curving bay, occupying mostly flat ground with the outskirts creeping up a steep, rocky, tree-covered ridge called Rocamaura.

Description:
The town is mostly a recent development, moving S from the original fishing village; streets are generally wide and the buildings low. There is some atmosphere in the centre, the church square (Pla?a Esglesia), but the general tone is tranquil. It is heavily influenced by British tourism but hasn't given up its own character. An archipelago of seven islands called Las Islas Medas, just offshore, is now a nature reserve.

Suitability:
Low to middlemarket, all ages but especially families with young children; scuba divers.

Accommodation:
Predominantly 3-star hotels and a variety of middle-range apartments. Els Griells to the S is half falling apart and half being slowly bought up by Spanish families for their own use.

Shopping:
Not much, apart from a few clothes shops and usual tourist outlets scattered around. A market for food on Thursdays and a much bigger one in nearby Torroella on Mondays.

Beach:
One very long, curved bay of soft, light brown sand that extends 2 miles, all the way along the resort from the pleasant marina at the N end. Broad, with plenty of space behind a tightly packed band of sunbeds and parasols. Often windswept but generally safe for children.

Entertainments:
Daytime: diving _ the islands off the coast are surrounded by coral and varied aquatic life. Plenty of diving schools offering classes from 2 to 4 days. Windsurfing, sailing, fishing, boat trips to the islands. Sports from body-building to minigolf. "Ultralight" flying. Big children's funfair on main road into town. Nightlife: limited to a variety of pubs, bars and cafes mainly concentrated by the marina; a couple of discos.

Eating:
A mixture of fast food and pizzas plus very good local cuisine as well as Indian and Chinese. Typical fare is homely and simple with plenty of fish.

Public-transport:
Buses to Gerona 3_4 times day; Torroella 15 times a day. A tourist train runs along the resort hourly, from the port to Els Griells. No bus circulates the resort.

Local-excursions:
Half day: La Bisbal (8 miles) for history and pottery; ancient Greek and Roman ruins of Empuries (9 miles). Boat cruise to Palamos market. Full day: Barcelona; Pyrenees; Mountain of Montserrat with its 8th-century monastery.