The Costa Brava is a 160-kilometre stretch of beautiful, rugged Catalonian coastline in the north east corner of Spain. Its natural beauty, endless miles of sandy beaches and summer sunshine made it an obvious target for the tour operators when the package holiday industry took off in the 1960s. However, although you will find modern, international tourist resorts with high-rise hotels to the south of the region, they have not spoil the traditional fishing villages, sheltered rocky coves and medieval towns with ancient castles. The Costa stretches from north of Barcelona, to Roses near the French border. Whilst is has many of the attractions of the other Costas with beautiful beaches, watersports and restaurants, its combination of Catalonian culture alongside spectacular Pyrenees scenery make it unique.

Costa Brava (meaning Wild Coast) is also an ideal base from which to explore the countless treasures of Catalonia. The regional capital of Barcelona must surely rank as one of the most fascinating cities on the planet with its Gaudi architecture, Pablo Picasso museum, Olympic village and world-famous La Rambla boulevard. The Salvador Dali museum at Figueres is one of the region's most popular tourist spots along with the Benedictine Monastery at Montserrat, perched high amid some extraordinary rock formations in the mountains to the north west of Barcelona.

Roses is the biggest resort on the northern stretch of the Costa, located just 30 kilometres from the French border. This centuries old fishing port, at the north eastern end of the wide, sweeping Bay of Roses, is now a popular international holiday destination which has managed to retain much of its original charm. All modern tourist facilities can be found here but the resort has escaped the over-development and brashness which now characterises some of the better known Spanish coastal towns. Cadaques, a short drive north of Roses, is one of the most unspoilt spots on the whole of this coastal stretch.

To the south of Roses is the resort of Estartit where a traditional Spanish fishing harbour rubs shoulders with a modern yacht marina.