Costa Brava holidays

Highlights

Highlights offer endless opportunities to discover, wonder, relax and enjoy - here is a selection ...

Evening Flavour

• Translated, Costa Brava means ‘ Wild Coast’. Okay, technically it’s referring to the region’s beauty, there are plenty of night spots which live up to this name. If you want to party all night long, Lloret de Mar is the clear winner. Without doubt, this is the most buzzing resort after sunset. Bursting with bars and neon-lit nightclubs, it’s got more than enough to see you through to sunrise. Estartit has a good pick of drinking and dancing venues, too. And although it’s by no means got ‘wild’ written all over it, Tossa de Mar has its fair share of late-night cocktail bars and clubs. You can also experience flamenco if you head for the streets of Calle Sant Josep, Calle Estolt and Calle Sant Pepe. If you really want to raise the roof, though, you have to hoot foot it to Barcelona. Evenings here don’t really get going ‘til late. Don’t be surprised to see bars heaving at two or three in the morning. When last orders are finally called, an almost Biblical exodus takes place as twenty and thirty-somethings decamp to the discos. Clubbers emerge blinking into the sunlight at six-ish and then hotfoot it to the nearest coffee shop for a caffeine fix. Tourists tend to make a beeline for Las Ramblas and the Gothic quarter. Packed with cocktail bars and artsy Bohemian boozers, they’re good places to get acquainted with the city’s after-dark scene. Club-wise, the Example district’s got enough funky hotspots to give London a run for its money. The sounds of house and electro-pop crackle from the speakers while hip hop and techno fills dancefloors everywhere. And the most glitzy and all-out-fabulous shindigs can be found in this part of town, where the rainbow flag’s waved with pride. Port Olympic’s another great hangout, especially if you’re here in the summertime. Outdoor discos and beachfront bars serve sea views with your chart line-ups. But Barcelona’s not just about glitterballs and turntables - a trio of classical venues dominates the city’s cultural landscape. Dig out your pashmina or dicky-bow for a night at the Grand Theatre Liceu. All gilt boxes and plush red velvet seats, it’s straight out of Moulin Rouge. Next is the Art Nouveau showstopper that is the Palau de la Musica Catalana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And rounding things off is the Auditori de Barcelona, a modern hall used for large-scale chamber concerts. It’s like we said – you need lots of stamina to keep up with Barcelona.
  
  
• Hula Hula Polynesia Bar, Lloret de Mar Let your hair down in this tropical bar that shakes up exotic cocktails with names like Mai Tai and Coco Pae Pae.
  
  
• Prive de Magic, Lloret de Mar Guest DJs and pumping tunes make sure this is the town’s trendiest nightclub.
  
  
• Dino's Cova, Tossa de Mar Try this little less ordinary cellar bar where dancing and drinking ‘til late is the norm.
  
  
• Razzmatazz, Barcelona You may need a map to find your way around, but this huge club is definitely worth the effort. Home to three floors and five arenas, the diverse music policy means you get a real mixed bag of punters. With no dress code and a very late closing, it’s definitely one to watch.
  
  
• Robadors, Barcelona Sometimes it’s good to dig under the usual commercial haunts and see a bit of local life. This place is one of those knock-to-get-in bars, tucked down a quiet Raval side street. Inside, you’ll find a jazz den packed with bohemians, hippies, and musicians enjoying a drink and a smoke.

Shopping

There’s only one place to head if you really want to shop til you drop – Barcelona. This city’s got its finger firmly on the pulse. No surprise then it’s crammed with trendsetters and fashionistas who know their Manolo Blahniks from their Jimmy Choos. Label-lovers flock to the L’Eixample district where Chanel, Prada, Gucci et al rule the roost – especially along the Avenida Diagonal. For more in the way of smart boutiques, check out the Rambla de Catalunya and the Passeig de Gracia. Taking it down a notch, you’ve got El Corte Ingles, Spain’s answer to John Lewis. The branch on the Placa Catalunya is enormous. Spread over nine floors, the chain’s motto ‘hay de todo’ – ‘there’s everything’ – certainly rings true. There’s even a supermarket in the basement. For more in the way of shopping under one roof, check out the Maremagnum shopping mall down by the port. But for a more atmospheric shopping scene, you can’t beat the Gothic quarter AKA the Barri Gotic. A mishmash of cobbled streets, it’s packed with little artists’ studios, one-of-a-kind curiosity shops and Tardis-like antique stores. It’s also the place to come for some serious foraging. Every Thursday a bric-a-brac market rolls into the Placa Nova selling everything from faded postcards to period jewellery. And talking of markets, check out the daddy of them all - La Boqueria. Set along Las Ramblas, it’s actually Europe’s biggest food market. Head inside - making sure to sidestep the rip-off tourist stalls at the front - and you’ll chance upon a parallel universe of glistening fish and polished vegetables. The market radiates out from seafood right in the centre to meat and then vegetables and fruit on the outer edges. Part of the fun is sampling the tasty morsels traders set out to entice passers-by. The Costa Brava’s biggest markets, meanwhile, are in Torera and Figueres. Jewellery, ceramics and leather goods are particularly good buys. Don’t worry if you don’t want to head too far to bag yourself a bargain, though. All the seaside resorts have their share of souvenir places that won’t hit the pocket and you’ll also find plenty of stylish shops and mall-style centres that’ll keep your credit card occupied.

Dates for the Diary

Don’t miss the colourful procession of boats at the Lloret de Mar fiesta. Held every year on July 24th, this colourful parade travels along the beach to the sanctuary of Santa Cristina, patron saint of the town. A real crowd-pleaser, it’s a great insight into local life. Catch it if you can. Running three days in the third week of June, Sonar, meanwhile, is Barcelona’s annual music festival. Unlike rain-soaked Glastonbury, which runs around the same time, the crowds here are pretty much guaranteed a sunny weekend. The line-up leans towards electronic music, with house, techno and hip hop a firm favourite. Big name acts like Bjork and the Beastie Boys have hit the stage, while mixing legends Jeff Mills, Laurent Garnier and Richie Hawtin have had the 80,000-strong crowds dancing into the early hours.

Remember

The Spanish like to spend their afternoons snoozing so don’t be surprised to see plenty of places shut up shop just after lunch. Things come to life again early evening, so use the siesta to recharge your batteries ready for the night ahead.

Information

Language: Spanish. Currency: Euro. Standard GMT: +1hr. Spanish Tourist Office: 2nd Floor, 79 New Cavendish Street, London W1W 6XB. Telephone: 020 7486 8077.

Travel money

The official currency is the Euro.