Lloret de Mar/Roca Grossa/Serra Brava/Canyelles: The resort of Lloret de Mar is located in a privileged location offering extensive beaches with Mountainous backdrops. Located 75 km from Barcelona and 30km from Girona the town has excellent land, sea and air communications. The town has over a thousand years of History, and was the pioneer of European tourism in the 1950s, and has become a major tourist destination, whilst retaining its own traditional customs and identity. With 7km of coastline, the beaches and coves of Lloret have been awarded the EU Blue Flag year after year. As well as beaches, Lloret also boasts a rich cultural heritage with Iberian settlements, medieval castles and gardens. Just behind the centre of Lloret de Mar is the Roca Grossa (big rock) residential area, and between Lloret and Tossa de Mar, the quiet residential area of Serra Brava with facilities is situated amongst the green hills along the spectacularly rugged coast road. Situated between Lloret and Tossa de Mar, Cala Canyelles is a sleepy urbansiation with a beautiful golden sandy beach which slopes easily into the sea offering safe bathing.
Beaches
The resort boasts many coves and beaches, the main beach being known as Lloret beach. The coarse sandy beach stretches for 1.7 km and offers excellent facilities in the way of sun beds and parasols, and is well served with general amenities. Snack bars and restaurants are abundant offering something for everyone. The beach at Canyelles is surrounded by luxuriant pine tree mountains and is located beside the small port of Canyelles. Sun umbrellas and beds are available to hire, along with pedaloes and water ski-ing is also possible.
Eating Out
The restaurants in Lloret de Mar and the different regional and international dishes they offer are a direct reflection on all the cultures and tradition that have come together in the resort, enabling you to enjoy typical Catalan cuisine with fresh fish and dishes typical of the mountains, and Mediterranean dishes, to the best of international cuisine, incuding Arabian, Chinese and Indian.
Typical Catalan dishes include escudella, a soup containing chick peas, potatoes, vegetables and Catalan sausage (e.g. botifarra), calcots (similar to leeks and often eaten with a sauce), and escalivada, which is a dish consisting of several types of grilled vegetables.
Leisure
For water sports lovers, Lloret de Mar offers a full range of activities, including sailing, scuba diving, waterski, windsurfing and fishing. The resort also offers a large water park, Water World with all types of rides suitable for all the family, some are real thrillers, and some more suitable for younger visitors! There are wave pools and sunbathing areas and an excellent choice of eating establishments.
Lloret de Mar has a wide range of shops, selling all sorts or products and throughout the year, various fairs and markets are held, such as the Botiga al Carrer, where local shops sell their wares outdoors. The Indoor market is open from Monday to Saturday, and there is also an open air street market every Tuesday.
Places to Visit
En Plaja Castle situated at the end of the Sa Caleta beach, is in fact a house-castle built by the Girona industrialist, Narcís Plaja. The project, dating from 1935, was the work of the Girona architect, Isidor Bosch, although construction work was not completed until after the Civil War in the 1940s. Although the building was surrounded by controversy amongst locals, the image of the castle has nevertheless become symbolic of Lloret, and whilst entry is not permitted, it is worth visiting the area for the surroundings.
The Open Museum of Lloret (MOLL) aims to incorporate all the cultural sights of the area and making them attractive to visitors of all ages. This is not a traditional indoor museum but a dynamic, living, open-air space comprising different itineraries, museums and historical buildings, to name but a few of the sights on offer.
No visit to Catalonia would be complete without a visit to its Capital, Barcelona – boasting 50 museums and galleries, 2 amusement parks, 2 luxury marinas, a zoo, 53 parks and gardens and over 2,300 restaurants!! A Tourist Bus connects 18 of the most popular attractions in this unique city, considered to be one of Europe’s top destinations.
