Need to get away? How about a FREE trip
to Spain?
Sports and Leisure in the Costa Brava.
The
whole Costa Brava region, coastal and inland offers sports
enthusiasts a wide variety of sporting activities and
pastimes, from horse riding, sailing and scuba-diving to
walking, rambling, spa health-resorts and ski-ing.
Sports:
Golf in the Costa Brava area. Here are just a few golf
courses to choose from.
Golf Girona. Just 10 minutes from Girona Airport in Sant
Julia de Ramis. If driving take exit 6 (Girona nord) on the
AP-7 motorway. Tel.972 171 641 Required handicap; men 28,
women 36, Par 72. www.golfgirona.com
Golf Platja de Pals. Cr. Del Golf s/n-17256, Pals. Tel 972
667 739 www.golfplatjadepals.com
This course is 6,222 m. long with a typical British design.
Required handicap: men 36, women 36, Par 73.
Emporda Golf. Cr. Palafrugell-Torroella 17257, Gualta.
Tel.972 760 450 www.empordagolf.com
Required
handicap: men 36 holes, women 36. par 72.
Golf Serres de Pals, 17256 Pals, 18 holes plus 3 practice
holes. Par 72. www.golfserresdepals.com. Required handicap: men 36,
women 36.
Golf Costa Brava, St. Cristina d'Aro, Tel. 972 837 055
A private 18 hole club but also welcomes green fees all
year round. www.golfcostabrava.com
Peralada Golf Club. Peralada itself is a charming Catalan
village which is a worthy of a visit without the golf. The
5 star Hotel Golf Peralada is next to the course, just on
the village outskirts a few minutes by car.
Golf d'Aro, Urb. Mas Nou, 17250 Platja d'Aro tel 972 82 69
06 www.golfdaro.com
Cycling and
Mountain Biking.
The
area around Girona has earned an enviable reputation for
being a good place to train by such famous riders as the
Tour de France winner, American Lance Armstrong who
actually lived in Girona for a while. It therefore attracts
many American and European tourist riders to experience the
area for themselves, and a few specialist tour operators
have seized on this opportunity.
Cycle
routes are signposted in green and if your'e a keen on
cycling there are cycle routes in Girona that in one
direction will take you as far as Sant Feliu de Guixols on
the coast, and in the other direction up towards the inland
town of Olot. This particular one follows the route of the
old coastal railway line, now long gone.
We have links with a Girona based Co. who speak English,
that offers mountain biking holidays, guided rides and will
organise everything for you including places to stay along
the way. If you are interested in cycling holidays and
guided bike tours of the Costa Brava and inland regions
then please use the Contact Us form to get their details.
Here's a brief intro about them.
BIKE BREAKS,
the Girona Cycle Centre.. your one-stop shop for cyclists! Right in
the beautiful heart of Girona old town, around the corner
from the Cathedral and Sant Felix’ church, lies our
Cycle Centre amongst the buzzing bar & restaurant
area.
We offer
you ALL cycling-related services, so just come in and have
a look for yourself! We can arrange your hotel nights
in carefully selected cycling friendly accommodation in
Girona city and province. We can pick you up from the
airport and even transport your luggage between
accommodations!
bike hire,
transport, professional in-house mechanic &
guide
Ski-ing in
Catalonia
Many
tourists and visitors may not be aware that ski-ing in
Catalonia is available or possible, but travel just two
hours by car from Girona and you'll find some small
ski-resorts. They may not be as big as resorts in France
but perfect for a weekend get-away.
La Molina (open from late November to
early May).
One of the nearest ski-resorts is La Molina with 20kms of
slopes and 20 watercanons, it has slopes for all abilities
and ages, and also offers numerous summer activities.
Various accomodation options are on offer.
Check the La Molina website below for further details,
which has an English option. www.lamolina.cat/indexing.html
Vall de Nuria (open all year, skiing from early December).
See a review of this place on our Reviews
page.
A
popular resort with ten slopes that can only be reached by
a special train, the valley of Nuria sits amongst mountains
that reach 3000 metres. A popular day-out destination
during summer months also, with boating, walking and child
based activities. www.valldenuria.cat
Guils Fontanera is good for Nordic cross country
ski-ing. www.guils.com
Masella, Estacio Esqui Masella, Tel.972 144 000
www.masella.com (n.b good early snow for
2008)
Vallter 2000 Tel. 972 136 075 Ski runs: black 2, red 2,
blue 4. green 2.
Queralbs
Quils de Cerdanya.
Oficina
de Turismo de La Cerdanya
Cruïlla N-152/N-260
17520 Puigcerdà (Girona) Teléfono: 972 140 665 Fax: 972 140
592 E-mail: infotur@cerdanya.org
Alp
and Setcases (nr. Camprodon) are also two more places to
ski.
Ice Skating is also possible in Girona on an outdoor rink
but only between Dec. 1st and 6th Jan. at Pl. Constitucio.
(2008 dates are 19th Dec to Jan.05 2009).
Water Sports
in the Costa Brava.
The
Costa Brava region has just under 50 nautical and sailing
clubs, here are just a few:
Port de PortBou, Tel. 972 390 712 www.portdeportbou.com
(empty website)
Club Nautic Llanca, Tel. 972 380 710 www.cnllanca.com
Club Nautic Port de la Selva, Tel. 972 387 000
Port de Roses, Tel. 972 154 412 www.portroses.com
Marina d'Empuriabrava, Tel. 972 451 239 www.empuriaport.com
Club Nautic l'Escala, Tel. 972 770 016 www.nauticescala.com
Club Nautic Estartit, Tel. 972 751 402 www.cnestartit.es
Marina de Palamos, Tel. 972 601 000 wwwlamarinapalamos.es
I know from personal experience that windsurfing lessons
and board hire (1 hour for 14 €) are available from
the sailing school on Sant Pol beach in S'Agaro near St
Feliu de Guixols.
Kayaking.
Email us for
details of a Co. that offers Kayaking holidays in the Costa
Brava.
Leisure
Activities
Aquaparks.
Cool-off with the
kids in one of these Costa Brava water parks.
Aquabrava www.aquabrava.com
Near Roses on the N.E. coast, their website has an English
option for full details and it operates a free bus service
from local resorts.
Aquadiver www.aquadiver.com located near Platja d'Aro.
See our Reviews page for a review of this place.
Water World Lloret www.waterworld.es/uk/index.html
located in
Lloret de Mar.
Amusement
& Adventure Parks.
Port
Aventura, nr. Tarragona. From Girona head south, past
Barcelona, maybe a 2 hour drive. It's probably the biggest
theme park around these parts and offers different stay and
visit packages for families. we've yet to get here but I
hear it's good. www.portaventura.es
Parc Aventura is a woodland adventure park for kids with
nearly 54 different activities open all year in St Feliu de
Guixols.
www.parcaventura.com
L'aquarium in Barcelona tel 93 221 7474 www.aquariumbcn.com
Marineland Ctra. Maigrat a Palafolls, Palafolls, Barcelona
tel 93 765 48 02 www.marineland.es. This combines a water park
with a dolphin show and an exotic bird show.
Tibidabo amusement park is in Barcelona with more than 27
rides, shows and great views of Barcelona.
www.tibidabo.es
www.cucpark.com in Roses.
Magic Park, in Platja d'Aro http://magicpark.com/
Begur & Adventure near Begur is open all year round
tel. 619 23 60 73 it offers horse and pony riding lessons,
excursions and karting.
Walking
in Girona and
beyond.
There is a Girona walking tours Co. where official guides
take you around the best known and most interesting parts
of the city for about 2 hours, daily from 10.30 am from mid
July to mid September, for about 10€ each, kids under
14 free tel. 972 211 678.
For other guided and specialist tours of Girona email us
for latest details.
www.baixemporda-costabrava.org/en/tourism/331
Has some good
info on Hiking in the Baix Emporda region, to the east
of Girona.
We have links with an established Girona based English
couple who run guided and self-guided walking/rambling
tours of the Costa Brava region (coastal and inland) for
small parties of 4 to 24 people. They can arrange every
detail of your trip, If you are interested in walking,
rambling and hiking holidays and brief tours of the region
on foot, then please email us for their details.
Horse Riding
in the Costa Brava
The differing, contrasting landscape and countryside that
you find here lends itself to horse riding and this is a
cut above the rest. The town of Santa Cristina d'Aro is
just minutes from the coastal resort of St Feliu and the
horse club welcomes riders of all ages and levels. Set
against the pine-forested woods above it also offers
catered accommodation and English speaking owners and
instructors. If you want to learn to ride whilst on holiday
or just go on a guided trek this is the perfect place.
Just a 30 minute
drive from Girona I've personally been here and my own two
kids have taken riding lessons. It's clean, tidy and has
all the facilities you'd expect plus It offers individual
and group lessons and guided trails.
During
its summer camp season (July & August) kids that stay
here also enjoy other activities like picnics and trips to
the water park.
If you'd like to find out more about holiday stays at this
Horse Club then please send us an email via the Contact Us
page.
Other Horse Riding places:
Hipic Girona. Nr. Sarria de Ter.
I have come across a few others, as my kids enjoy riding.
There's a Hipic Girona just outside of Girona, driving
North towards Celra. Go past Sarria de Ter following the
signs for Palamos and just as you leave Sarria it's on the
right hand side. There's a yellow 'Hipc Girona' sign on the
road. I've heard the prices are reasonable.
Other leisure
activities:
We have links with many places and businesses that offer
individual and group activities like Paintballing, Karting,
Quad bike excursions, Diving, Catamaran sailing, flying and
even trips in Hot Air Balloons! Email us with what
interests you and for how many people.
Spa's and
Health Resorts in the Costa Brava and Girona area.
If
you've come here to relax, unwind and be pampered a little
there's quite a few places that offer spa treatments
ranging from massages, mud baths, facials, body treatments
and more. Here's a few, just click on the individual
websites for more info.
Hotel Balneari Vichy Catalan Spa, Avinguda Doctor Furest
32, Caldes De Malavella 17455 tel. 972 470 000 open all
year round, with 86 rooms www.balnearivichycatalan.com
The small town
of Caldes de Mallavella is about 20 mins. by car from
Girona.
Also here, there's the Balneari Prats thermal baths, Placa
Sant Esteve 7, 17455, tel 972 470 051 www.balneariprats.com
Hotel Balneari Termes Orion, C/ Veinat de Vall, 17430,
Santa Coloma de Farners tel 972 840 065 www.balneari-termas-orion.com
This town is south-west of Girona about a half hour drive.
Centre de Relax i Salut, Mas Ferran, Carri de Bruguera,
17150, Sant Gregori tel 972 428 890 www.masferran.com
Located in a traditional Catalan farmhouse just outside
Girona it also offers 7-day slimming and anti-stress
programmes.
Institut Gem, C/ Josep Ma Sert, 16-18 Lloret De Mar 17310,
tel 972 347 004 www.institutgem.com
A wellness and health centre hotel next to Fenals beach
with 56 rooms open all year round.
Thalasa Sport, C/ Jacinto Benavente 9, Rose 17780 tel 972
253 163 www.thalassasport.com
Located in the gulf of Roses and open all year round.
Magma, C/ Veinat de Vall, Santa Coloma de Farners 17430,
tel.972 843 535 www.magma-cat.com