The Costa Brava... but not as you know it
EDWARD STEPHENS goes green in the unexplored countryside of north east Spain
IT’S 7am, the temperature is just over 30°C degrees and the pale blue sky doesn’t have a single cloud to deface it.
Yet this is day five of our seven-day holiday in Llafranc, an hour’s drive from Girona, and every day has been just as hot.
My preconceived ideas of “Green Spain” from a wet week spent there 25 years ago, when it rained almost every day have been unreservedly despatched.
I knew the region was lovely, with vast areas of woodland and unspoiled coastal paths, but they call it green Spain for a reason.
All that vegetation needs a lot of rain to keep it alive.
But, 25 years on, I regret not coming back here sooner.
This is the Costa Brava, and while there are cheap and cheerful parts of this costa, our home for the week in Llafranc is a complete opposite to the high-rise resorts further south where thousands of Brits first cut their teeth on Spanish holidays in the early sixties.
Llafranc and its sister coastal towns of Tamariu and Calella de Palafrugell (not to be confused with the more commercialised Calella near Barcelona) are low-key, upmarket resorts which remind me of refined coastal towns in the South of France.
Forget high-rise multi-storey in this region, Madrid keeps a tight rein on what’s built here.
If you’re looking for superb beaches, crystal-clear water, myriad excellent small restaurants and tasteful boutiques but an absence of discos and neon, this could be for you.
It is, without doubt, one of the prettiest, most unspoiled parts of Spain I have come across.
Llafranc itself is a small town with a beautiful white sandy beach, just a handful of shops and restaurants and a lot of second homes owned by the wealthy of Barcelona just two hours drive away.
A pathway along a spectacularly beautiful rugged coastline links it to the small resort and fishing village of Calella, just a 15 minute stroll away, where picturesque narrow streets show off a variety of small eateries and pretty shops.
Stay on the Cami de Ronda coastal path and you will cross numerous other small coves with just a few holidaymakers on the sand and between, children playing in the rock pools.
Don’t expect to find too many Brits here, it’s an area the Spanish like to keep to themselves.
Avoid late July and August and you will find Llafranc, Calella and Tamariu is Spain as it used to be, before mass tourism. You can amble along uncrowded promenades at all three and not hear any English spoken.
There are bars and restaurants but usually they are small family affairs which have been there for years.
The Hotel Llafranc, for example, right on the sea front, is a family business which started back in 1953 as a bar.
Now with 32 rooms, it has a history of catering for the stars of the silver screen as well as the great and good from the worlds of sport and the arts.
Take a look at the walls at the rear of the restaurant – it’s run by Carles Bisbe, the son of one of the three brothers who started the business – and you’ll find photographs of those who have passed through its doors.
There’s Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Kirk Douglas and Seve Ballesteros to name but a few. Other visitors have included Yul Brynner and Rock Hudson and over the bar there’s a huge picture of Carles’ uncle with Salvador Dali, a regular guest in his day.
Our home for the week, however, was a property of a very different kind – and a rare find because of its proximity to the town and beach.
The Villa La Sardana is a gem because it’s just 140 metres from the nearest restaurant, 250 metres from the beach and three minutes’ walk from Llafranc town.
While villas are often isolated, this one is in the perfect spot, offering peace and tranquillity while just a few steps from the town centre and a gentle walk from the picturesque harbour.
It means that on occasions you can forget the car and stroll to the town, the bars and the restaurants so that if you want wine with dinner everyone can imbibe.
With five bedrooms and four bathrooms it’s a villa which sleeps 10 – eight in the main house and two in a cosy little annexe just a few steps away – and has so many seating areas both indoors and outdoors that members of even large parties can find privacy when they want to.
Best of all, it has one of the largest swimming pools I have seen at any villa, measuring more than 15 metres long by four metres wide. There are Roman steps into the water for easy access and a variation in depth so it’s suitable for children and adults.
Warm and inviting with elegant Spanish décor, it also boasts large gardens – with a brick-built covered barbecue, of course – to stroll around when the sun gets too hot. There’s even free wi-fi to keep the teenagers happy.
Away from Llafranc there are bays and villages galore to explore. Even though we were on the edge of the town we decided to hire a car after a Jet2 flight into Girona Airport to give us chance to see the best of the region.
It’s best to check out the car hire prices carefully because there can be a sting in the tail if you want fully comprehensive insurance. You can book a car for a bargain £25 per