beebs

After hours of research and booking hotel reservations, I'm now really worried that we're trying to do too much in 7 days. Please advise!

Day 1: Drive from Barcelona to Calella de Palafrugell, taking our time and making stops along the way. (Tossa de Mar, Sant Feliu de Guixo)
Day 2: Llafranc, Begur, Pals, and Peretallada, arriving in Girona for lodging.
Day 3: Girona
Day 4: Drive to Roses, where we have lodging booked, and then on to Cadaques to spend the day before returning to Roses for the night
Day 5: Drive from Roses to Besalu and ending the day in Beget where we stay overnight. (possibly stopping in Camprodon on the way?)
Day 6: Explore Beget and drive to Rupit where we spend the night.
Day 7: Explore Rupit and then drive to Barcelona for dinner.

This has been difficult to plan because DH wants to go to the ocean, and I have my heart set on the charming villages inland. We are mainly into just walking around and exploring on foot.. Looking forward to some good food, but nothing fancy. I don't envision us spending time at the beach, but just enjoying the scenery. DH will be doing all the driving, and I worry that it will be exhausting for him, especially because I keep reading about the winding road to Cadaques, and I believe there's another one to get to Beget.. And the route from Tossa de Mar to Sant Feliu de Guixo is windy too, right? Oh, this is so hard! There are so many places that sound wonderful. But will I OD on charming villages? And I should probably mention that DH is going along with me on this, but is NOT looking forward to it. He'd really rather stay home and ride his bicycle 40 miles a day.
Help me sanity check this, and tell me what to cut out, please! Thanks so much.

Robert2533

Where are you flying in from? If coming from the States, then you might want to spend the first day/night in Barcelona, adjusting to the time change, before heading out on the road to anywhere.

beebs

Yes, we're actually spending three days in Barcelona before heading out, which I didn't bother mentioning.

Maribel

beebs,
This seems to me a lot of moving around.
Had you considered a base in the countryside from which to do day excursions to make this more enjoyable and relaxing?

I've been to all of the destinations on your list and enjoyed them all-but Roses isn't my favorite Costa Brava seaside location.

Roses for me isn't the prettiest (as in scenic) spot on the Costa Brava. To my eyes, that prize goes to the Begur area.

Rupit is tiny and extremely quiet at night. The Hostal Estrella there provides comfortable budget accommodations, but better serves as a base for hikers.

If I were trying to see all the destinations on your list, I'd make a base somewhere in the Garrotxa (extinct volcanic region), between the market town of Olot and Girona-somewhere on (or slightly off) the C66 for easy access for your day trips.

From that base you can accomplish the following:

Drive easily down to medieval Rupit, over to medieval Besalu and
Santa Pau, up to Camprodón and take that extremely narrow, winding road to Beget.

From near Girona, you can day trip up those gazillion curves to Cadaqués.

You can also day trip over to see the following:

Pals, Calella de Palafrugell, Llafranca, Begur, Peratallada

You can see those 5 in just one day trip since they're very close together.

You can also drive another day down to Tossa, then up the spectacular winding GI 682 along the coast to Sant Feliu (the coast's very most scenic drive), then back on the C 65 to Girona.

So a spot for a week somewhere slightly northwest of Girona would be ideal for everything on your list.

If you need inexpensive rural lodging for a week in the Girona area, look at the offerings at www.toprural.com. I just wouldn't do this on the fly. I really think that a central base is the way to accomplish all that you want to see in your week, and much more relaxing than switching accommodations every day.

beebs

Maribel,
Thanks so much for your helpful suggestions. Since you didn't mention that you think it's too much, I'll assume that it isn't, which is very reassuring. Your idea of having a central base and making day trips is appealing - that way we can skip a day trip if we want, without being tied to our next hotel reservation! What a sensible idea, and your link to www.toprural.com was really helpful. I think I've found a place for us to stay in Cornelia de Terri that sounds lovely. Do you think we can do both Besalu and Beget in one day?

beebs

Actually I just re-read your post, and I guess you do think we can do all that in one day. Thanks so much for all your help!

Maribel

beebs,
Cornelia de Terri between Girona and Banyoles actually makes a perfect base for all that you want to see.

I would do the Garrotxa loop one day with stops in Besalu, then down the 153 to Rupit (Hostalets d'en Bas on the way is also cute) and on the way back take the GI 524 through Santa Pau (or do the loop the other way).

Another day, I would go up to Camprodón and on to Molló and Beget (although you'll be passing right through Besalú on the way to Camprodón and could stop again if you need more time)

Maribel

I meant Cornellà de Terri. From there it's just a quick hop down to Girona and to get to the AP 7 north.

beebs

Oops, I guess I spelled it wrong too. I think it's my lousy eyesight. I can't begin to tell you how helpful this has been. Unfortunately one of the reservations I made (in Girona) has a cancellation fee, and I'm wondering if it's worth just paying the fee (61 Euros). Here's how things look right now, if you wouldn't mind giving it a final review.

Day 1: Drive from Barcelona to Calella de Palafrugell, taking our time and making stops along the way. (Tossa de Mar, Sant Feliu de Guixo). Still planning to spend the night in Calella de Palafrugell.

Day 2: Llafranc, Begur, Pals, and Peretallada, arriving in Girona for lodging. Stay at the hotel we have already paid for, which has a cancellation fee.
Day 3: Girona, spending a 2nd night at the hotel we already paid for.
Day 4: Spend the day in Cadaques, and then drive to the B&B in Cornella de Terri where we spend 3 nights.
Day 5: Take the Garrotxa loop that you suggested above
Day 6: Take the Camprodon, Mollo, Beget route described above.
Day 7: Return to Barcelona

This feels so much better than what I started out with! Thanks so much.

Maribel

beebs,
When driving from Barcelona to Calella de Palafrugell, I'd take the AP7 to the C35, skipping entirely the overdeveloped Costa de Maresme (Mataró, Blanes, Lloret).

From the C 35, I'd go down to Tossa on the GI 681, then up to Sant Feliu on that very winding but spectacular coastal route (described often as the Costa Brava's most scenic),
then up to C 31 to Calella de Palafrugell.

beebs

Will do. Thanks for the tip. I can see I'm going to have to buy a better map, because none of those route numbers are on the map I have, except for the AP7!

Maribel

I'm looking right now at my very detailed Michelin regional map 574 for Catalunya-Aragón- Andorra, worth its weight in gold.

beebs

I'll have to get one of those as soon as I arrive, since I'm sure I won't find one here on such short notice. We leave this Saturday! Thanks for that tip and for your many others. Your guide to Barcelona has been a huge help as well. Where would we all be without you?

zeppole

I'm sorry I came so late to this thread and enjoy your trip, but I'd eliminate a few destinations on your itinerary in favor of relaxing more. I'm a big fan of road trips, and on my tour of Catalonia I actually packed in more sightseeing destinations than you are doing. But I would simply be more selective next time because while Catalonia is full of curious towns, they are spread far apart and often not deeply fascinating. Lingering in the best to me would be preferable to rushing through them all.

I would eliminate Besalu and Peretellada. And while Cadaques has its own character, I think it is difficult to get to and easily skipped for people without a special interest in its special culture.

zeppole

I wanted to add that Girona is deeply fascinating, and that's why I wouldn't leave it in favor of Cadaques, once I'd visited those other coastal towns.

zeppole

And I'm sorry to add one more postscript, but the idea that you can see five towns in one day ought to be indication that the towns really aren't that interesting. A few of them in fact feel like ghost towns, with destination restaurants in them, which is why you can whiz right through them in less than 45 minutes. I think it's marvelous Catalonia is preserving these old villages, but running around to see all of them in a day just because they are within driving distance of each other cuts out time you could be doing something else more rewarding or enjoyable. There are genuine art, history and natural treasures worth seeking out in Catalonia, but they are not 40 minute stops.

beebs

Hi Zeppole,
Thanks for giving another point of view. You raise some interesting points, which I should probably consider. I'm intrigued by your comment about Cadaques having a "special culture", because I don't know what you mean by that. Can you elaborate a bit? Also, if you have more definitive suggestions regarding natural treasures, I would love more specific information. Would also love to hear more about Girona and what makes it so deeply fascinating.

Maribel

beebs,
Just a little bit more information for some of the destinations on your list-

The reason that I mentioned above that you will be able see those particular five towns in one day is simply because they are in *very* close proximity one to another, in addition to being quite small communities devoid of great monuments or museums of note that take a great deal of time.

They are worthy places to visit not at all because of any destination restaurants within them, but instead because they are considered some of the most highly photogenic and atmospheric small towns of the Baix Empordá.

Pals is a beautifully preserved walled village with seigniorial homes of ochre stone (some might say it's too well preserved, too "movie-set" like-it's won preservation awards) , which happens to be quite close to Peratallada, another well preserved stone Gothic, moated village with an 11th century castle and protective walls still intact, which also has considerable rustic charm. Yes, it's certainly quiet off season. I've been there in January when I've had the village almost entirely to myself, but that did not take away from its beauty. Both are extremely pretty, plain and simple.

Calella de Palafrugell is simply a very pretty, low-key whitewashed fishing village (that looks rather Aegean to me), with a waterfront promenade on a sheltered cove, only 2 kms. (and a quite pleasant half hour walk) from Llafranc, another quite attractive spot on the Med also with an attractive crescent beach. Again, no monuments, no museums, not cathedrals, just "picturesque-ness".

Begur ranks as one of the most highly appealing towns of the Costa Brava because of its wonderful setting-it's a medieval hilltop village of narrow, winding, pedestrian streets and striking "indiano" mansions (built by immigrants who left for Cuba and who returned to native land bringing their Caribbean cultural heritage with them), a 10th century castle in ruins on the hill with breathtaking views of the Med, a great weekly outdoor market and lively summer cultural scene.

Just so that you known exactly why I mentioned them...

Aduchamp1

Whenever I see the title to a thread, "Am I doing too much?" the answer is yes and then I read the text.

zeppole

Hi beebs,

My impressions of Cadaques were that Dali is still very much the lodestone of the culture there, and an inspiration for the very affecting and sweet-natured contemporary culture that exists there. It's a place where sensitive, peace-loving souls from all over (but mainly Europe) come to stay for a while and even settle, to do something a bit more creative and cosmpolitan. That's squarely in the deeply cosmopolitan outlook of Catalonia, the lost nation, but it takes its own lively spin in Cadaques -- which includes astrology, crystals, world music and other silly props and mental trinkets, but it's well intended. You see wandering youth there, engaged in philosophical discussions around fires on the beach, drinking cheap wine. There's one-stop affluent day trippers, wandering around looking even more lost than the lost souls. It's very hard to pick up the vibe of the internationalist arts colony there in an hour or so -- and it's very hard to get in and out of there so making it a day trip is scenic, you can gawk at some Dali shrines but otherwise what you'll see is a lot of tourist tat. Because it is also a very touristy town.

I find Girona deeply fascinating because Catalonia and its relationship to Span is deeply fascinating to me. Girona distills the many layers of history that have shaped the region -- its historic structures go back millennia -- including the idiotic British expat culture, and the oppressive central culture of Spain but there is still creative Catalonia pulse (which, since all anybody cares about these days is eating, comes out in the cooking). But it's a very atmospheric places, in a lovely position on a river, but it's a contemporary place where you can discover and participate in the contemporary life of Spain and Catalonia without the busy frantic trendiness of Barcelona.

Maribel is giving you solid nuggets of information and I don't mean to sound dismissive of the towns that enterprising Catalonians have rescued from decay but turning them into destinations for weekends with legendarily good restaurants. Catalonia is a nation that was destroyed many times over by many forces physically, but that it's long, long culture survived to be so influential and inspirational in the 20th and 21st c. is really something to be experienced and admired. But that's hard to do if you zip around to one old place to the next. There are actually more scenic places in Europe than Catalonia, better seacoast, better mountains, better vinyards, preserved medieval towns, better food even. To me the reason to go to Catalonia is the still-very much alive culture and its incredibly long and expansive history -- these people were outward-facing and cosmpolitan and open -- and they've remained this way despite half of them being swallowed up and obliterated by france and a lot of efforts to destroy their language and thinking. But there's Picasso, Dali, Miro, Gaudi and the town planners of Barcelona and quite a few others inspiring art and living that is absolutely rooted in being a Catalan -- and it's hard to imagine what would 20th c. thinking would be without the Catalan influence, and on into the EU. And it's there to be seen. You don't have to read a book about it -- but you might want to once you've seen it.