sandralist

I'm not sure you'll love Cadaques (who on earth knows? I liked it well enough, but didn't love it at all), however, it does have more various aspects, including its beach views, than Calella da Palafrugell, which has a quite small beach front (part of its charm) and some attractions tucked in the hills.

The semi-mountainous drive into and out of Cadaques is not difficult, but with all its hairpin turns it gets a bit tedious -- especially if you get stuck behind a coach or truck. Works best I think for people without an ambitious sightseeing agenda for the vicinity.

Never been to the other beach towns being mentioned.

rialtogrl

Port Lligat is next to Cadaques. There is not much there - Dali's house, a hotel, a beach side snack cafe. If you want to go to Cadaques, stay in Cadaques.

Is her kid going to be with you? I have stayed in an excellent apartment in Girona, in the area of Sant Daniel which is outside the historical center and has parking. But there are only two beds (I think.)

kja

" I can totally understand the concern with the long drive into Cadaques, it concerns me as well."

I didn't find the road that difficult, but it was trying -- a seemingly unending series of switchbacks with very, very few places to pull over. All too often, the string of cars behind me grew longer and longer, and although I would have been happy to pull over, there simply was no place to do so. And that was in May -- before high season.

rialtogrl

Haha kja.. last time I was on that road there was a campervan in from of us that would STOP in the middle of the road. I was like, dude, you can't stop here. It took a really long time to get back that day, what with all the stopping in the middle of the road by the campervan. I could feel the blood pressure of a thousand locals behind me. And we were late to the winery. (Horrors.)

kja

OMG, rialtogrl, how bizarre! I didn't stop in the road, and I went as fast as I thought was safe, given that my rental car did NOT handle well -- and that, unfortunately, was not fast enough for the locals.

loves2sing

No, her kid would not be with us. We will only have him with us for a few days in Barcelona (he's 13, nice kid), and then at the end in Salou, although he will be in a hotel with his teammates there. She didn't want him to go to a foreign country without her...and well, it was a great excuse for us to go on vacation together! We have been friends for 30 years; she was the maid of honor in my wedding 26 years ago. She is single and beautiful, so a little flirtatious fun is certainly in order on this trip Oh, and we love good food and wine! I mean, who doesn't, right?

I guess the concern I have with Cadaques is more about the time getting there, as opposed to the drive itself. Of course if the drive is beautiful, then its not time wasted. I've looked at a few of the other places and Llafranc, Calella da Palafrugell and Tossa de Mar all look beautiful. So in adding Cadaques, Aigua Blava...I guess I'll need to choose between one of those towns and call it a day, lol. I may send her pics of each and make HER pick :-?

When staying in Girona, is there an "ideal" location? Our preferred budget is under $200 a night, less is better if the location and charm are there.

kja

If you decide on Tossa del Mar, you might consider the Hotel Cap d’Or. Also a meal at la Cuina de Can Simon.

tower

loves2sing (so do I!):

I'm one of those who rarely do TR's. Instead, my credo follows "a pic is worth a thousand words" and I share those that are relevant. It's a good way to get a "feel" for a place, IME.

I strongly recommend the triad of Barcelona, Girona and Cadaques for your trip. A little of most everything.

(see pics on thread below).

loves2sing

tower - what thread for pics?

tower

sorry..for the past few days I'm having trouble submitting pics so I thought I would try another of your threads...the "Salou" thread. If it didn't catch there, I'll have to work around it. I asked for help from the editors but to no avail...other than that they're working on it.

tower

loves2sing! It worked on your Salou "location" thread, but I'll try the same method here//here goeshttps://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/BarcelonaGironaCadaques#

loves2sing

Thank you, taking a look now

tower

That's the answer..I just have to run the photo address right into the body of the thread rather than standing alone. Go figure..another of Fodors machinations that end up unexplainable. Shhhhesh! My pics are purely amateur but I hope it gives you a feel for the three towns.

Highly recommend The Playa del Sol hotel (see postcard and pix)..excellent bayside location//balcony overlooking the beautful bay..easy drive to Dali's whacko house in Pt. Ligat (ten minutes at most). You need to ask your lodgings to immediately call for reservations to the house...they only sllow 8 people in at a time....best to mention when you make reservations for the hotel and they'll set up a visit time for you. Sure keeps the crowds down..we were practically there alone (but it was off season...we never travelled during the local high seasons anywhere, except Norway...even August was nippy there!)

If I recall, Anita's is a jolly eatery..in Cadaques.Family style and a very friendly host. I have a detailed four page suggested itinerary I drew up for cousin for his honeymoon in Barcelona...no way to get it to you unless I have an email drop. Let me know at rozstu1 at aol dot com
and I will and immedately whch I've done for several Fodorites over the years. It was written in 2012 so it's
quite current...many resto references,sites, etc,
stu

loves2sing

Thanks, I would love to read it. marilynvalencia at gmail dot com.

rialtogrl

-When staying in Girona, is there an "ideal" location? Our preferred budget is under $200 a night, less is better if the location and charm are there.-

Here is the apartment I mentioned above.
https://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p365113vb
As I mentioned it is in the Sant Daniel area which is just 5 minutes or so walking to the historical center. I LOVED staying there. There is a bedroom and another bed in the living room, so it is good for two friends traveling together. The place is huge! There is a great roof deck on top of the building. The owner lives in the building and she allows short stays. The only thing is, she gets booked up fast. So if you are interested check the dates you can be there and if available, get them booked.

I can also recommend Casa Cundaro - apartments in a historic Medieval Jewish home. You need to park in a lot that is up a hill and around a corner, but its not too terrible unless you have a ton of luggage. The only thing about this place is, the cathedral is very close and the bells of that cathedral are LOUD and they ring ALL NIGHT LONG. So if you are light sleepers, the bells could get to you. The apartments are run by the lovely people at Hotel Historic which I also recommend and which is even closer to the parking area.

Casa Cundaro: http://www.casacundaro.com
Hotel Historic: http://www.hotelhistoric.com

If you are into food and wine, you will love Girona.

justineparis

LOVED Tossa De Mar.. we were booked for 4 nights .. but stayed five..
We stayed at the Capri Hotel.. we booked early and go the third floor baloncy rooms.. the views are amazing.. heaven.


We went to Mallorca two summers ago.. loved it so much we are going back this june.. flights from Barcelona are about 30 minutes and we got them for 50 euros.. In Mallorca we spent our time in Cala D'Or.. so beautiful.. We stayed at the Interhotel Esmeralda.. and will again..

loves2sing

rialtogrl - thank you for those recommendations in Girona, they both sound nice. I actually loved hearing the church bells in Seville! Do we need a car in Girona? I'm thinking we might take the train from Barcelona to Girona, rent a car and drive to one of the beach towns mentioned, then drive back to Girona and return the car if we don't need it. Are there car rental places near the train station? If so, and upon return, is the train station near the historic area or would we need to get a cab or something to get into town?

justineparis - thank you for the info on Mallorca, I'm still considering that too since we can easily (and cheaply) fly from Barcelona. Would you say you loved it <i>more</i> or preferred it over the other beach towns along Costa Brava? Or at least just more unique, more beautiful? I do love an island I really want to give my friend an opportunity to see and experience different things on this trip. She tends to be "go to a resort, eat there, stay there" kind of traveler, but that was because that's how her ex liked to travel. I feel like she's missed some adventure in her life, probably why he's her ex . She really liked the idea of going to Ibiza until my other travel buddy said "ehh" on that, but he had no experience with Mallorca.

Pvoyageuse

" Are there car rental places near the train station?"
Yes, several, including Europcar.
"is the train station near the historic area or would we need to get a cab or something to get into town?"
It is a 10 minute walk to the center. The historic center is car-free and parking is very expensive in Girona. Renting a car for the day is a very good idea.

rialtogrl

You don't need a car in Girona unless you want to make day trips... if you do get one, parking is available (and free) close to the accommodations I linked to above. Without a car you can take a cab close to wherever you are staying and it should not be terribly expensive.

loves2sing

Thank you both Pvoyageuse and rialtogrl, for that great information!