Costa Brava, Spain: where it is, towns, climate, property and moving

The Costa Brava is 220 km of rocky Catalan coastline in the province of Girona, from Blanes to Portbou on the French border. It is known for coves, medieval villages, Dalí and Cadaqués. It suits those who want Barcelona and France within reach: winters are cooler than in the south, and Catalan taxes are higher.

Below: where the Costa Brava is and how it differs from the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol, the climate, how to get there and what the main towns are like, followed by a separate section on moving here: residence permits, property prices by town, Catalan taxes, schools, healthcare, the Russian-speaking community and the drawbacks.

Where the Costa Brava is and how it differs from the Costa Blanca and the Costa del Sol

The Costa Brava is the northeastern corner of Spain: the coast of the province of Girona in the autonomous community of Catalonia. There is no administrative unit with this name: it is a tourism brand run by the Patronat de Turisme Costa Brava Girona, the tourism board of the Girona provincial council.

• Length: 220 km from Portbou in the north to the Sa Palomera rock in Blanes in the south.
• Beaches: 245 beaches and coves; around thirty beaches and marinas fly the Blue Flag.
• Coastal comarques: La Selva (Blanes, Lloret de Mar, Tossa de Mar), Baix Empordà (Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Platja d’Aro, Palamós, Palafrugell, Begur) and Alt Empordà (L’Escala, Roses, Empuriabrava, Cadaqués).
• Population of the province: 832,026 people on 1 January 2025. The capital, Girona, has 108,666 residents.
• Languages: Catalan and Spanish, both official.

The Costa Brava differs from Spain’s two other coasts popular with Russian speakers in climate, prices and surroundings. The Costa Blanca (province of Alicante) and the Costa del Sol (province of Málaga) are in the south: almost 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, around 12 °C in January and many times more Russian residents per province. The Costa Brava is cooler and greener, with pine forests running down to the coves, and Barcelona and France are an hour or an hour and a half away by car. Across the province, housing costs about the same as in Alicante, but in specific places such as Begur, Cadaqués and Platja d’Aro it is more expensive than Málaga.

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Costa Brava climate

The climate is Mediterranean with a northern character: warm summers without Andalusian heat, cool and damp winters. The nearest AEMET station with published normals is Girona airport, 10 km from the city. Under the 1981–2010 normals:

• Annual average: 14.7 °C.
• January: 7.1 °C on average, around 13 °C by day and around 1 °C at night.
• July and August: 23.6 and 23.4 °C, around 30 °C by day.
• Rainfall: 728 mm a year, twice as much as Málaga and two and a half times as much as Alicante. The wettest month is October (88 mm), the driest is July.
• Sunshine: about 2,330 hours a year, against more than 2,900 in the south.

The station is inland, at 143 m above sea level, so its 41 days of frost a year are an upper estimate for the coastal resorts: the sea softens the winter. Even on the coast, though, you need proper heating in winter, and houses without heating, built for the summer season, are common here. Another local feature is the tramuntana, a strong north wind felt especially on the northern part of the coast, in Cadaqués and Roses.

How to get to the Costa Brava

• Girona–Costa Brava Airport: 10 km from Girona and 85 km from Barcelona. In 2025 it handled 2.2 million passengers, almost all on international flights, and 87% of them travelling for leisure. The airport is highly seasonal: 135,000 passengers in the first quarter of 2025, 1.88 million from January to September.
• Barcelona Airport (El Prat): the main year-round gateway, with a record 57.5 million passengers in 2025. From the airport, the Moventis Sarfa bus (line 2) runs via Barcelona to Lloret de Mar and Tossa; Lloret is about 1 h 50 min away. There are also services to Platja d’Aro and Palafrugell.
• Commuter rail: the Rodalies R1 line along the Maresme coast runs from Barcelona to Blanes. Further north there is no railway along the sea: Lloret, Tossa, Platja d’Aro, Roses and Cadaqués are reached only by bus or car.
• High-speed trains stop in Girona and Figueres on the Barcelona–France line: convenient if you live in Girona or travel to Paris and Lyon.

There are no direct flights from Russia.

Towns of the Costa Brava

The coast is not uniform. The south (Blanes, Lloret) has large resorts with year-round life, cheaper and closer to Barcelona. The middle (Platja d’Aro, Palamós, Begur) has expensive villages with villas and golf courses. The north (Roses, Empuriabrava, Cadaqués) has bays, marinas and Dalí, further from Barcelona and closer to France.

Lloret de Mar

The largest resort on the coast: 43,000 residents on 1 January 2025, 10% more than three years earlier. It also has the largest Russian-speaking community in the province, with 2,018 Russian nationals in 2022, a third of all Russians in the province of Girona, and more than a third of its residents are foreigners. Lloret is also the most affordable: registered sales in the year to June 2026 averaged €2,345 per m², and the average flat of about 92 m² sold for €187,000. In summer the town is loud and young; in winter it lives an ordinary life. Beaches, neighbourhoods, prices and daily life are covered in a separate article, Lloret de Mar.

Platja d’Aro

The official name of the municipality is Castell-Platja d’Aro i S’Agaró: 12,982 residents in 2025. It is a resort with a long sandy beach, a shopping street and the Camí de Ronda path along the cliffs to S’Agaró, an enclave of early 20th-century villas. For Russian speakers Platja d’Aro is the second centre after Lloret: 916 Russian nationals in 2022, almost 8% of residents and the highest share anywhere on the coast. Property is expensive: €4,120 per m² in registered sales, with an average deal of €384,000. The only British school on the coast is here too; more on it below.

Blanes

The southern gateway to the Costa Brava: the coast officially begins at the Sa Palomera rock in Blanes. A town of 42,699 residents with a fishing port and botanical gardens above the sea, Marimurtra and Pinya de Rosa. For living, Blanes has two advantages: it is the only Costa Brava town with a commuter train to Barcelona (line R1), and it has the Hospital Comarcal de la Selva, which serves the whole southern stretch of the coast. Prices are €2,561 per m² in registered sales; Russian residents numbered 398 (2022).

Tossa de Mar

A small town of 6,347 residents between Lloret and Sant Feliu, known for the walls and towers of its old town, the Vila Vella, on the headland above the beach. The road from Tossa to Sant Feliu winds high above the sea. For permanent living Tossa is quiet, especially in winter; property costs €3,440 per m² in registered sales, noticeably more than neighbouring Lloret.

Roses and Empuriabrava

Roses is a town of 20,365 residents on the bay of the same name in Alt Empordà, with a citadel, a port and wide beaches that work well for children. Next to it, in the municipality of Castelló d’Empúries, is Empuriabrava, a residential marina built on canals, where houses have their own moorings. Almost half the residents here are foreigners (45% in 2022), and 294 are Russian. Registered sale prices: Roses €3,263 per m², Castelló d’Empúries €2,856 per m².

Cadaqués

A white fishing village on Cap de Creus, the easternmost point of the Iberian Peninsula, with 2,918 residents. Nearby, in the bay of Portlligat, is Salvador Dalí’s house-museum; together with the Theatre-Museum in Figueres and the Gala-Dalí Castle in Púbol it forms the “Dalí triangle”. Cadaqués is the most expensive place on the coast: €7,537 per m² in registered sales in the year to June 2026, although there were few deals (68) and the price depends heavily on the sea view. There are almost no Russians here, three in 2022. This is a place for a second home and a quiet life rather than for a family with school-age children: Figueres and Girona are a long drive away on a mountain road.

What to see and when to visit the Costa Brava

• The Dalí triangle: the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, the house-museum in Portlligat and the Gala-Dalí Castle in Púbol; since 2023 the house in Figueres where the artist was born has also been open.
• Camí de Ronda paths: walking trails along the cliffs between coves, for example from Platja d’Aro to S’Agaró or between Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc.
• Medieval villages: Pals, Peratallada, Begur with its castle above the coves, and the Vila Vella in Tossa.
• Girona: an old town with a cathedral and a Jewish quarter, half an hour from the coast.
• Gardens above the sea: Marimurtra and Pinya de Rosa in Blanes, the Santa Clotilde gardens in Lloret.

The swimming season runs from June to September: July and August average 23–24 °C, around 30 °C by day. May and October are good for walking and trips without crowds, but October is the wettest month. From November to March many hotels and restaurants in the resorts close.

Moving to the Costa Brava: which residence permit fits

There are no special rules for the Costa Brava: people move under the usual grounds for a Spanish residence permit, and in-person filings go to the Foreigners’ Office of the province of Girona, located in the city of Girona. For a well-off family, two routes fit most often:

• Digital nomad visa: for those who work remotely for companies or clients outside Spain. Income from €2,849 a month, plus €1,069 for the first family member and €356 for each additional one. From inside Spain the application is filed through the UGE, and the fee is €73.26.
• Non-lucrative residence permit (no lucrativa): for those living on capital, rental income, dividends or a pension. Funds from €2,400 a month for the applicant (€28,800 a year) and €600 a month for each family member. The initial visa is issued by the Spanish consulate in your country of residence; applications filed once you are in Spain go through Mercurio, and the fee is €10.94.

Employment, study and joining a relative are also options; these grounds have different requirements. After arrival you register at the town hall (empadronamiento) and obtain a residence card from the National Police. After five years of legal residence you can apply for long-term residence.

If your income and capital let you choose a region, compare the Costa Brava not only with the south but also with Barcelona itself and its suburbs: on city life, see the guide Barcelona and how to move to Barcelona; on choosing a neighbourhood, Barcelona neighbourhoods. Many families live in Barcelona’s suburbs for the schools and keep a summer house on the Costa Brava.

Property on the Costa Brava: prices by town

The prices below are averages of registered sales published by the Government of Catalonia from land registry data, for the 12 months from July 2025 to June 2026. These are the prices at which flats and houses actually sold, not listing prices: asking prices on property portals are usually higher. Rent is the average monthly payment under new 2025 leases whose deposits were lodged with the Catalan institute Incasòl.

How to read the table:

• The spread is huge. A square metre in Cadaqués costs three times as much as in Lloret, and in Begur and Platja d’Aro almost twice as much. On average, housing in the province of Girona costs about the same as in the province of Alicante: the Ministry of Housing’s assessed value in the second quarter of 2026 was €2,163 per m² against €2,021 per m², and Málaga’s was €3,084 per m².
• Prices are rising. According to the ministry’s estimates, Lloret is up 12% year on year, Blanes 13% and the province 9.9%.
• Villas mean Begur, Platja d’Aro, Calonge and S’Agaró. The average deal in Begur is a house or flat of about 160 m² for €645,000.
• The rent figures understate the market. They average all new leases, including small and old flats. A good family flat by the sea for September to June costs noticeably more, and from June to September many owners let to tourists by the night and will not sign a long-term lease.
• Almost all resorts are stressed rental market zones. Lloret, Blanes, Tossa, Platja d’Aro, Sant Feliu, Palamós, Begur, Roses, Cadaqués and Castelló d’Empúries were designated as such zones in 2024; for some leases this caps the rent.
• A Catalan specific: the cèdula d’habitabilitat. Without this certificate of habitability a property cannot be sold or let, and water and electricity cannot be connected; for resale homes it is valid for 15 years. Check it before the deal.

How to search for a flat and check the lease is covered in the article how to rent a flat in Spain.

Catalan taxes: what to know before you move

Taxes are the main argument against Catalonia for a wealthy family, so run the numbers before buying a house and before you become a tax resident.

• Transfer tax on resale property (ITP): 10% up to €600,000, 11% on the portion from €600,000 to €900,000, 12% up to €1.5 million and 13% above that. A villa in Begur for €1.2 million costs the buyer €129,000 in tax (600,000 × 10% + 300,000 × 11% + 300,000 × 12%). For comparison, the rate is 7% in Andalusia and 6% in Madrid. The reduced 5% rate applies only to buyers under 35 and some lower-income families. Stamp duty on new builds (AJD) is 1.5%.
• Wealth tax: a tax-free allowance of €500,000, the main home exempt up to €300,000, rates from 0.21% to 2.75% and no general relief. This is one of the toughest regimes in Spain: Andalusia has a €700,000 allowance and 100% relief, and Valencia has a €2 million allowance from 2026.
• Inheritance and gift tax: spouses get 99% relief, but children get 99% only on the first €100,000 of the taxable base, after which the relief tapers: on an inheritance of €1 million the average relief is about 85%, and above €3 million it is 20%. More in inheritance and gift tax in Spain.
• Income tax: the regional portion ranges from 9.5% to 25.5%, higher than in Madrid and Andalusia. The state portion is added on top. Overview in the article taxes in Spain.
• Tourist tax is paid by guests, not residents: from 1 April 2026, outside Barcelona, from €0.80 (youth hostel) to €4.50 (5-star hotel) per person per night, and €1.75 for tourist flats. From 1 April 2027 the rates rise, to €2.50 for tourist flats. If you let your flat by the night, the owner collects and pays the tax.

The Beckham Law helps soften the tax burden: it is available to, among others, digital nomads and employees moving to Spain, and while you are under the regime wealth tax is calculated only on assets in Spain. You opt into the regime within the first months after registration, so the decision is made before the move. If the Costa Brava house is a second home and your tax residence stays in another country, the non-resident rules apply.

Schools on the Costa Brava and near Barcelona

• State schools teach in Catalan. Spanish is taught as a subject, and its share is set by each school’s language project. Newly arrived children first study in reception classes with intensive Catalan. For young children this is usually not a problem; for teenagers it is a serious load.
• International School Costa Brava in Platja d’Aro: a British curriculum from nursery to A-Level, ages 2 to 18, all teaching in English, authorised by the Government of Catalonia. The school opened in 2020. According to an international school directory, fees are about €9,700–14,850 a year.
• Girona: private international and bilingual schools, such as Montessori Palau Girona and Montjuïc Girona International School. From Lloret or Platja d’Aro it is 30–40 minutes by car.
• Near Barcelona: the widest choice, with British schools Kensington School, St George’s, Oak House, the British School of Barcelona in Castelldefels, the British College of Gavà and the International School of Catalunya in La Garriga, as well as the French lycée and German and American schools. That is why families with teenagers often choose Barcelona’s suburbs, such as Sant Cugat del Vallès.

Healthcare

Public healthcare in Catalonia is run by CatSalut. The health card (TSI) is issued on the basis of registration in a Catalan municipality; employees and the self-employed get it through social security registration. The non-lucrative residence permit requires private insurance from a Spanish company.

• South of the coast (Blanes, Lloret, Tossa): Hospital Comarcal de la Selva in Blanes.
• Middle (Platja d’Aro, Palamós, Palafrugell, Begur): Hospital de Palamós.
• North (Roses, Empuriabrava, Cadaqués): the hospital in Figueres.
• Complex cases: Girona’s university hospital, Doctor Josep Trueta; for narrow specialists many people travel to Barcelona.

Russians on the Costa Brava

According to INE, on 1 January 2025 the province of Girona had 6,874 Russian nationals and 8,151 Ukrainian nationals. That is a third of the number in the province of Alicante (22,979 Russians) and fewer than in the province of Málaga (9,867). After a peak in 2024 (7,111), the number of Russians has fallen slightly.

A town-by-town breakdown is available from the municipal register for 1 January 2022. At that point almost 80% of the province’s Russians lived in the coastal resorts: Lloret de Mar 2,018, Platja d’Aro 916, Blanes 398, Castelló d’Empúries 294, Calonge 257, Sant Feliu de Guíxols 244, Roses 150, L’Escala 128, Palamós 89, Tossa de Mar 81. In Lloret the number of Russians fell by 12% over 2018–2022, while in Platja d’Aro it grew by 14%. The city of Girona itself had 375.

Drawbacks of living on the Costa Brava

• Seasonality. The resorts live in summer: in winter some restaurants, shops and hotels close, Girona airport has many times fewer flights, and it is easier to fly from Barcelona.
• Cool, rainy winters. About 2,330 hours of sunshine a year against more than 2,900 in the south, 728 mm of rain, around 7 °C in January at the Girona airport station; the tramuntana blows in the north.
• The Catalan language. It is official on a par with Spanish: state schools teach in it, decisions and letters from authorities often arrive in it, and town hall signs and forms are in Catalan too.
• High taxes on capital. Wealth tax from €500,000, transfer tax on resale property from 10%, and inheritance by children taxed more heavily than in the south.
• Transport. The railway along the sea only reaches Blanes; beyond it you need a car.
• Few British schools. There is one British school on the coast itself; the main choice is near Barcelona.

Key points about living on the Costa Brava

The Costa Brava suits those who value nature, proximity to Barcelona and France and a European rather than resort way of life more than southern sun and the mildest taxes. The most affordable entry points are Lloret de Mar and Blanes; the most prestigious places are Begur, S’Agaró, Platja d’Aro and Cadaqués. Before buying a house, calculate Catalan purchase, wealth and inheritance taxes and decide on the Beckham Law; if needed, we can help in a consultation to choose the right residence route and calculate taxes for your family. The neighbouring coast south of Barcelona is covered in the article Tarragona, and the southern alternative in Costa Blanca.

Frequently asked questions about the Costa Brava

Where is the Costa Brava?

In northeastern Spain, in Catalonia: it is the coast of the province of Girona, 220 km long, from Blanes to Portbou on the French border. The nearest large cities are Girona and Barcelona; from Lloret de Mar to Barcelona airport takes about two hours by bus.

Which airport is closest to the Costa Brava?

Girona–Costa Brava Airport, 10 km from Girona: it handled 2.2 million passengers in 2025, but most flights operate in summer. Year-round, Barcelona airport is more convenient: the Moventis Sarfa bus runs from there to Lloret de Mar and Tossa, and the R1 commuter train runs from Barcelona to Blanes.

How is the Costa Brava different from the Costa Blanca?

The Costa Brava is the north, Catalonia: cliffs, coves, pines, cool winters (around 7 °C in January at the Girona airport station) and about 2,330 hours of sunshine a year. The Costa Blanca is the south, the province of Alicante: around 12 °C in January, almost 3,000 hours of sunshine, three times as many Russians, and milder wealth and purchase taxes.

How much does property cost on the Costa Brava?

Registered sales from July 2025 to June 2026 averaged €2,612 per m² across the province of Girona. The most affordable resort is Lloret de Mar at €2,345 per m²; Platja d’Aro (€4,120 per m²) and Begur (€4,278 per m²) are more expensive; the most expensive is Cadaqués at €7,537 per m².

Where do Russians live on the Costa Brava?

Most live in Lloret de Mar, with 2,018 Russian nationals in the 2022 register, and in Platja d’Aro, with 916, where they make up almost 8% of residents. Next come Blanes, Castelló d’Empúries, Calonge and Sant Feliu de Guíxols. The province of Girona as a whole had 6,874 Russians in 2025.

Do you need Catalan to live on the Costa Brava?

Spanish is enough for everyday life: both languages are official. But state schools teach in Catalan, and letters and decisions from authorities often arrive in Catalan and have to be translated. Families who do not want a Catalan school choose the British school in Platja d’Aro or schools near Barcelona.

Can you live on the Costa Brava all year round?

Yes, but choose a town with year-round life: Blanes, Lloret de Mar, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Palamós, Roses or Girona itself. Small villages such as Cadaqués and Tossa empty out in winter, and some restaurants and shops stay closed until spring.

What taxes apply when buying a house on the Costa Brava?

For resale property you pay Catalan transfer tax (ITP): 10% up to €600,000 and 11% to 13% on the part of the price above that. For a new build, VAT (IVA) and 1.5% stamp duty. A resident owner with assets above €500,000 should also factor in Catalan wealth tax.

Sources

• Patronat de Turisme Costa Brava Girona: press kit
• INE: population of municipalities in the province of Girona, 2025
• INE: population by nationality, municipalities of the province of Girona, 2022
• INE: population by nationality, provinces, 2025
• AEMET: climate normals, Girona airport
• Aena: Girona–Costa Brava Airport, 2025 data
• Aena: Barcelona airport, 2025 results
• Rodalies de Catalunya: line R1
• Moventis Sarfa: Barcelona airport – Lloret – Tossa bus
• Generalitat de Catalunya: registered housing sales by municipality
• Generalitat de Catalunya: average rent by municipality (Incasòl deposits)
• Ministry of Housing: assessed housing value by municipality
• Generalitat: stressed rental market zones
• Generalitat: cèdula d’habitabilitat
• Agència Tributària de Catalunya: ITP rates
• Agència Tributària de Catalunya: wealth tax
• Agència Tributària de Catalunya: inheritance tax relief
• Agència Tributària de Catalunya: tourist tax
• Spanish Ministry of Finance: regional taxes, 2026
• International School Costa Brava
• CatSalut: how to get a health card