Author Dmitrii Sheinkman Tax adviser 3 October 2026 17 min read Message the author

Lloret de Mar, Spain: where it is, what to see, the Russian community and moving there

Lloret de Mar is a resort town on the Costa Brava, in the province of Girona in Catalonia, 30 km from Girona airport and 80 km from Barcelona. It had 43,000 residents on 1 January 2025 and is known for its beaches, the Santa Clotilde gardens and one of the largest Russian-speaking communities in Spain.

Lloret works best for people who earn remotely or live on capital and can accept a strongly seasonal town. Below: where Lloret is, its climate, how to get there, what to see and which beaches to choose. The second half is for those weighing a move: why Lloret became a “Russian” resort, which residence permit fits, what property costs, how Catalan taxes treat wealth, where children go to school and how Lloret compares with neighbouring Blanes and Tossa. For the whole coast, see our guide to the Costa Brava.

Where Lloret de Mar is on the map of Spain. Highlighted region: Catalonia. Boundaries: Natural Earth.

Where is Lloret de Mar

Lloret sits on the Mediterranean in the southern part of the Costa Brava, between Blanes and Tossa de Mar. It is the largest resort on the coast and the third-largest town in the province of Girona after Girona itself and Figueres.

Country: Spain.
Autonomous community: Catalonia; province: Girona; comarca: la Selva.
Population: 43,000 on 1 January 2025, up 10% in three years.
Area: 48.7 km²; according to the town hall, seven beaches and about 7 km of coastline.
Foreign residents: 38.5% of the population in the 2025 census; the largest community is Russian.
Languages: Catalan and Spanish, both official.
Distances: 42 km to Girona, 80 km to Barcelona, 30 km to Girona airport and 90 km to Barcelona airport.

Lloret is a one-industry town. In 2025 it had 124 hotels with 29,756 beds, about two thirds of all hotel beds in the comarca, plus 3,134 registered tourist apartments. In summer the town holds far more people than are registered: the Catalan statistics institute estimates the year-round equivalent population, including seasonal residents and tourists, at 60,773, against 41,944 in the census.

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Climate and when to visit Lloret

The climate is Mediterranean but cooler than in southern Spain: winters are fresh, summers warm rather than exhausting. AEMET publishes no climate normals for Lloret itself; the nearest station with normals is Girona airport, 30 km inland. There the annual mean temperature is 14.7 °C, 7.1 °C in January and 23.6 °C in July, with 728 mm of rain and 2,181 hours of sunshine a year. On the coast winters are milder and summer heat lower than at the airport.

The sea is warmest in August: according to the long-term average of the Catalan meteorological service at L’Estartit, the nearest observation point, it reaches 23.2 °C in August and 13.3 °C in January. The swimming season runs from June to September, and October is the wettest month. For walking the coastal path and the gardens, May, June and September are better: fewer tourists, still summer weather.

The main festival is Santa Cristina, the town’s patron saint. On 24 July a procession goes from the parish church to the sea, and boats carry the image to the Santa Cristina hermitage, escorted by the S’Amorra Amorra regatta, held since the late 19th century. On 24 and 26 July the traditional dance with the almorratxa, a glass vessel for scented water, is performed in the square.

How to get to Lloret

Girona airport: 30 km, about 20 minutes by car. From June to October 2026 bus 613 runs: 35 minutes, €12, 13 departures a day.
Barcelona airport: 90 km, about an hour by car. The Moventis/Sarfa bus takes 1 h 35 min to Terminal 1 and 1 h 55 min to Terminal 2; a ticket costs €15.20, and in October 2026 there are nine departures a day.
Barcelona: 80 km. Moventis/Sarfa line 2 runs from Lloret bus station to Barcelona’s Estació del Nord in about an hour.
Train: Lloret has no station. The nearest is Blanes on the R1 Rodalies commuter line: about 1 h 20 min to Barcelona, trains every half hour. A Pujol bus links Lloret with the station, and there is a combined train-and-bus ticket. Long-distance trains leave from Girona.
By car: AP-7 toll motorway, exit 9.

There have been no direct flights from Russia since 2022, when the airspace closed. In summer 2019 Girona was served from three Moscow airports by Pobeda, Nordwind and Ural Airlines. Entry rules are covered in our article on the Spanish visa.

What to see in Lloret

Santa Clotilde Gardens (Jardins de Santa Clotilde): an Italian Renaissance-style garden on the cliff between Sa Boadella cove and Fenals beach. Begun in 1919 to a design by landscape architect Nicolau Rubió i Tudurí, protected as a cultural asset of national interest since 1994 and owned by the town since 1997.
Church of Sant Romà: a Gothic church built in 1509–1522, with Modernista additions from 1912–1930 paid for by the “indianos”, local men who made their fortunes in the Americas.
Modernista cemetery: laid out in 1896 and opened in 1901. Puig i Cadafalch and other Modernista architects designed its family vaults; it is part of the European Cemeteries Route.
Can Font: an indiano house from 1877; according to the town hall, the only house-museum of its kind in Catalonia open to the public.
Maritime Museum (Museu del Mar): in the Can Garriga house on the seafront.
Sant Joan Castle: a fortress above the beach, first mentioned in 1041; its tower was restored in the 1980s.
The Sailor’s Wife (Dona Marinera): a 1966 bronze statue by Ernest Maragall on the rock at the end of the main beach, the symbol of the town.
Castell d’en Plaja: a 1935 “castle” above Sa Caleta cove, built as an industrialist’s summer house rather than a fortress.
Santa Cristina hermitage: documented since 1376; the present church dates from the late 18th century. The sea procession of 24 July heads here.
Camí de Ronda: an old coastal patrol path, part of the GR92 trail. The Lloret to Tossa stretch is about 12 km and needs good fitness.

Beaches in Lloret

The town hall’s tourism site lists eight beaches and coves: Lloret, Fenals, Santa Cristina, Canyelles, Sa Caleta, Sa Boadella, Treumal and Cala Banys. Lloret beach is the town beach along the promenade; Fenals is long and quieter; Santa Cristina, Sa Boadella and Canyelles are coves among pine trees. In 2026 five Lloret beaches received a Blue Flag: Lloret, Fenals, Sa Boadella, Santa Cristina and Cala Canyelles, more than Blanes (3) or Tossa (2). Smoking is banned on Lloret’s beaches.

Why Lloret is called a Russian resort

Russians are Lloret’s largest foreign community. According to the INE municipal register (padrón), 2,018 Russian citizens lived here on 1 January 2022, more than citizens of any other country in the INE list and a third of all Russians in the province of Girona. By our count from INE’s municipal tables, that makes Lloret the seventh municipality in Spain by number of Russian residents. The annual census of 1 January 2025 shows 2,400, slightly fewer than in Marbella (2,794).

The community grew over a decade. In 2003 Lloret had 405 Russian residents, 1,010 in 2008 and 1,980 in 2013: almost five times as many. According to the owner of a local estate agency, interviewed in 2013, Russians began arriving on the Catalan coast in 2005, and over time his agency came to work mainly with them. The typical buyer then was a middle-class family: a flat for €150,000–300,000 or a house for €400,000–600,000. Lloret was convenient: Girona airport nearby with flights from Russia, seaside property that was inexpensive by European standards, and after the first buyers came Russian-speaking agencies, shops, after-school clubs and doctors. The town has a Russian Orthodox parish dedicated to the martyrs Quiricus and Julitta.

By 2020 Lloret had six times as many Russian residents as in 2003: the series peaked at 2,512. The 2025 figure in terracotta comes from the annual census rather than the municipal register, so it can only be compared roughly with the series up to 2022.

Since 2022 there have been no direct flights from Russia and Russian tourism on the coast has almost disappeared, but residents stayed: the census shows 2,526 Russians in Lloret in 2024 and 2,400 in 2025. A Ukrainian community has grown alongside: 810 people in 2022 and 2,197 in 2025. Foreign nationals make up 38.5% of residents, and 45% were born abroad.

Moving to Lloret de Mar

There are no special rules for Lloret: people move on the standard grounds for a Spanish residence permit, while housing, taxes and schools follow Catalan law. Below is what matters before the move, especially if you are relocating with family and capital.

Which residence permit suits life in Lloret

Digital nomad visa: for remote employees and business owners whose clients are outside Spain. Income from €2,849 a month, plus €1,069 for the first family member and €356 for each additional one. Applications go through UGE; the fee is €73.26.
Non-lucrative residence permit (no lucrativa): for people living on savings, dividends, rental income or a pension. Funds from €2,400 a month for the applicant and €600 for each family member. You apply through a Spanish consulate; the fee is €10.94. Work is not allowed, including remote work.
Buying property does not give residence. Spain abolished the property golden visa in April 2025; what remains for investors is covered in our article on Spanish residence through investment. A flat in Lloret is a home and supports a non-lucrative application, but it is not a ground for residence on its own.

After arrival: register at Lloret town hall (empadronament), then give fingerprints and collect the TIE residence card from the National Police. The appointment system lists a CNP office in Lloret de Mar at Verge de Loreto 51. The provincial immigration office is in Girona. After five years of legal residence you can apply for long-term residence.

Property: purchase and rental prices

Lloret is cheaper than Spain’s big-name resorts. The Ministry of Housing’s appraised value for the second quarter of 2026 is €2,391.5 per m², up 12.2% year on year. That is above the average for the province of Girona (€2,162.8) but below Catalonia (€2,752.9) and roughly level with Spain as a whole (€2,355.0). Almost all appraisals are for homes older than five years: there is little new-build in town.

Rents in Lloret have been capped since 2024: the town is in Catalonia’s stressed housing market zone, which was extended in 2026. For new contracts the rent may not exceed the official index, taking the previous contract into account, and the cap also applies to seasonal lets. The average rent on new contracts registered in 2025 was €622 a month, and €568 in the first quarter of 2026. That is an average over all contracts, including small and older flats; a good flat near the sea costs more, and with a price cap there are fewer on offer. How to search is covered in how to rent a flat in Spain.

Buying a flat to let to holidaymakers has become harder. Lloret is one of 262 Catalan municipalities where tourist lets need prior planning permission; the ceiling is 10 tourist apartments per 100 residents, and existing ones have until November 2028 to comply. In 2025 Lloret had 3,134 such apartments with 17,237 beds. Before buying to let, check the registration number, the licence and the building’s community rules. The purchase itself is covered in how to buy a house in Spain.

IBI, the local property tax, is 0.803% of the cadastral value in Lloret in 2026. For a flat with a cadastral value of €150,000 that is €1,204.50 a year. Homes left empty for two years or more pay a 50% surcharge.

Where to live: Lloret’s neighbourhoods

Centre and seafront: everything on foot, including the beach, shops, bus station and the health centre on Carrer de Girona. The noisiest area in summer.
Fenals: the second beach and residential streets south of the centre, quieter than the centre.
Rieral: a residential area inland, closer to the road to Vidreres, with its own health centre.
Hillside urbanizaciones: houses with gardens and sea views, the quietest option, but a car is essential.

If Lloret feels too touristy, people look at the neighbours: Blanes, a lively town with a train to Barcelona, or Tossa, a quiet town with an old fortress (comparison below). The big city nearby is Barcelona, an hour by bus.

Taxes in Lloret and Catalonia

For wealthy residents Catalonia is one of the most expensive regions in Spain. It is worth running the numbers before you move and, where possible, planning large purchases and gifts in advance.

Income tax (IRPF). The regional scale runs from 9.5% to 25.5% on income above €175,000, on top of the state portion. Newcomers with income from Spanish employment may qualify for the Beckham Law, a flat 24%.
Buying a resale home (ITP): 10% up to €600,000, then progressive: 11% on the portion up to €900,000, 12% up to €1.5 million and 13% above. A €400,000 flat means €40,000 in tax; a €1.2 million villa, €129,000. The reduced 5% rate applies only to the main home of buyers under 35, large families and single-parent families on modest incomes. For comparison, ITP is 7% in Andalusia and 6% in Madrid.
New-build: VAT (IVA) plus 1.5% stamp duty (AJD).
Wealth tax: one of the strictest in the country: a €500,000 tax-free allowance, the main home exempt up to €300,000, rates from 0.21% to 2.75% and no general relief. Andalusia, by contrast, has a €700,000 allowance and 100% relief.
Inheritance tax: a spouse gets 99% relief; children get a sliding relief of 99% on the first €100,000 of the taxable base and less on the rest. According to the Catalan tax agency’s calculations, the average relief is 97% on a €300,000 base and 84.6% on a €1 million base. Madrid, Valencia and Andalusia give children 99% on the whole amount.
Gifts to children, parents and a spouse are taxed on a reduced scale if executed before a notary: 5% up to €200,000, 7% up to €600,000 and 9% above.
Tourist tax: paid by guests, not residents. From 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, in Catalonia outside Barcelona: €1.80 per person per night in a 4-star hotel, €4.50 in a 5-star, €1.75 in a tourist apartment and €0.90 in other hotels and campsites. Lloret adds no municipal surcharge. If you let a flat to tourists, you collect the tax.

More in our articles on taxes in Spain and inheritance and gift tax by region.

Schools: Catalan, British and Russian

Language of instruction: Catalan. Children who have recently arrived and do not speak it spend their first months in a reception class (aula d’acollida) with intensive Catalan; the recommended maximum is two years. Spanish is taught as a separate subject.
State schools. According to the town hall, Lloret has nine state schools: primary schools Àngels Alemany, Esteve Carles, Pere Torrent, Pompeu Fabra and Joan Domènech i Moner; secondary schools Ramon Coll i Rodés, Rocagrossa and Sant Quirze; and Institut Escola Lloret de Mar, covering both primary and secondary. The state-funded private school is Col·legi Immaculada Concepció.
British schools are outside Lloret itself. International School Costa Brava in Platja d’Aro teaches the British curriculum to children aged 2 to 18, up to IGCSE and A-Level. International School Maresme in Canet de Mar takes children from 1 to 16, with the IGCSE programme.
Russian school. There is no officially registered Russian school in Lloret: Russian-language clubs and weekend schools operate as private supplementary education, and children obtain their school certificate from a Catalan or British school. How schooling works in Spain and where to study Russian is covered in our article on schools in Spain.

Healthcare and transport

Health centres. The town has two primary care centres: CAP Lloret on Carrer de Girona and CAP del Rieral on Avinguda de Vidreres. To register you need to be on the padrón in Catalonia and hold a CatSalut health card. The non-lucrative permit requires private insurance from a Spanish insurer with no co-payments and no waiting periods.
Hospital. Lloret is served by the Hospital Comarcal de la Selva in Blanes, run by the Maresme and Selva health corporation. Complex cases go to the Josep Trueta University Hospital in Girona.
Transport. With no train station, living without a car is realistic only in the centre. To Barcelona: a bus of about an hour, or a bus to Blanes and the R1 commuter train. Girona airport is 20 minutes away.

Downsides of living in Lloret

Seasonality. For 43,000 residents there are almost 30,000 hotel beds and over 3,000 tourist apartments; 40% of homes are second homes or empty. In summer the town is crowded and loud; in winter it noticeably empties.
Jobs and income. The economy rests on tourism: disposable income per resident in 2023 was €14,009, two thirds of the Catalan average. Local work is hard to find, so Lloret suits people who bring their income with them.
Catalan. School and some paperwork are in Catalan, which is a load on children in the first years.
Catalan taxes: 10% on purchase, wealth tax from €500,000 and less inheritance relief than in Madrid or Andalusia.
No train: the nearest station is in Blanes.
Theft. In 2025 Lloret recorded 2,651 conventional crimes, about 62 per 1,000 residents against a Spanish average of 40.4. Almost half were thefts. Only registered residents are counted while crimes against tourists are included, so resorts always score higher. Crime fell 8.5% over the year, and burglaries almost halved.

Lloret, Blanes or Tossa

Three neighbouring towns on the southern Costa Brava share an airport and the same Catalan taxes, but offer very different lives.

Lloret and Blanes are almost equal in population, but Lloret is a hotel resort with the largest Russian community, while Blanes is a town with a train and a smaller share of tourism. Tossa has far fewer residents, and two thirds of its homes are second homes. The Ministry of Housing publishes no appraised value for Tossa because it has fewer than 25,000 residents.

Blanes is the “gateway to the Costa Brava”: the Sa Palomera rock is considered the point where the coast begins, and the name Costa Brava itself was coined by journalist Ferran Agulló in 1908. It has the Marimurtra botanical garden with about 3,000 plant species, an R1 station and the district hospital. Property is slightly cheaper, there are half as many foreign residents and tourism is less dominant. A choice for a family that wants a train to Barcelona and an ordinary town rhythm.
Tossa de Mar is a small town with the medieval walled Vila Vella: its walls and towers survive almost intact, and it has been a historic-artistic monument since 1931. Quiet and beautiful, but empty off-season: two thirds of homes are second homes, and there is no train and no hospital. A choice for a second home rather than for life with school-age children.
Lloret sits between the two: everything within walking distance, a large Russian-speaking community, five Blue Flag beaches and the airport 20 minutes away. The price is the seasonal crowds and a tourism economy.

If you are choosing between the coast and a big city, compare with Barcelona in our article on how to move to Barcelona. A consultation can help you choose a residence route that fits your income and family.

Key facts about living in Lloret de Mar

Lloret is the largest resort on the Costa Brava: 43,000 residents, 30 km to Girona airport, 80 km to Barcelona, no train.
It has one of the largest Russian communities in Spain: 2,400 Russian citizens in the 2025 census, plus 2,197 Ukrainian citizens.
Property is cheaper than in the big resorts: an appraised value of about €2,400 per m², with rents capped as a stressed market zone.
Catalan taxes are above average: 10% ITP, wealth tax from €500,000 and incomplete inheritance relief for children.
The main downsides are seasonality, few local jobs and Catalan at school.

Frequently asked questions about Lloret de Mar

Where is Lloret de Mar?

In north-eastern Spain, on the Costa Brava. The town is in the province of Girona in the autonomous community of Catalonia. It is 80 km from Barcelona, 42 km from Girona and 30 km from Girona airport.

How do you get to Lloret from Barcelona?

By Moventis/Sarfa bus: about an hour from Estació del Nord, or 1 h 35 min from Barcelona airport Terminal 1. Alternatively, take the R1 commuter train to Blanes and a Pujol bus to Lloret on a combined ticket.

Does Lloret have a railway station?

No. The nearest station is in neighbouring Blanes, on Barcelona’s R1 commuter line. A bus runs from Lloret to the station, and long-distance trains leave from Girona.

How many Russians live in Lloret de Mar?

According to the INE annual census of 1 January 2025, 2,400 Russian citizens and 2,197 Ukrainian citizens. The 2022 municipal register showed 2,018 Russians: the town’s largest foreign community and a third of all Russians in the province of Girona.

How much does a flat cost in Lloret de Mar?

The Ministry of Housing’s appraised value for the second quarter of 2026 is €2,391.5 per square metre, up 12.2% year on year. On top of the price, add Catalonia’s 10% tax on resale homes.

Can you get residence by buying a flat in Lloret?

No. Spain abolished the property golden visa in April 2025. People move on a digital nomad visa with income from €2,849 a month or on a non-lucrative permit with funds from €2,400 a month for the applicant.

Can you let a flat in Lloret to tourists?

Only with registration and, under Catalan Decree-Law 3/2023, planning permission from the town hall: Lloret is one of 262 municipalities covered by this rule. Existing tourist apartments must obtain the permission by November 2028. Check the building’s community rules too.

Is there a Russian school in Lloret?

There is no officially registered Russian school. There are private Russian-language clubs, while children get their main education at Catalan state schools or at British schools in nearby Platja d’Aro and Canet de Mar.

When is the best time to visit Lloret de Mar?

For swimming, June to September: in August the sea off the coast warms to 23 °C. May, June and September are better for walking the gardens and the coastal path. The main festival is Santa Cristina on 24 July.

Sources

Contents

Where is Lloret de Mar
Climate and when to visit Lloret
How to get to Lloret
What to see in Lloret
Beaches in Lloret
Why Lloret is called a Russian resort
Moving to Lloret de Mar
Lloret, Blanes or Tossa
Key facts about living in Lloret de Mar
Frequently asked questions about Lloret de Mar
Sources

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