BLANES IS A HIDDEN GEM IN COSTA BRAVA, NOT SO KNOWN AS BARCELONA YET EQUALLY BEAUTIFUL AND TOTALLY WORTH MENTIONING
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I bet you have never heard about Blanes – a charming coastal city very close to Barcelona. Blanes is called “the door of Costa Brava”. It stretches along the famous and extremely beautiful Costa Brava coast and basically it can be your hiking starting point where you can stroll endlessly with the views over the translucent Balearic sea. That’s exactly what we did! We hiked along Costa Brava.⠀
With our backpacks full of food, water and other necessary things, we walked who know how many kilometres along the most beautiful coast in the whole Spain. Here is the small part of our journey.

BARCELONA IS NOT THE ONLY CITY IN SPAIN
Just to make it clear – I am not trying to diss Barcelona! For sure the capital of Catalonia has its charm and unique vibe, but all I am saying is that it shouldn’t be so much in focus where there are dozens of other places, towns, villages and epic places throughout Spain that have so much to offer – perhaps even more than Barcelona!
This is just one of many amazing views during our hike along Costa Brava. The city in the background is Blanes and its long sand beach.⠀Yes, the beach is public but it is long enough for anyone to find a private spot! However, if you walk a bit further, you will find many other beaches, many of them hidden almost private with incredibly soft sand.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN BLANES BESIDES HIKING?⠀
1.⠀MARIMURTRA – Botanical garden⠀
A spectacular botanical garden with an awesome sea view that includes over 4000 different plant species and is visited by 300,000 people every year. Come early and enjoy the jungle.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsMarimurtra Botanical Garden, Blanes, Spain ??
— ?????? ???? (@TravelVida) August 8, 2020
via: wanderingmadman pic.twitter.com/LsKzdJJNc9
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThe parks and botanical gardens of the Costa Brava are very special places ✨
— Costa Brava Girona (@VisitCostaBrava) November 24, 2019
? Marimurtra Botanical Garden combines not only native plants and trees, but also plant species from all over the world
ℹ https://t.co/HbHIOCKyDu#inCostaBrava pic.twitter.com/eHfk8PA6Ob
2. SAN JUAN HILL & CASTLE⠀
Worth climbing and the views from above.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsAn impressive view from Castillo de San Juan Blanes, Spain. #Spain #travel #travelinspires #travelling #Travellers #Views #photography #Photo #Castle #travelgram pic.twitter.com/XBgh8m2yhB
— Donali Bastrou (@cheapflights110) November 27, 2018
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3. COVES & BEACHES⠀
4. PINYA DE ROSA⠀
It consists of over 7000 different plant species.⠀Tropical Garden Pinya de Rosa has more than 7.000 species of tropical plants especially an amazing cactus collection?
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsDid you know that the Tropical Garden Pinya de Rosa is home to more than 7.000 species of tropical plants, between we can stand out the amazing cactus collection? ??
— Blanes, Costa Brava (@Blanesturisme) September 1, 2020
Today we encourage you to visit it! ?#BlanesTurisme #CostaBrava #CatalunyaExperience @catexperience pic.twitter.com/kwdjqsYUiy
5. The Festa major or feast of Santa Anna and Sant Joaquim⠀
Firework competition during the summer.⠀
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsEach year hundreds of thousands of people stream into #Blanes for El #FocsDeBlanes the international #fireworks competition? from 23, through Saturday, July 27?https://t.co/uFGLqw8TLx
— Spain (@spain) July 22, 2019
Come to celebrate with us the #FestaMajor! @Blanesturisme @VisitCostaBrava #Spain pic.twitter.com/QTkSx35zyp
6. FIESTAS, CARNIVALS, CONCERTS
Check about any events prior to your trip. Many are cancelled and many will perhaps be performed with certain rules. Besides, many of those events are held only during the summer.
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7. TRY PAELLA AND OTHER TRADITIONAL DISHES/DRINKS
Hopefully next year it will be a lot more lively than this year during pandemic.⠀
Here are more pictures from extraordinary Costa Brava. Sit back, relax and enjoy! 🙂
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Have you ever heard of Blanes or Costa Brava? What is your favourite city in Spain besides Barcelona ? 🙂
I haven’t heard of most of these places near Barcelona but wow I love them all! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for reading Lisa!
Costa Brava looks so beautiful! I totally have to go back to Spain and explore the Mediterranean side. You inspired me. 🙂
Comeee! I am so happy I inspired you Taylor! I see you also love hiking and outdoors as much as I do!
I really love Costa Brava, but I think it is full of tourists if I compare it to other sides of Spain. Of course there are tourists almost everywhere, but not that much as in Costa Brava.
That is also true, but it is always good to not come in the high season.
It is definitely worth visiting.