AIGUAFREIDA:
Aiguafreda - Extract from The Sunday Times Travel section, 9 March 2008, listing Aiguafreda as one of the top ten beaches in the world!
'My favourite beach is Cala d`Aiguafreda. It doesn`t have sand. It has flat rocks as warm as electric blankets and tiny rock pools that make perfect wine coolers. Wrapped in pine woods and sheltered from the tramontane wind, it smells intoxicatingly of ozone and resin and is lapped by waters as clear as Bombay Sapphire. That`s nothing special in these parts. The beaches of the Baix Emporda, as this part of the Costa Brava is known, belong in a superleague of their own; but, for my money, tiny Aiguafreda is number one. That`s due in no small part to the fabulous Hostal Sa Rascassa, located in heavenly isolation a few steps from the beach. This simple, stylish place (recently voted one of Spain`s best decorated hotels) with a candlelit open-air restaurant, a beach bar and Wednesday night music is a diamond set in an emerald forest beside a sapphire sea.
More about the region:
This is the unspoilt Costa Brava or Catalonia which has escaped invasion by Tour Operated holiday groups and where most of the properties are owned by Barcelonians. With an abundance of delightful coastal towns and idyllic sandy coves, this region is rarely overcrowded and has retained real Spanish charm. This is an area you will want to return to again and again.... Every day you can find a new diversion, be it a cultural pursuit, taking the kids to a waterpark, playing tennis, snorkelling, sailing, or a lazy day at one of the beautiful sundrenched sandy coves with clear water and beachfront restaurants. The coastal resorts all have a choice of waterfront restaurants, cafes and shops and it is a real pleasure to wander the little streets around the harbour fronts and enjoy the spectacular scenery of this rugged coastline. Development here has slowed right down and you will come across villas unexpectedly tucked away. No large apartment development is possible due to the rugged terrain
BEGUR:
Begur is a charming hillside town with a castle at its crown. The cobbled streets add to the character of the town and offer a really excellent choice of Catalan restaurants which nearly all have al fresco eating in the summer months. In addition there are several tapas bars, individual and exquisite clothes, antique and specialist food shops, cafes and late night cellar bars. There are two plazas both of which have entertainment in the high season. No wall to wall discos here or loud music but there are a couple of clubs situated just out of the main part of the town. The overall atmosphere is very Spanish with local artists` paintings and crafts displayed in the old square during the summer. Every Wednesday the market stalls spill into the narrow streets where you can buy fruit and vegetables, clothes and accessories. There are excellent supermarkets, specialist fishmonger, butchers` shops and freshly baked baguettes in many of the bakeries.
