10 things you should know about Begur before you go
Begur amazed me – these cliffs, the turquoise water, the quiet at the end of the season, sunrises over the Mediterranean Sea, the kind and hospitable people. Had I seen it before I wrote about my 3 Costa Brava favorites, it would have been a list of four.
And it´s more spread out than I thought. With two friends I stayed at the southern beaches, about a 30min downhill walk from the center of town.
If the pictures make you want to go, here´s what you need to know before you plan your trip to Begur:
Seafood restaurants
There is a total of 2 restaurants in Aiguablava, one of which was closed when we got there. In Fornells there are two hotels with restaurants and Platja Fonda has no restaurants whatsoever. So choices for dinner in the south part of the town are limited, limited to seafood mostly. However, if you like seafood, you´ll be impressed with the fresh fish straight out of the sea that morning. We dined at Toc al Mar with a view across the bay to the little port, not the cheapest, but so worth it.
In the center of town, up the hill, you´ll find all kinds of restaurants and cafes.
Bring insect repellent
Boy, do they have mosquitoes! In the time of taking a few sunrise pictures, I collected 23 bites, just sitting in on a rock. Bring repellent and save yourself the itchy legs.
Buy your bus tickets ahead of time
Begur is a little hard to get to. There is no train station, but a direct bus from Barcelona. If you take the bus, make sure to book your tickets ahead of time. We had bad luck twice in one trip, being bumped from our planned ride, because no more tickets were available.
I think if I ever go back I´ll either rent a car or a scooter, as the roads seem perfect for a late summer ride on a Vespa. If you drive, you may also want to check out these hidden gems worth exploring in Spain!
Sturdy shoes
This one you explorers are going to love: In order to get to Aiguablava bay, the one with the restaurant, you have two options: swim across from one bay to the other or take the hiking trail along the cliffs. The trail goes up and down the rocks, through tunnels, up and down stairs, along a small beach and offers some of the nicest views I have seen of Costa Brava. If you plan on going on this half hour adventure, bring your hiking shoes!
Flash light
Above mentioned trail is not well lit. In fact, the only light guiding us home after dinner was the full moon. Quite romantic you think? Maybe, until one of us fell and injured their hand. That is, by the way, what inspired the blog post about the travel first aid kit. We were so lucky to have a nurse in the group. So, be better prepared than we were: bring a flashlight to dinner.
Learn a bit of Spanish or Catalan
The people in Begur made me feel so welcome, from the hotel staff to the taxi driver. But as with any Spanish destination, the farther you get outside of the cities and into the country, the lower the general level of English gets. A few words of Spanish, or even better: Catalan will go a long way to connecting with locals.
We were unintentional high maintenance guests at the Hotel Eetu due to the many times we needed help with something. Unexpectedly, I had to speak the lovely people behind the front desk many times. I tried my best in my less than perfect Spanish. And they went the extra mile to help us.
I regret not having asked the lady at the desk for her name – she seemed to be there all the time. When we left, even the owner came around and hugged and kissed us goodbye. They made us feel so special, even though we were only there for one night.
Bring snorkel gear
At Fornells, there is a tiny port and a platform from which you can easily access the water. Snorkelers went in here to explore the underwater world. We ended up swimming but noticed the water was so clear we could see the ground at all times. I wish we had brought snorkel gear!
We also noticed some kayaks while swimming at Platja Fonda, but ended up not renting our own because the waves were rather high the next day.
Begur fortress is closer than it looks
After the morning in the sea we went up the hill into the town. Sitting here, enjoying the view we noticed all the people on the Castell de Begur. It seemed so far away that we thought we´d need an extra day to see it.
In the end, two of us decided to try it anyway and we realized that it was less than 20min walk and far less strenuous than anticipated. And the view from us there is ABSOLUTELY worth it! I am adding some pictures to give you an idea. All unedited.
Reserve your taxi
When you get off the bus at Begur, there is a taxi stand right across the street. However, instead of a line of taxis, there are signs with phone numbers of a few local cab companies. The English couple ahead of us called and was told it would be an hour before the next taxi could be there, which is when we decided to walk. Going back to point 3… you may want to consider renting a car or scooter for this trip to be more independent.
Prepare to stay a day longer than planned
There is so much to see and explore in Begur. We have only seen about half of the town in the two days we spent there. I am very happy about how we used our time, but I don´t doubt that you´ll want to extend your stay once you´ve seen this place.
And it´s perfect for slow travel. This is not a sightseeing destination where you tick sites off your list. There is a new discovery behind every turn, winding roads and remote beaches. Take your time here, it´s worth it.
Have you been to Begur? I would love to hear your stories about what you did there and where you stayed. Comment below!
You may also enjoy these posts:
Christin, this is such a lovely post. I love everything about Spain and Catalonia is one of my favourite regions. I’m putting Begur on my list of places to visit in Catalonia next time go there. Thanks for the inspiration.
So happy you like it! I hope you’ll have a great time in Begur, it is actually closer to France than to Barcelona 🙂