Lloret de Mar è one of the most popular destinations on the Costa Brava: famous above all for its beaches and its lively nightlife, the city actually offers attractions for all tastes and is very popular with families. The city is about 75 km from Barcelona: for visiting the Costa Brava, Lloret is a good starting point.
What to see in Lloret de Mar
Lloret de Mar offers a small but charming old town, fantastic beaches with crystal clear waters and an extensive network of trails with stunning sea views. Not only this: in the summer the city is filled with tourists and becomes one of the entertainment capitals of Catalonia.
Lloret beaches
Lloret de Mar has gained a great reputation for its beaches: the main one is the Lloret beach, over a kilometer and a half long, which stretches along the entire promenade of the town and is the most crowded and full of activities in summer. Fenals it is the second largest beach, you can easily reach it on foot. If you prefer more secluded and quiet places, take a trip to Canyelles beach: it is the farthest from the urban core, and can be reached from the road leading to Tossa de Mar.
Caminos de Ronda
I Caminos de Ronda they are paths with a very particular origin: they are the paths used by local gendarmes to counter smuggling from neighboring France, with a path that allowed you to check the various calas and beaches around the town. The paths extend around Lloret reaching the neighboring villages, the most beautiful is the one that goes from Lloret to nearby Tossa de Mar: an hour and a half walk with stunning views and breathtaking views, until the arrival at the castle of Tossa de Mar. The route is 6,8 km long, there are some stairs to climb at the beginning but apart from that it is not particularly demanding. Once in Tossa you can return to Lloret by taking a bus from the local station, one leaves every 30 minutes.
The Indian houses and the cemetery
Lloret del Mar experienced its golden age in the XNUMXth century, after Spain opened trade with the Americas - las Indias Occidentales - to all Spanish ports. Many local inhabitants began to participate in ocean trade, and some of these made great fortunes overseas. Once rich, many of these fellow citizens returned to their country of origin and had large buildings built, a symbol of their wealth: they were the Indians.
The construction of some of these buildings coincided with the beginning of the modernist period in Catalonia, a style that was taken up in construction. The best examples of Modernism in Lloret del Mar are not in its palaces, but in the local cemetery: some of the chapels were designed by the most famous architects of the time, one above all Josep Puig i Cadafalch, the designer of Casa Amatller, in the Manzana de la Discordia in Barcelona.
Church of Sant Romà
The Church of Sant Romà is one of the most curious buildings in Lloret: built in the Catalan Gothic style between 1509 and 1522, it has been enlarged and renovated several times, up to the last important modernist works in 1916, including the colorful domes of the side chapels. The church, located in the center of Lloret, is open every day from 9:30 to 12:00, and from 16:00 to 19:30. Access is free.
Museum of the Sea
The maritime past of Lloret is well represented by the Museum of the Sea, located in an Indian building from the second half of the XNUMXth century, Casa Garriga. The Museum presents various educational itineraries inside: from the period of coastal navigation in the Mediterranean to that of the great ocean crossings, the golden age for the Catalan city.
Gardens of Santa Clotilde
The Gardens of Santa Clotilde they are gorgeous and have a magnificent sea view, an ideal setting for some postcard photos. The gardens are private, but are managed by the municipality of Lloret: they were built at the beginning of the 10th century in the Italian Renaissance style on behalf of a marquis, who dedicated them to his wife, Clotilde - it is not known if his wife was made holy. The Gardens are among the most beautiful of this kind and are certainly worth a visit. From April to October the Gardens are open every day from 00:20 to 00:17, in winter they close at 00:5. The admission price is € 2,50, reduced to € XNUMX for students and retirees.
Water World
Water World is one of the largest water parks in Europe, with 14 hectares dedicated to fun for both groups of children and families with children in tow. The park is located on the outskirts of Lloret, about 2 km from the city center. A shuttle provides free transportation to and from the city every 30 minutes.
Lloret Card
The Lloret Card is the tourist card of the Municipality of Lloret de Mar: it includes access to the gardens of Santa Clotilde, the Museum of the Sea and the Archeology Museum of Can Saragossa, as well as discounts of 50% in some restaurants, tourist attractions and programs cultural. It costs € 10 for adults, and € 7 for those over 55. You can buy it in any tourist office and in larger hotels.
Where to eat in Lloret de Mar
In general, the best restaurants in Lloret are not on the seafront, but in the inner streets.
The Lonja
If you can find your way through many identical streets and you feel like paella, go to The Lonja (Carrer de San Tomàs, 11): starting from the roundabout where the Carabela and KFC are, take the seafront and walk for 150 meters until you see Burger King: the next street, at the corner with the Subway, is Carrer de San Tomas. Take it, the Lonja is on the second block on the left. Concrete place, without many frills and very consistent: it is better to go first to book, and be on time.
La Parrilla
Another very popular restaurant among the local inhabitants is La Parrilla (Carrer de Santa Llúcia, 13). It is one of the side streets to the church of Sant Romà: look for the Pastry Can Carbó (mark this place for brioches and croissants in the morning), the Carrer di Santa Llúcia is the street that makes the corner with the pastry shop, La Parrilla is immediately after on the right . It is another restaurant where you can eat fish, menu of the day for € 12, for the evening there is a gastronomic menu from € 35 where they will bring you everything and more.
Dove will sleep in Lloret de Mar
There are more than a hundred hotels and tourist facilities in Lloret de Mar, the choice is really wide, with possibilities for all budgets. Among the various, we point out a couple for their excellent quality - price ratio:
- Eldorado Apartments 3 *: Located next to El Fenals beach, this is a series of apartments with a terrace, 2 minutes from the sea. Excellent traveler reviews, starting from 25 € per night.
- JOY Paris Square 4 *: A 4 * hotel in the center of Lloret, a 5-minute walk from the central beach, with excellent value for money. A room for a family of 4 costs around € 80 per night with breakfast included; here too the user reviews are very positive.
If they don't convince you, you can see other accommodation options in Lloret de Mar here.
How to get to Lloret de Mar
Nearest airport
Lloret de Mar is directly connected to Barcelona by bus, while the closest station to arrive by train is Blanes. In addition, there are a series of direct services with El Prat airport in Barcelona and with the airport of Girona - Costa Brava, and the other main towns of Catalonia and the Costa Brava.
By bus
The connections from Barcelona to Lloret are managed by Sarfa: the ticket costs € 10,75 each way and connects the Lloret bus station with Barcelona's Estació del Norte in 60 minutes. The first bus from Barcelona leaves at 9am, the last one from Lloret at 15pm. Direct connections with Barcelona airport are always managed by the same company, with two daily trips: at 19:15 am and at 9:50 pm from Barcelona; at 16:35 and 7:00 from Lloret. In this case, however, the bus takes 13 hours to complete its journey, at a cost of € 45. For bus connections with other locations you can look at this page, with links to all operators.
On the occasion of the Formula 1 and MotoGP GP also there are direct links to the Montmeló circuit: Taking into account the very competitive prices for accommodation, sleeping in Lloret can be a cheaper alternative than in Barcelona.
Train
Lloret does not have its own train station, the closest is that of Blanes: it is worth getting there by train only if you leave from Girona, as from Barcelona it is necessary to make a change, with waits of one hour. For train timetables, consult the Renfe website.
Tours organized from Barcelona to Lloret de Mar.
A very attractive alternative is to participate in the half day tour organized by the Barcelona Tourist Board: includes bus transfers from Barcelona, audio guide in Italian, accompaniment of a local guide, and boat trip between Lloret and Tossa de Mar. The half-day tour departs at 8am : 30 from Plaça de Catalunya (in front of the Hard Rock Café), and return to the same place at 16:30. The tour costs € 55 per person, but is free for children under 6. Taking into account that the cost of bus tickets and boat tickets would already reach 40 € it is a really good price. More information is available on this page.
