Water, Land and Sky Adventures in Costa Brava - Summer Paradise

Water, Land & Sky Adventures in Costa Brava – Summer Paradise

After exiting the humid tropics of Asia this March, I stepped into Europe’s spring time in full bloom…and it was love at first sight.

Embracing Spain's summer sunshine and vitamin D
Embracing Spain’s summer sunshine and vitamin D

Welcome to Costa Brava, Spain!

Before this highly anticipated road trip, I have heard ravings from my avid European friends about the breathtaking and rugged wild beauty of Costa Brava coastal views and rock formations. From yacht trips to the crystal clear water to adventurous rocky activities, it seemed to be the perfect place for an outdoor lover like me. So when I arrived all the way from Singapore, it was definitely with great anticipation to get into the heart of the outdoor action.

But I didn’t expect to be blown away in delight by the fields of bloom as we drove from Barcelona towards the plains of Costa Brava.

Golden Crown of Spain – Catalonia Yellow

As we drove past the fields, my eyes couldn’t get use to the ravishing thick yellow gold colour of the fields, which I later found out are the flowers of rapeseed that is used to make the canola cooking oil we so commonly use in our dishes in Asia ( none of which in spanish cuisine seem to use much of, primarily a lot of olive oil instead)

We  arrived at Girona in the late afternoon about 2 hours later and was greeted by the beautiful rows of spanish architecturally design houses along the Onyar River, each house painted in the iconic hules of orange, brown and beige with a little catalonia drapped over the grill/ window here and there. The memories of my last time in Spain all came flooding back and I could only smile in fondness.

Brown hules of Girona houses by the canel, such a pretty assemble | Visit Girona Town
Brown hues of Girona houses by the Onya River, such a pretty assemble | Visit Girona Town

Festivals: Pretty Little Girona Town on St Georges Day 

We were lucky to experience a very interesting little festival/event in Catalonia call ‘Saint George’s Day”.

Every year on April 23rd, the streets and towns of cities are lined with shops selling books and roses. On this special day, where the men give the ladies in their lives (lover/ mum) a rose, and the women in return give the man back a book ( no issues getting books for women too, am all for reading more, but how can I say no to another rose;) ). This unique day is meant to celebrate a patron saint in Catalonia who perpetuated this tradition base on love and culture.

St George's Day in Girona with streets lined with books and roses shops | Festives in Girona Town
St George’s Day in Girona with streets lined with books and roses shops | Festives in Girona Town

Cez and I walked the streets of Girona during sunset and checked out the bustling festive spirit and crowds. It was mad crowded and every soul in Girona seems to be on the street.

We obviously took the time to also see a bit of Girona town, its bustling street/ tapas life, romantic Onyar River and yummy ice-cream shops.

(For more information about this festival and what else to do when in Girona, check out more here)

List of other best Costa Brava Towns to swing by:

  1. Besalu – Pretty little medieval town with a super impressive castle bridge, biggest I have seen across Europe so far ( In my opinion, this town has quite a nice romantic vibe to it with its little alleys, souvenier shops and little train passing through)
  2. Camprodon – If you have some time to spare on the road, do swing by this little town and immerse in the rich history and culture of this place.

Okay, enough of sightseeing and towns for now, time to hit the outdoors….

Back on the road and onward to Banyoles Lake (23km away)

We kickstarted our series of outdoor adventures at Costa Brava with our 1st pitstop – Banyoles Lake. This pretty calm lake, is also the biggest natural lake in Catalunya, and is especially popular during summer periods as training grounds for rowing pratices, and attracts professional rowers from UK and around Europe to train here. While we were there this spring, we didn’t spot any rowers but there was a section for people to swim laps and sunbathe. We on the other hand, had a more interesting activity prepared for us kayaking in the crystal clear lake !

Water Up – Warm up kayaking around Banyoles Lake

Try to spot the marine life beneath while you kayak along the edges of the lake, and don’t forget to also spot the little castles when you turn around the bends of the lake.

For those who are not as big a fan of water activities, the next activity we did was an equally fun option to see the lake – go around it on wheels.

Rent a Bicycle and go around the Banyoles lake & through the flower fields

This was really enjoyable, given it was such good weather and I wanted some good leg exercise while having a close up look of the flowers fields. We returned our kayaks and progressed to bikes, all rented to us from Caiac i Natura. Our awesome guide Atilio brought us around to all the best spots – to capture the best photos of the lake and surrounding yellow fields.

Highly recommended to go cycling after either in the morning or later part of the afternoon when it is not so hot and the sunset skies start to show, giving a nice reflection off the lake. We had a full day of workout and retired to our cosy Girorooms apartment back in Girona town.

Our pretty amazing view from the balcony of Girorooms. Agness looks absolutely delighted! | Costa Brava Apartments and Hotels
Our pretty amazing view from the balcony of Girorooms. Agness looks absolutely delighted! | Costa Brava Apartments and Hotels

 

From Water to Ice – Snowshoeing in Pyrenees

After enjoying the comfortable relaxing sport activities in Banyoles region, things can only get more exciting..and chilly…

Snow shoeing for the 1st time in the majestic Pyrenees mountains lead by our incredible guide Damià from Oxineu Sports and Recreation Centre.
Snow shoeing for the 1st time in the majestic Pyrenees mountains lead by our incredible guide Damià from Oxineu Sports and Recreation Centre.

Water is easy, but now we have transited to the icy slopes in the Pyrenees. After fastening blue plastic net-looking devices below our shoes..called snowshoes..we were off to do our 1st snow shoeing in Vall De Nuria, Pyrenees with Oxineu Sports and Recreation Centre.

And boy was it tiring….

It took us a bit of time to get the hang of walking in it, as you will feel like you are tripping over your own feet in the snow. But after much practice, it started getting easier to walk and enjoy the experience and stunning spectacular snowcapped view. A bit more effort is required when crossing certain parts where it is more icy and the snow has melted and harden into ice, but overall it is a real good workout with a backdrop that you can feast on all day. Damià our young and strong guide was really patient and nice as we trot along in our slow but steady speed…

Looking very pleased with my snowshoe progress. As you can see, I am only in 1 thin long sleeve thermal layer ( Columbia brand, very good). The sun and hiking strain gets to you after a while and its better not to overdress or under.
Looking very pleased with my snowshoes. As you can see, I am only in 1 thin long sleeve thermal layer  as you will work out quite a sweat along the way( For those wondering what is good to wear for hiking in cold places, my top is Columbia brand, very good for insulation in winter conditions). The sun and hiking in these snow and cold conditions will strain you after a while and its better not to overdress or under.

This particular trail (Vall de Nuria to Puigmal at 2.913m) will take about 4.5 hours if you go on a slow but progressive pace. We stopped in between at a nice rocky patch to munch the sandwich lunch that was prepared for us, before continuing on our journey..good workout indeed and stunning mountain views all around.

Little note before the hike: Do not overlayer or underlayer ( find clothes that are insulated and protects you from the wind yet breathable. One should also put sunscreen in advance and a pair of shades, as the sun rays are strong and reflect off the ground.

For those who love animals, you will see some lovely mountain wildlife along the way, especially if it is after winter and they are all awake from hibernation. You can look out for animals like deer, large lizards  and my all time favourite…the fluffy brown Marmot!

Cez upclose encounter with a big fluffy marmot | Wildlife in the Pyrenees
Cez upclose encounter with a big fluffy marmot calling out from a rock, can you spot it??? | Wildlife in the Pyrenees

We saw one really adorable marmot from afar, which was calling out in a perculiar ‘parrot sounding’ voice while perched on a rock. Utterly adorable little animal which I wished allowed me to get upclose to it and pet it.

Concluding this little winter hiking adventure we had at the majestic Pyrenees for a day, known throughout Europe to be a great destination for skiing in winter, hiking, parasailing and more in the other seasons.

How to get there:

Train/ Rail: We came from Ribes Vila Station and arrived at Vall de Nuria in half an hour, with a scenic view of waterfalls, mountains, river rapids and more.


Last but not least, we keep the best for last.

After we conquered the Lake Banyoles (liquid), ice in the Pyrenees ( solid), we are only missing the final and last state of matter..

AIR…

And that’s where we lose all sense and went SkyDiving at Empuriabrava! 

Fly through the skies..and witness the beauty of Costa Brava from a bird’s eye view!

Fly through the skies at SkyDive Empuria Brava in Spain | Tandem Sky Diving in Costa Brava
Fly through the skies at Skydive Empuriabrava in Spain | Tandem Sky Diving in Costa Brava

This once in a lifetime experience, is truly memorable for those who like me..love action packed activities.

This is my 2nd time skydiving, but I still had such a good time nonetheless ( one can never get enough of flying like a bird). Witness the sheer beauty of the snow-capped Pyrenees and iconic Costa Brava rocky coasts while you fly through the sky at high gravitational speed.

Concluding the water, land and sky experiences here in beautiful Costa Brava, ( in Spanish known asˈkosta ˈβɾaβa). This list of crazy outdoor adventures in this road trip are not conclusive but are in my opinion one of the best set of activities to embark on in Costa Brava. Stay tuned for more about our rocky misadventures and Via Ferrata action ( my personal highlight in my trip) here in sunny Costa Brava.

Are you convinced to come visit the wild coasts of Costa Brava?

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18 Comments

  • Avatar of Zhanna
    Reply
    Zhanna
    May 22, 2018 at 7:26 pm

    Guys, that was a pretty intense workout 🙂 But to be honest, no outdoor activities feel like workout sessions. I guess all those beautiful places are solely responsible for that 🙂

    • Avatar of Lydia Yang
      Reply
      Lydia Yang
      May 23, 2018 at 3:18 pm

      Intense yet worth doing, Zhanna! I couldn’t agree more, the beautiful places make everything more manageable. 😉

  • Avatar of Renuka Walter
    Reply
    Renuka Walter
    May 26, 2018 at 5:28 am

    Your Costa Brava trip sounds just too amazing! Love the festival of exchanging roses and books. 🙂 And yes, bicycling through the lovely yellow carpet of flowers would be totally my kind of activity!

    • Avatar of Lydia Yang
      Reply
      Lydia Yang
      May 26, 2018 at 11:09 am

      Cycling there is such breathtaking scenery is unbelievable, Renuka! Hope you’ll get to explore Costa Brava one day and enjoy the scenery. 🙂

  • Avatar of Johanna Bradley
    Reply
    Johanna Bradley
    May 26, 2018 at 9:34 pm

    So many lovely places, Lydia. I like the sound of Besalu. Great trip all round. Thanks for sharing! 🙂 🙂

    • Avatar of Lydia Yang
      Reply
      Lydia Yang
      May 27, 2018 at 10:37 am

      Thank you, Jo! I really appreciate your comment and lovely words. 🙂

  • Avatar of Lorelle
    Reply
    Lorelle
    May 27, 2018 at 5:55 am

    Those golden canola fields look amazing Lydia. Beautiful backdrops on your trip 🙂

    • Avatar of Lydia Yang
      Reply
      Lydia Yang
      May 27, 2018 at 10:38 am

      Thank you, Lorelle! The golden canolas are exceptional. 🙂

  • Avatar of Tina Payl
    Reply
    Tina Payl
    May 29, 2018 at 1:03 pm

    Great post Lydia! Love skydiving. We hope to get to Costa Brava soon!

    • Avatar of Lydia Yang
      Reply
      Lydia Yang
      May 29, 2018 at 7:42 pm

      Thanks, Tina! Costa Brava is the perfect place for skydiving, I warmly recommend it! 🙂

  • Avatar of Kelly Price
    Reply
    Kelly Price
    June 16, 2018 at 2:08 am

    Those fields are so beautiful! And skydiving looks super terrifying but also really fun!

    • Avatar of Lydia Yang
      Reply
      Lydia Yang
      June 16, 2018 at 3:34 pm

      Thank you a lot, Kelly! Skydiving is extremely fun and definitely worth doing, that feeling can’t be explained in words!

  • Avatar of Adrenaline Romance
    Reply
    Adrenaline Romance
    June 18, 2018 at 7:48 pm

    That’s an incredibly beautiful place! So full of adventure! We would feel right at home here. Wanna try skiing. 😀

    • Avatar of Lydia Yang
      Reply
      Lydia Yang
      June 18, 2018 at 9:02 pm

      Costa Brava is an exceptional place which offers a wide range of adventures. Skiing is a great idea! 🙂

  • Avatar of Scarlett Roitman
    Reply
    Scarlett Roitman
    July 3, 2018 at 4:05 pm

    Love the Costa Brava – in particular the town of Figueres and the Dali Museum. Never been snowshoeing though, looks great fun and quite challenging!

    • Avatar of Lydia Yang
      Reply
      Lydia Yang
      July 3, 2018 at 9:33 pm

      Snowshoeing is very fun, challenging and yet very rewarding experience, Scarlett! 🙂

  • Avatar of Lisa Dorenfest
    Reply
    Lisa Dorenfest
    August 12, 2018 at 11:27 am

    What an action-packed, diverse adventure you all had. I had considered going to Costa Brava to qualify for my Yachtmaster sailing license but opted for the southwest coast of England instead. Your post has convinced me to add Costa Brava back onto my bucket-list

    • Avatar of Lydia Yang
      Reply
      Lydia Yang
      August 13, 2018 at 9:22 am

      Thanks a lot for your kind words and lovely comment, Lisa! Yes, Costa Brava should definitely be on your bucket list. 😉

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