Lloret de Mar is a little beach town on Costa Brava. It is only 75 km away from Barcelona and 40km from Girona. Hence it’s a popular summer destination from both cities. Also, many charter flights are arriving specifically to Lloret de Mar (via Girona airport). So it’s a common vacation spot for foreigners – all age groups – to spend here 1-2 weeks during the season. Since Lloret de Mar is that popular among tourist, of course you can enjoy many tourism related facilities, beach services and bars, great restaurants, special offers, nightlife and so on. But on the other hand, most of the time the places get very busy. But if you are looking for a vivid beach town with many services, programs and party options, Lloret is definitely your place. Let’s see now main reasons why to visit LLoret de Mar!
Things to do in Lloret de Mar
Enjoy the beach
Thanks to its location it’s impossible to avoid the beach in Lloret, but who would want that? If you are lucky enough to have a sun-bed, or place for your towels, you can easily spend the entire day soaking up the sun and swimming in the crystal clear blue water or grabbing a drink and tapas at one of the many beachfront restaurants.
Walk on the beach promenade
The promenade of Lloret is full of bars, restaurants, souvenir shops and other tourist offers. While we can also admire the beach, the sea and the vivid crowd. It definitely has its vibe, any time of the day. In the mornings, looking for coffee and breakfast, during lunch time when it gets really busy. Or during sunset, when the whole promenade is covered in golden lights.
Visit the Town Hall Building
The Ajuntament de Lloret de Mar – Town Hall – we can find on the beach promenade. It’s a nice, renovated building decorated with flags, and a little square in front of it.
Parish Church of Sant Romá
This beautifully decorated church is standing out from any angles. The original 15th-century building is Catalan Gothic. The exterior though got a major renovation in the early 20th century. This is when they updated the roofs of the spires and domes with bright-coloured tiles. The church also has neo-Mudéjar horseshoe arches and contrasting stripes made with Catalan Modernist tiling.
Hike up to the Castell de’n Plaja
We can find Castell de’n Plaja at the end of Lloret Beach. This mansion was constructed by the local industrialist Narcís Plaja in the 1930s and 40s. You can’t get into the building, but many people climb up to the top of the headland for panoramic photos. Not to mention the path, it’s beautiful, and it’s definitely worth it!
Check out the Modernist Cemetery
This might sound like an unusual recommendation, but the Modernist Cemetery is actually a very popular attraction in the city! This cemetery dates from 1901 and you can find many beautiful shrines and mausoleums there, created in the Art Nouveau style. The entire place is like a piece of art by itself, so it attracts many tourists every year.
Visit the Puig de Castellet Iberian Ruins
Dating back 2,300 years these ruins have the twin appeal of historical importance. Puig de Castellet stands at 200 metres above the sea, a couple of kilometres in from the coast. If you’re up for the walk there’s a clear trail leading to the site, but many people catch a bus to the top in summer. What you’ll see from an elevated boardwalk are the detailed foundations of a fort built on this commanding strategic position in the 3rd century.
Visit some cool bars
Lloret has many bars, “vermuterias“, restaurants, ice cream shops, coffee places to enjoy. And they actually look cool and it’s nice to spend some time in or on their terraces. You can find breakfast options, not to mention the plenty of restaurants that welcome you for lunch or dinner. Don’t miss them out!
Where to stay in Lloret de Mar
Lloret de Mar is a tourist destination with plenty of options for accommodations. You can find luxurious hotels, family apartments, and cheap hostels as well. It only depends on your budget which option to go with. However in holiday season, we recommend to book in advance, as places are getting full very quickly. Needless to mention how popular this place is! Check out the best options on the below map!
How to go to Lloret de Mar
Lloret de Mar is only 75 km away from Barcelona and 40km from Girona. The easiest way is to follow AP-7 highway (both directions), and get out at the related exit. However – due to the reason that AP-7 highway is toll free since 2021 – the traffic is huge, so you really need to calculate with additional time spent on the road. The alternative option is to follow the coastal national road, but this gets even busier in season due to the traffic lights and enormous number of tourists.
Best experiences in Lloret de Mar
Other things to do on Costa Brava – Day trips from Lloret de Mar
Tossa de Mar
Tossa de Mar is definitely calmer on a sunny winter day .vs during the summer, and even if it’s December, the temperature is around 20 degrees, full of sunshine, the key bars are open, and if you are brave enough, you can seriously consider having a bath in the Mediterranean Sea! Tossa de Mar is also relatively close to Barcelona, by car you can be there in 1,5 hours. Tossa is a relatively small village with 5,5 thousand inhabitants, but of course during summer season this number should be multiplied…to over 60.000 people. Read more about Tossa de Mar here:
Blanes
Blanes is a town and municipality in the comarca of Selva in Girona, Catalonia. During Roman rule it was named Blanda or Blandae. It is known as the “Gateway to the Costa Brava“. Its coast is part of the Costa Brava, which stretches from Blanes to the French border. The township is 18.29 km2. Blanes is a popular tourist town, and it is known for the Concurs de Focs d’Artifici during the Santa Anna festival. This event includes many fireworks. Other places of interest include beutiful viewing points from the castle and the mountains, botanical gardens, coves such as the Cala Bona, and beaches that are surrounded by mountains.
Calella de Palafrugell
We had the chance to visit Calella de Palafrugell in winter. On a sunny day in December. Actually, winter here is like late spring in Eastern Europe. As a result, people can have a bath in the sea even in December. Meanwhile, the terraces are full of people enjoying their tapas, for instance. Certainly, Calella de Palafrugell is tiny. Above all, it’s not much more than a couple of cute streets. But let’s see our complete Calella de Palafrugell guide in detail!
Empuriabrava
We can find Empuriabrava in the Gulf of Roses, surrounded by the Natural Park of the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà. Empuriabrava, the largest residential marina in Europe has some 24 km of navigable waterways. The construction of Empuriabrava started in 1964 and completed in 1975. The town quickly became a tourist community. Nowdays, the town has more than 40 km of canals and a seasonal, summer population of around 80,000.
Empuriabrava is a purpose built tourist resort with many fine houses and apartments. A planned community of housing along canals similar to Fort Lauderdale in Florida or old Venice. The whole residential neighbourhood is built around many kilometres of canal-like waterways close to some of the finest golden sandy beaches on the Iberian peninsula. Read more here:
Enjoy our discounts in the place
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Wow, I would have wanted to spend there a vacation 45 years ago. Things has changed a lot on that coast since then. Still amazing though.
Judging from your photos, Lloret-de-mar has certainly gotten built-up since I was last there forty-five years ago — and it was already a popular tourist destination back then.
Yes, definitely! Sometimes it’s worth to review all these famous touristy places how they developed further.