Hotels in Blanes

Blanes

Blanes is a town of nearly 40,000 people in the comarca of La Selva, the southernmost resort of the Costa Brava and known as its gateway. Its symbol is Sa Palomera, a rocky outcrop on the seafront that splits the town's coastline in two and is traditionally taken as the point where the Costa Brava begins. South-west of the rock runs S'Abanell, a long sandy beach backed by pine woods and most of the town's hotels and campsites, stretching towards the mouth of the Tordera. North-east of it lie the fishing port, the old town and smaller coves such as Sant Francesc and Cala Bona, framed by wooded hills. The town was the Roman Blanda, and its Gothic parish church and the remains of the viscounts' palace date from the Middle Ages. On the cliffs above the sea, the Marimurtra botanical garden covers about 15 hectares with more than 4,000 plant species and sweeping views of the coast. Every July, during the Santa Anna festival, Blanes hosts an international fireworks competition launched from Sa Palomera and watched from the beach by large crowds. The fishing port still holds a daily fish auction, and the promenade connects the old town with S'Abanell's beach bars and restaurants. Blanes suits families and anyone looking for a lively beach town with a working harbour rather than a purpose-built resort. Trains on the Rodalies R1 line connect it with Barcelona, about an hour away by road, and Girona-Costa Brava Airport is roughly 40 minutes by car.