What are we going to do today? Someone in our group asks.
“Eat, drink, and enjoy life,” came the reply.
We all smile because we know it’s true. Travel in Catalonia, specifically the Spanish Pyrenees and Costa Brava, is about enjoying simple pleasures. And they have pleasure in abundance; there’s so much of it that I have to split it up into multiple articles!
Table of Contents
Where are the Spanish Pyrenees?
Put on your geography thinking hats, as first things first – you have to learn where the Pyrenees are!
In the Northeast of Spain lies the region or Catalonia, and within Catalonia lies the province of Girona. Girona is made up of the Costa Brava and The Pyrenees mainly.
I had explored Costa Brava before, but this time my trip was all about heading to the Spanish Pyrenees mountain region – a region made up of 3 districts – Garroxta, Ripolles, and Cerdanya. Sitting at the border of France and Andorra, this mountain region has culture and adventure in abundance.
Why I was Visiting the Spanish Pyrenees
I traveled to the Catalonia region to speak at a conference and then stayed for a press trip hosted by Costa Brava Girona Pyrenees Tourism. I of course accepted this offer, as the last time I was in Costa Brava on a press trip I was totally blown away by the region, things to do, the food, the tourism board, and how little known this area was to Americans. It truly was a hidden gem, in a way. So of course I was going to jump at the chance to spend more time in this area learning about its mountain villages and adventures. As soon as I arrived in the Costa Brava area I was reminded of just how much this place got under my skin the first time.
I traveled the area with a small group of bloggers and videographers. Let’s just say there were an abundance of cameras and things captured. To give you a short overview of exactly why you should visit the Pyrenees and why I’m in love with this part of Europe, this video by Emiliano Bechi is a perfect depiction of my recent time there.
IN PYRENEES | The door to Costa Brava from Emiliano Bechi Gabrielli on Vimeo.
How can you do these things in the video?
This really was a dream trip, the activities, food, and people involved etched the Pyrenees into my heart.
Here are some of the blog posts where I share with you how you can do all of these activities that you see in the video, and other great things to do in the Spanish Pyrenees and Catalonia, so that you too can plan your next vacation to eat, drink, and enjoy life…in the Spanish Pyrenees!
Things to do in the Pyrenees
Catalonia From Above: Hot Air Baloon Rides in the Pyrenees
Inhale the Girona Flower Festival
Sant Miquel Trail Hike: How to have the Perfect Day Outside Girona
Traveling Girona Made Me a Game of Thrones Fan Geek
The Making of Human Towers and Catalan Tradition
You’ve Been Making Gin and Tonics All Wrong: Learning Better in Catalonia
Week In-Stagram Review In the Pyrenees
El Celler De Can Roca: The 2nd Best Restaurant in the World is in Girona
Have you ever been to Spain’s Pyrenees? Tell me about it in the comments!
By Gemma July 22, 2015 - 6:10 am
Catalonia was my first solo backpacking trip. I did a lot of things I’d never done before, including embarking on a 3day hike in the Pyrenees on my own, I hadn’t even done a day hike alone before. I was worried I would hate it, but the hike was awesome, I stayed in a fantastic hotel in Tossa de mer, (picked partly because of it’s name and partly because it was the smaller town next to a bigger holiday destination, Loret de mar. I had a fabulous time and didn’t want to go home afterwards. 2 years later and I’m an expat in New Zealand after leaving the UK 16months ago with a one way flight booked to Mexico, busy working, saving and planning my next travels. And it’s all because I randomly decided to go to Andorra, a country I’d only found out about a few months before my holiday, just because not many people went there and I was in the mountains, perfect for my love of the outdoors! A 2 week holiday in Catalonia gave me the confidence to leave everything behind, and it was the best decision of my life! 🙂
By Amber July 27, 2015 - 4:49 am
I love this video, so well done! You know us, though, and we are not outdoorsy, hiker types. Can we still enjoy a trip to the Pyrenees?
By Sherry July 29, 2015 - 11:52 pm
Ha! you are funny..I’m sure that you’ll find plenty to do there…like eat and drink. 🙂 How was your remaining time there???