Where to stay in Costa Brava
Coves, medieval villages and wine-country hotels from S'Agaró to Cap de Creus
Specific guides to Costa Brava
Focused comparisons to choose the right area and hotel for the trip you actually want.
Spain in October: the month that splits in half
October is not one month in Spain, it is two. Until the 25th it is the end of summer, with a Mediterranean still at 19–23°C. That night the clocks go back and the sun sets before half past six. Book each half differently.
16 September 2026 · 9 min read
The 2026 MICHELIN Keys in Spain: what changed for the hotels we rate
Spain went from 109 hotels with a Key to 122. Six of the changes are ours: two hotels moved up to two Keys, one arrived with two, three won their first and one lost the one it had.
22 September 2026 · 6 min read
Wine hotels in Spain: where to sleep on a working estate
Twelve Spanish hotels where the vines, and usually the cellar, belong to the house — from Frank Gehry's landmark in Rioja to a 12th-century abbey on the Duero. Three of Spain's five three-Key hotels are among them.
16 September 2026 · 12 min read
A long weekend between Girona and the Empordà: four country hotels
Three nights is the right length for the countryside between Girona and the Empordà, with its medieval villages, its vineyards and the coast half an hour away. Four country hotels for a long weekend — including 10–12 October 2026.
14 September 2026 · 7 min read
Where to stay for the grape harvest: five wine hotels in Spain, Portugal and Italy
From late summer into October the grapes come in, the presses start and the cellars smell of fermenting must. Five hotels among the vines — in the Priorat, the Douro, Montalcino and the Empordà — to be there while it happens.
14 September 2026 · 8 min read
MICHELIN Key hotels in Spain: every one we rate, by region
The 71 hotels in Spain with a MICHELIN Key that we rate, by region — from the Ritz in Madrid and three wine estates with three Keys to townhouses from €160 — and how to use the Key when choosing.
13 September 2026 · 11 min read
Costa Brava: good to know
What is the best Costa Brava area for a first stay?
Begur and the Baix Empordà offer the strongest mix of coves, villages and restaurants. Choose S'Agaró for a polished beach break or the Alt Empordà for wine and a quieter inland trip.
Do you need a car on the Costa Brava?
Yes for the Baix and Alt Empordà. A short stay in S'Agaró can work without one if the hotel and coastal path are the focus.
How many nights are enough?
Four nights suit one base. Six or seven allow a coast-and-countryside split without turning the trip into a sequence of transfers.