Lloret de Mar, with about 43,000 inhabitants, is one of the largest resorts on the Costa Brava, in the province of Girona, in Catalonia. In the 1970s and 80s it became famous for mass tourism and nightlife, popular with young people from all over Europe; today it also targets family, sports and cultural tourism.
History
A former fishing village, Lloret grew rich in the 19th century thanks to the indianos or americanos, emigrants who came back wealthy from the Americas and built fine houses. From the 1950s tourism transformed the town.
Beaches
- Lloret beach, the main one, long and sandy, with the seafront.
- Fenals, wide and quieter.
- Santa Cristina, among pines, with its hermitage.
- Sa Boadella, a small cove, partly naturist.
- Cala Canyelles, with a small harbour.
- Coves such as Treumal and Sa Caleta.
What to see
- The Santa Clotilde Gardens, a Noucentista garden by the sea laid out in the 1920s, with terraces, stairways, statues and cypresses.
- The castle of En Plaja, a medieval-style villa on the cliff, Lloret's symbol.
- The statue of the Dona Marinera, dedicated to fishermen's wives, on the headland.
- The church of Sant Romà, Catalan Gothic with colourful modernista decoration.
- The modernista cemetery and the Ruta dels Indians, with the emigrants' houses.
- The Museu del Mar, in an indiano's house, devoted to maritime history.
- The Santa Cristina hermitage and the Iberian village of Puig de Castellet.
The Camí de Ronda
The Camí de Ronda, the coastal path, links beaches and coves with superb sea views, as far as Tossa de Mar.
Festivals and nightlife
The Santa Cristina festival, from 24 to 26 July, with a boat procession from the hermitage and the almorratxes dance. Nightlife centres on the town, with clubs and bars packed in summer.
Getting there
Girona airport is about 35 km away, Barcelona's about 80 km. Buses run from Barcelona, Girona and the airports, and in summer boats ply the coast. See also Tossa de Mar and Calella.