Bays

Cala Pedrosa is a tiny cove in the Costa Brava, located between the towns of Llafranc and Tamariu. Its dimensions are modest: 30 metres long and 10 metres wide, it’s almost entirely a pebble beach with no sand cover. The closest accommodation is no less than thirty minutes away. It’s a blessing for nature lovers, but don’t worry (or hope) about being all alone—Cala Pedrosa is a cozy yet popular spot!

Reaching the Pedrosa cove requires some ingenuity. The most straightforward way is sailing into the cove on a boat; most visitors looking for a calm spot to swim and sunbathe who have access to one do exactly that. People with a penchant for hiking and land excursions may choose to drive to the lighthouse Sant Sebastià and then hike for 45 minutes along Camino de Ronda.

Alternatively, the most effort-saving way is driving along the highway GIV-6542 towards the coordinates (41.907806,3.201733) and parking there, then walking about 5 minutes to the hiking route GR-92 and following it towards Paratge Ros Lluny for about 10 minutes to reach the cove.

The cove Cala Port d’Esclanyà is found on Camí de Ronda halfway between the beach of Fornells and the beach of Aiguablava. The cove is named a “port” thanks to a small pier and boat storage lockers onsite. Before the pier was built, the cove was called Cala dels Tries.

This cove is uniquely suited to accommodate lovers of different beach types — here, you will find sand, pebbles and even smooth concrete on which to sunbathe and play.

Despite its wild and “brave” nature, Costa Brava is a well-inhabited coast with signs of human activity found even in its most remote corners. Even in the hardest-to-access coves requiring a multi-hour hike, you may find some sort of shed or shack standing modestly by the shore. For most of those sheds, their utility is self-evident, especially if there is a jetty nearby.

The little shack found in Cala Prona Cove, the farthest-removed cove in the natural reserve of Cap de Creus (Parc Natural de Cap de Creus), has a bit more history to it than usual. For starters, it dates back to the 18th century and what is more, it has at some point made it onto the privileged list of the objects of historical significance of Catalonia.

Cala Prona is unquestionably picturesque, but fishermen value its biodiversity, abundance of plankton and fish much more than its landscape aesthetics. For instance, it’s an ideal spot for tuna and mackerel fishing. To prevent crowding and overfishing, there has historically been a lottery held among fishers to assign fishing rights in the cove. The shack on the beach is used by all of them communally. (Maybe the door key is also hidden nearby?)

Visiting the Prona cove and capturing its beauty requires that you drive to El Port de la Selva and embark on a lengthy but unchallenging hike.

Directions: locate the beginning of the 44th stage of the route GR® 11 in El Port de la Selva and follow the route towards the sign indicating the direction to the cove.

Directions: On highway C-253, just before reaching Sant Antoni Calonge, find the coordinates (41.827435, 3.082694)—to the left of the parking area there is a path towards the cove.