Recently, my youngest and I went on a whirlwind trip through Spain, complete with a visit to a Spanish hospital for a soccer-related injury, and tons of time enjoying all things futbal. But our first stop was Lloret de Mar, a town on the edge of the sea, part of Spain’s Costa Brava.
I never would have picked Lloret de Mar as a place to visit of my own accord. It’s just not the sort of place that “pops” to tourists – especially those sitting on their couches in other countries looking at the Internet for great places to visit in Spain. But this was a really lovely place to be.
Lloret is known as a party town, particularly for the LGTBQ+ community, particularly for other Europeans. It has over 100 bars and nightclubs, a beach that abuts cafes, and Mediterranean weather. But we never ran into a rowdy crowd or even saw the club life while there.
Of course, we were there with a bunch of 13-14-year-old boys so had a different goal. But it felt very safe and comfortable. Our hotel did indeed have some young 20-somethings in groups to party, but things never got out of hand in the hotel itself while we were around. Everyone was very friendly, well-behaved, and kind.
Perhaps because of all of this, I wouldn’t say Lloret de Mar felt like the best place to immerse in Spanish culture. There was a blend of nationalities and the way the town is constructed just feels a little more watered down and different than the other spots we visited (like Sitges, for example).
But Lloret does have more than 1,000 years of history and beautiful cliffs. Bonus: Lloret is supposedly cheaper than other towns to visit, stay in, and explore. But all I can attest to is that the water was refreshing and, overall, we enjoyed our time here. I am grateful to have experienced it.
How to get to Lloret de Mar
Lloret de Mar is 75 km north up the coast from Barcelona. There aren’t direct flights to this town, so most visitors arrive either via Barcelona or Girona. While you could rent a car in Spain and drive, to save yourself the headache Welcome Pickup is a great service that can be booked ahead of time to drive you to your destination in Llloret de Mar.
We found that once in Lloret we did not need a car. We mostly did stuff around town, our hotel was close enough to the beach and central area of town to be convenient, and a prearranged bus service did all of our day trips.
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Where to stay in Lloret de Mar
We were on a soccer extravaganza, and the team was put up at the Hotel L’Azure, which I highly recommend. It was just lovely.
This hotel is popular with both families and groups coming to enjoy the nightlife. There is an adults-only swimming pool on the rooftop and a larger pool for all on the main level. There are a couple of restaurants and the main restaurant had a delicious buffet. The location was also fantastic – an easy walk to the main beach.
Things to do in Lloret de Mar
Beach.
The focus of life and leisure in Lloret de Mar revolves around the beach.Â
The biggest, most popular, and most convenient beach is Platja Lloret de Mar. Here, there is a lot of sand as well as beach chairs and umbrellas for rent. There are also beach clubs and places to buy refreshments.
Platja de Fenals is further south on the coast and less crowded. However, due to the topography, it can be a bit more challenging to get to. There is a way to hike here, but for a leisurely beach day, you will likely want to Uber or otherwise arrange car transport if you are in the main city center of Lloret.
Cala Boadella is even more remote but is adjacent (basically is) a clothing-optional beach. So just be aware if you take your children/teenagers.
Catamaran cruise.
We took an afternoon and hopped on a “party boat.” Yes, with our teenagers. And yes, it was great!
To be fair, we chose the boat that left earlier in the day that was billed as a more family-centric affair than the true, busting-to-the-seams party cruises that left later in the evening. You can book a catamaran cruise here.
Kayak/snorkel cruise.
Unfortunately, our kayak cruise with Lemon Kayak was canceled last minute due to a shortage of guides (boo!). But before that stroke of bad luck, we were excited to do this.
This is not the area of the world that has the best snorkeling (hello Roatan and Australia!). But it would have been fun to see what we could. Our catamaran cruise allowed us to at least put our faces in the water with some masks. There wasn’t a lot to see where we were at the time, but the water was beautiful and it was still interesting.
Hike.
I enjoyed exploring the area this way, but before I got there, I couldn’t find much information that made sense about picking a route. I found that frustrating.
It turns out, it was fairly easy to find hiking trails in the area – they all just skirt along the coast and nearly everything is an out and back.
The Camino de Ronda (not the famous Spanish Camino that tourists and pilgrims flock to hike, but a similar one) goes up the Costa Brava. See the full map here.
It is very well-marked and well-trodden. You can go as far as you want and then make your way back.
The Camino is accessible right off of the Platja Lloret de Mar. We accessed the Camino up near the Castle de San Juan (which you can see on Google Maps). Unfortunately, the Castle was closed when we arrived, but it was still pretty to see, perched high up over the water.
We had the intention to walk to the Platja de Fenals, but realized quickly that there was going to be some serious elevation and we were only out for a quick, casual hike to explore. So, instead, we found a cafe that sprawled out over the Camino, with tables that looked out on the sea, and drank Aperol spritzes. No complaints here.
Walk the town, stopping for Aperol spritz and beachy food.
Like I said, no regrets on the Aperol spritz stop so I highly recommend taking time to walk the area alongside the main beach, where cafes offer vittles and beverages with nice vibes.
We strolled through Lloret de Mar a bit and found the area closest to the beach the nicest, so try to hang out in that area if you can.
While walking, be sure to see the Parish Church of Saint Roma.
Consider a daytrip to Tossa de Mar.
Tossa de Mar is a beautiful old town just 100 km north of Barcelona and 100 km south of France. It is small, but has been existing and supporting humans since as early as the 1st century. Interestingly, it was the first city to officially declare itself as anti-bullfighting (in 1989).
With more time:
- Water park : Water World Parc Lloret de mar
- Adventure park : Omno Park with minigolf, virtual reality games, ropes course, and zip lines (something for all ages)
- Santa Clotilde Gardens
- Day trip to France : Some of our group elected to go on an offered excursion to Perpignan, France. Given its proximity to the border of France, Lloret de Mar can be a jumping-off point for seeing southern France. Most popular is the famous Montserrat, and travelers can book a trip there from a pick up point close to Lloret using this link.
Lloret de Mar in Spain is a place to go lie on the beach, maybe have some adult beverages in a relaxed setting, or, if you want, go dance the night away at a disco. I can’t imagine this place ever appearing in “1,000 Places to See Before You Die,” but at the same time, this is where real life is more often seen. This isn’t where the motorcoaches haul international tourists – and there is something incredibly relaxing about that.
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Loved this guide to Lloret de Mar. I visited the town a number of years ago and look forward to returning soon.