Visit Lloret de Mar, Spain; a visitor guide

Visit Lloret de Mar

Lloret-de-Mar is one of the main resorts on Spain's popular Costa Brava coast in Catalonia. Lloret de Mar is about 70 km north of Barcelona.

Explore Lloret-de-Mar

Lloret de Mar is one of the town's that suffered during Spain's headlong dash into mass tourism but it is trying to shake off its old image and there is a charming town which deserves exploring.

Lloret de Mar also has a great beach.

To discover the original Lloret de Mar head for the narrow streets of the old town and admire the colourful Sant Roma church whose brightly coloured tiles were an inspiration for later Modernist architects.

It has an extraordinary collection of domes and turrets and all are covered with coloured tiles. It is a real treat.

Running along the edge of the beach is a long wide boulevard lined by mature palm trees - very pleasant for an evening's promenade. It has an interesting mix of Modernist and 19th century buildings to one side.

This boulevard is built on land reclaimed from the sea. Notice the Canaletes fountain on the Boulevard which is an exact copy of the Canaletes fountain on the Ramblas in Barcelona.

Another place to see Modernist design is Lloret de Mar's cemetery! The structures here are also influenced by the Americas as many people from this area set out to conquer the Americas and came back wealthy.

The Can Saragossa is one of the oldest farmhouses in the town and was given a Modernist face-lift in the 19th century and turned into a luxury home and then a hotel. It is now home to an exhibition of Iberian archeology.

Generally in Lloret you will find a quirky melange of old mansions and high-rise apartment blocks, though as you get away from the old centre this becomes a dedicated tourist resort full of apartment blocks.

Lloret de Mar is hugely popular with young adults and it has one of Europe's highest concentrations of night clubs. On a night in the summer it is one huge party which pubs, clubs and discos. The area around Avenida de Just Marles street is the area to head for if you are in a party mood.

Of course the main reason people come to Lloret is for its beaches and Lloret-de-Mar has five main beaches, all of which have been awarded the blue flag for cleanliness.

The best beaches are those slightly to the north and south of the town though the main beach, Playa Lloret is always the most packed, being the most convenient. If you venture a little further it is still possible to find charming coves and more secluded beaches.

If you have children the main beach is fabulous as it has a large inflatable water park in the water and you can hire small pedalos with slides attached, great fun for the kids!

Plus the usual range of watersports are available from the beaches at Lloret de Mar.

At the northern end of the main beach is a lovely 'castle', the D'en Plaja Castle' which was built in the 1930/1940s. It is a villa built in the style of a medieval castle by a wealthy industrialist. It is very picturesque.

There is a path that winds around the cliff under the castle leading to various other beaches and coves. This coastal path is charming.

Places to visit in Lloret-de-Mar

The medieval Castle of St Joan at Fanals was built in the 11th century to defend Lloret against attacks from the sea. Today only its tower remains but offers excellent views.

Be sure not to miss the Santa Clotilde gardens. These are set on top of a hill overlooking the sea and the views are fabulous. The gardens are laid out in a lovely Italian Renaissance style with lots of tall, thin cyprus trees and clipped hedges.

The Monument to the Fisherwoman's Wife is a large bronze statue erected above Lloret's beach in 1966 to commemorate Lloret de Mar's Millenium. From here you get great views of the beach, the town and the ocean.

Places to visit nearby

The Costa Brava really is a beautiful coastline as all along it are rocky cliffs and hidden sandy bays opening out in places to long sandy beaches. Explore the coastline on foot or by taking one of the available boat trips.

Water World is a large water park on the edge of Lloret-de-Mar and it has a great selection of water rides, slides and pools.

Marineland is one of the best marine parks in Europe and has daily dolphin, sealion and exotic-bird shows. It also has a waterpark with lots of different slides including the 'Boomerang' a near vertical drop in a dinghy. Marineland is at Palafolls a short distance down the coast from Lloret de Mar. In the summer there is a free bus service from Lloret de Mar to Marineland.

The neighbouring resort of Tossa de Mar is one of our favorites on the Costa Brava coast. It has a castle and old town on one end of its beautiful beach. It is possible to walk from Lloret-de-Mar to Tossa-de-Mar along the lovely "cami-de-ronda" coastal path.

There are the remains of an Iberian settlement to be seen at Puig de Castellet. It dates back to the 3rd century BC.

You can find more local travel ideas in the Girona guide and the Catalonia guide.