Relaxing on Costa Brava

2023-06-04T10:39:00-07:00spainNo comments

To enjoy the Mediterranean and visit Costa Brava, we made reservations at Hotel Terramar Llafranc.

Sunday, June 4, 2023

In the morning, we woke at 10:00 in Girona. I took a quick shower, shaved, and dressed. After everyone was wrapped, we walked to our favorite Federal Cafe for brunch. We ordered the following items:

Boris: Matcha Latte, Fried Eggs with Roasted Tomatoes, Spinach, and Salmon
Inna: Matcha Latte, Oven-baked eggs
Alex: Matcha Latte, Salmon Sandwich

We enjoyed our last breakfast in Girona, but had to hurry to our room to pack and check out.

We left Girona around 12:30 for a 55-minute drive to Hotel Terramar Llafranc.

Upon arrival, we dropped off our bags in room #411 (on the 4th floor overlooking the sea) and returned to the beach, where we rented 2 chairs and one umbrella. The rentals cost 9.00 euros per item (so 2 chairs + umbrella were 27.00 euros)

The Platja de Llafranc beach was packed with sunbathers. I wanted to try paddle boarding, so I rented a 20.00 euros/hour SUP and paddled southwards toward the other sandy beach. It took me about 30 minutes to swim there and back, as the Mediterranean was primarily calm with light onshore wind.

After returning to the beach, Inna and I enjoyed resting and walking around. Alex was busy doing his homework,k but returned at about 16:00 to enjoy the beach. We stayed on the beach until 19:00 (when we had to replace our chairs and umbrella).

At around 20:00, we decided to look for a restaurant for dinner. We first checked at the highly-rated Japanese Nomo Mar on the beach, but it was full (even though there were plenty of empty tables).

Eventually, we ended up eating at our hotel's restaurant, Terramar. After being seated indoors, we ordered from the day's menu (32.00 euros per person fixed-price menu):

Appetizer: Gazpacho
Boris: Fish
Inna: Fish
Alex: Steak
Dessert: Coffee Cake
Wine: White wine

The fish and steak were excellent, and I enjoyed the coffee cake, too. The freshly baked bread was delicious!

We also stopped by for a taste of gelato at Gelats Enxaneta. I tried two sorbet flavors, Chocolate and Mango, but they were less flavorful than the ones in Girona.

Monday, June 5, 2023

In the morning, we woke relatively late - around 10:00. I showered and dressed. Inna followed suit, and we decided to inquire about hiring a motorboat with a captain to show us around Costa Brava.

We found a boat available for 175.00 euros per hour and booked one hour of cruising from 11:30 to 12:30. We waited for Alex to shower and get dressed, then walked over to the boat area on the beach.

Carlos (our captain) went to get the boat and returned in about 5 minutes. We boarded the small craft and were quickly on our way. As we sped by the coast, we saw many other small boats relaxing at various locations. Carlos showed us many more rocky beaches where other boats gathered to relax and swim (away from other people).

In addition, Carlos took the boat into a few natural caves, where boats and kayaks could enter. Being immersed in darkness as we motored inside these enormous spaces was quite exhilarating. We had a fantastic time touring Costa Brava and would love to do so again! It's different to experience it from the boat vs. the road.

After we returned to Llafranc, we decided to stop by Nomo Mar for lunch at about 13:00. Inna made the lunch reservation there (but still needs to complete the credit card authorization). The restaurant was completely empty, and we sat down for lunch.

We ordered the following items from the extensive menu:

Gyu Niku Gioza
Yakimeshi
Omu-Yakisoba
Tako Yaki
Salmon-Avocado Roll
Mineral Water

The Omu-Yakisoba noodles were delicious, and I really liked the Salmon-Avocado Roll. Inna and Alex really loved the Gyoza.

After the light lunch, we stopped by for a cappuccino and pastries at La Croisseterie de Callela and returned to the beach to enjoy the rest of the day. We rented 3 beach chairs and 2 umbrellas on the beach (9.00 x 5 items = 45 euros total)

I decided to try paddleboarding again and rented a 111-foot SUP for one hour. I boarded for about an hour. Unlike the previous day, the onshore wind was much more potent, and the sea was choppy. It took me longer to leave the small harbor and much faster to return.

The clouds hid the sun in the late afternoon, and the temperature dropped. We stopped by La Croisseterie de Callela for hot tea and croissants to warm up.

For dinner, we ended up eating at our Hotel Terramar restaurant again. After being seated, we ordered from the day's menu 29.00 euros per person, price fixe menu):

Appetizer: Gazpacho
Boris: Fish (like Sea Bass)
Inna: Fish
Alex: Risotto
Dessert: Fruit Salad
Wine: Rosé