S'Agaró
Hostal de La Gavina
A Gran luxe house on the headland at S'Agaró, above the bay of Sant Pol, with a 25-metre pool over the sea, a spa and four restaurants.
Spain
Luxury travel in Catalonia
The city alone, or with the coast, vineyards and mountains.
The Sagrada Família, Barcelona
Catalonia is Spain’s north-east: Barcelona and Gaudí, the coves of the Costa Brava, Girona and Dalí’s Figueres, Roman Tarragona, and the wine country of the Penedès and the Priorat. Avelia plans private, tailor-made time across the region.
Catalonia at a glance
- Recommended stay
- Six to eight days; ten with the wine country and the Pyrenees
- Best seasons
- April to June, and September and October
- Getting there
- Fly to Barcelona–El Prat; high-speed trains to Girona and Tarragona
- Best for
- Barcelona, the Costa Brava's coves, Dalí, cava and the Priorat's wine
- In a wider trip
- Pairs with Madrid by train, Mallorca, the Basque Country or Andalusia
- World Heritage
- Gaudí, the Palau de la Música, Tarraco, Poblet and the Vall de Boí
A trip with us typically includes hotels, private transfers, guided days and restaurant reservations, and always support while you travel.
01Where to go
Where to go in Catalonia
Ten places. Barcelona has a page of its own; the rest we plan as a day out or a stay, and if the place you have in mind is not here, we plan it just the same.
Cities
City
Girona
The old town inside the walls of the Força Vella: the Call, its medieval Jewish quarter, the Cathedral, whose Gothic nave is 23 m wide, and the painted houses on the Onyar. Best for a night on the way to the Costa Brava, or a day by high-speed train.
City
Figueres
Dalí's birthplace, where he made his own museum in the ruins of the town's 1850 theatre: the Dalí Theatre-Museum, open since 1974, holds the largest collection of his work. Best for a day from Barcelona or Girona, or two with the Foundation's houses at Púbol and Portlligat.
City
Tarragona
Roman Tarraco, capital of the province of Hispania Citerior: its walls, amphitheatre and circus in the city, and the Les Ferreres aqueduct in the country around, on the World Heritage List since 2000. Best for a day of Roman history from Barcelona, or paired with the Priorat.
The coast, the mountains and the wine country
Region
The Costa Brava
200 km of coves and beaches among the cliffs, from Blanes to the border town of Portbou: fishing villages such as Cadaqués and Calella de Palafrugell, coastal paths, and the Cap de Creus natural park. Best for a few days by the sea after Barcelona.
Day excursion
Montserrat
A Benedictine monastery founded in 1025 on a mountain of rock needles, reached by rack railway or cable car. The Escolania choir sings at 1 pm on weekdays outside its holidays, and a 7 km circuit climbs to Sant Jeroni, the summit, at 1,236 m. Best for a day from Barcelona.
Wine region
The Penedès
The wine country between Montserrat and the sea, from the coast to about 800 m: xarel·lo whites and reds around Vilafranca, 50 km from Barcelona, and cava from Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, the capital of cava. Best for a day among the vineyards, with lunch at a cava house.
Wine region
The Priorat
Steep vineyards on llicorella, the local slate, below the Montsant ridge, where the Carthusians of Scala Dei made wine from the 12th century: garnatxa and carinyena reds, and since 2000 one of Spain's only two Denominaciones de Origen Calificadas. Best for a longer day, or a night among the vines.
Region
The Pyrenees
Catalonia's only national park, Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici, declared in 1955: 14,119 ha of high mountain and some 200 lakes, reached from Espot or from the Vall de Boí, whose Romanesque churches are on the World Heritage List. Best for mountain walks with a private guide.
Region
The Garrotxa
A volcanic landscape around Olot, protected since 1982 and now a natural park: about forty volcanic cones and more than 20 lava flows under holm oak, oak and beech woods. Best for a day on foot or on horseback from Girona or the Costa Brava.
02Inspiration
Experiences in Catalonia
Each of these is arranged privately for your dates, subject to availability.
Gaudí, Dalí and the old cities
Gaudí’s Barcelona with a private guide, Dalí’s museum in Figueres, the Jewish quarter of Girona, Roman Tarragona, and the castells, the human towers the towns raise at their festes.
Food, wine and slow days
A cellar and a long lunch in the Penedès, a day in the Priorat, Michelin-starred tables booked ahead, a truffle hunt in season, and a spa near Girona when a slower day is wanted.
Coast, mountains and open country
The Costa Brava by private boat, kayak and its old coastal paths, a balloon over the countryside early in the morning, the Garrotxa’s volcanoes on horseback, and Montserrat on foot.
03Featured hotels
Where to stay in Catalonia
On the Costa Brava, the hotel we recommend is Hostal de La Gavina, a grand house on the headland at S’Agaró; Barcelona’s are on where to stay in Barcelona. We can also arrange other properties to suit your preferences and travel plans.
Featured hotels on the map
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
The map runs from the Pyrenees to the sea, each place pinned where it stands, with our featured hotel on the Costa Brava. The distances are short: Montserrat and the Penedès are about 40 km from Barcelona in a straight line, and the widest pair, the Priorat and Figueres, about 220.
04Seasons
When to go
Spring April to June
The region at its best: average highs of 18–25°C (64–77°F) on the coast at Barcelona, and warmer inland, where Lleida reaches 30°C (86°F) by June.
EventsGirona's Temps de Flors in May, when the old city's courtyards, gardens and monuments fill with flowers.
Summer July and August
The coast's season: average highs of 28–29°C (82–85°F) at Barcelona and Reus, and July the driest month on the coast.
Hot inland: Inland it is hotter: Lleida averages a high of 33°C (91°F) in July. Take the interior early and late, and the middle of the day by the sea.
Autumn September and October
Warm and quieter: 26°C (79°F) in September and 22°C (72°F) in October on the coast. October is the wettest month, with a rainy day most weeks.
EventsSanta Tecla in Tarragona on 23 September, when the city's four colles raise their castells in the Plaça de la Font.
Winter November to March
Mild on the coast, with average highs of 14–17°C (57–63°F) at Barcelona; colder inland, where Girona and Lleida average lows of about 1°C (34°F) in January.
Region by region across Spain, our best time to visit Spain guide.
05Shape your trip
Routes and itineraries
Each route is a starting point, tailored to you. For Catalonia inside a longer journey, see all our Spain itineraries.
4 days
Art, architecture and the table
- Places
- Barcelona, with a day in Figueres
- Suits
- A first taste of Catalonia, built around Gaudí, Dalí and Barcelona's table
7 days
Catalonia discovery
- Places
- Barcelona, Girona, the Penedès and the Costa Brava
- Suits
- The city first, then the wine country, the coast and a slower stay in the countryside
10 days
Catalonia and beyond
- Places
- Barcelona, the Costa Brava and Tarragona, then Madrid or Seville
- Suits
- A longer journey that starts in Catalonia and carries on across Spain
Itineraries that include Catalonia
Catalonia Experience
from $13,200 per person
The Grand Spanish Tour
from $27,200 per person
Luxury Spanish Honeymoon
from $16,800 per person
Spanish Family Adventure
from $9,400 per person
06Planning with Avelia
How we plan your trip to Catalonia
We start with which places and in what order — Barcelona first or the coast, and how long for each — then choose the hotels, and only then fill the days. Ramin Jafari plans it from Málaga, where Avelia is based, and is your contact until you are home.
Share your plans
Tell us your dates, who is travelling and the pace you like, and whether Madrid, Mallorca or the Basque Country belong in the same journey.
Shape your trip with us
Before any payment, we send a written proposal with a quoted trip price and what it includes — such as a hotel in Barcelona and one on the Costa Brava, a guide for Gaudí, and a cellar in the Penedès or the Priorat — and refine it with you.
Travel with our support
Once you approve the proposal and complete the agreed booking requirements, we confirm your arrangements. We coordinate the details and support you while you travel.
Peace of mind
Financially protected. Your payments for a package trip are covered against our insolvency by a guarantee with AXA. Plan with peace of mind
What we can arrange
Your proposal sets out the arrangements included in your trip.
- Hotels matched to you — in Barcelona, among the city’s hotels; on the Costa Brava, Hostal de La Gavina; in the country, masias and villas we know; across Spain, our luxury hotels.
- Private transport — a chauffeur for the coast and the countryside, and the high-speed trains between Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona where they are the better choice.
- Private guides — for Gaudí and the old cities, Dalí’s Figueres and Roman Tarragona; see our private architecture and cultural tours.
- Food and wine — cellars in the Penedès and the Priorat, cooking classes and the tables that need booking ahead; see our food and wine tours.
- Tables and tickets — reservations, and the Sagrada Família and Park Güell reserved as soon as your dates are fixed.
- Special occasions — honeymoons, anniversaries and family trips, shaped by who is travelling.
Catalonia guides
- Barcelona travel guide
When to go, where to stay, the food, the great buildings and three days in the city.
- The best luxury hotels in Barcelona
By kind and by neighbourhood, boutique to grand.
- Spain's luxury destinations
The cities, coasts and islands we plan, region by region.
- Luxury travel guide to Spain
When to go, our itineraries, and Spain's leading destinations and hotels.
07Questions
Questions we are asked
What does it cost to have a tailor-made trip designed by Avelia Travel?
Every trip is priced individually. After discussing your plans, we prepare a tailored proposal with a quoted trip price and a clear outline of what is included.
How many days should I spend in Catalonia?
Six to eight days cover the essentials: four or five in Barcelona, then Girona and the Costa Brava. Ten days add the wine country of the Penedès or the Priorat, or the Pyrenees, at an easier pace.
When is the best time to visit Catalonia?
April to June, and September and October. July and August belong to the coast, because the interior is at its hottest, and winter is mild by the sea and quiet in the cities. Girona’s flowers in May and Tarragona’s castells on 23 September are worth timing a trip around.
Can I combine Catalonia with the rest of Spain?
Yes. Madrid is a high-speed train from Barcelona, Mallorca a short flight, and the Basque Country and Andalusia pair well too. Our luxury trip planning page explains how a trip with several stops comes together.
Which parts of Catalonia do you arrange?
All of it. The places on this page are the ones most of our clients ask for; the Empordà’s villages, the Costa Daurada, the Vall de Boí and the rest of the Pyrenees we arrange just as readily, as a day out or a stay.
How do I get around Catalonia?
By high-speed train between Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona, and by car with a driver for everything else: the Costa Brava’s villages, the wine country and the mountains are where a chauffeur earns their keep.
Do you only plan full itineraries, or can you help with just a hotel?
Both. We plan complete trips, and we also arrange a stay on its own: a hotel matched to you, with transfers, a guide or a few reservations added if you wish.
Is Avelia right for me?
Avelia suits travellers who want a private, well-paced trip planned around them: the right places in the right order, hotels chosen for them, guides who know the ground, tables and tickets taken care of, and one point of contact from the first conversation until they are home.
Start planning your time in Catalonia
Six to eight days in Catalonia, or ten with the wine country and the Pyrenees: tell us your dates and who is travelling.
Usually answered within one business day.