Timeless Costa Brava

This week-long escorted tour with Just You sets out from the beaches of Lloret de Mar on Spain’s Costa Brava. Early sights include the cliffside Monastery of Montserrat, home to Benedictine monks and a boys’ choir whose voices carry through the mountain air. The day in Barcelona focuses on Antoni Gaudi’s architecture, from the winding lanes to the towering Sagrada Familia, which dominates the city skyline in a way that’s difficult to avoid.

The itinerary balances full days of sightseeing with lighter ones to explore at leisure. In between, the Costa Brava coastline offers fishing villages such as Palafrugell with their whitewashed houses and tucked-away beaches; a wine tasting accompanies the visit around the coastline. Further inland, the medieval towns of Girona and Besalú reveal stone streets, defensive walls, and remnants of the region’s Jewish heritage, including a restored ritual bath. Leisure days allow moments to absorb the surroundings without the rush.

Throughout, the pace keeps company with a well-read companion who knows there’s more to Spain than tapas and beaches — though there’s space for both. The tour concludes with a calm transfer back to Barcelona’s airport for flights home.

New to Spain? Our Spain guide has the practical essentials: money, plugs, visas and when to go.