Hi Rosie!

So you are coming to Barcelona! Good choice! 

We are very much about city live here!

But there are true jewels all along the coast. Summertime is usually crowded with tourists everywhere, but if you got a car, you can get to some places ahead of the bus tourists!

From North to South in Catalonia, I would recommend to check Figueres
With the The Dali Theatre Museum, Figueres, SpainBook tickets in the internet in order not to queue to much.

Begur and its Beach Sa Riera. Go Stand Up Paddleboarding along the coast here!

Peratallada is an inland jewel, check out and then enjoy a good Catalan meal at Mas Pou Restaurant Mas Pou homepage in Palau-sator

A true classic would be Tossa De MarBut you can expect loads of tourist all year round! Get up early to have the picture perfect idyllic town like in this foto!

If you are heading south, there is SitgesDefinitely have some tapas in El Cable! 

If you venture further south, Valls is nice.

If you need good places to have Tapas in Barcelona, check the Free Tapa guide on my books homepage: #BCN - by locals

Have a great time in one of the most beautiful places on earth... 

Adeu, Jahn

You can go to Girona, it's a charming medival city ideal to spend the day. You can go by train, it takes nearly one hour. There it's possible to visit the storic center, have a nice lunch, walk over the city walls. 

Near Barcelona is also Figueres where is the Dali Museum but I haven't been there

You can try Salouand have fun at Port Aventura park or go to Lloret de Mar and party with folks from all over Europe. Although, If you do not like crowded and touristic areas it might not be the best idea of all ;)

Castelldefels and Sitges are beach towns both just a short drive away to the south and Costa Brava to the north - La Fosca and Sant Feliu de Guixols are two of my favorite beaches there.  More inland is Montserrat but definitely a great day-trip into the mountains.  Just get in your car and drive! It is Spain so you can't go wrong :) 

San Pol Beach and Sa Conca beach are close and nice. Also give you options to explore surrounding areas.

If you are willing to take a two hour drive, head to Cadaques in Girona. If you can spend the night in this charming fishing village, definately worth it and so close to Figueres where a few hours at The Dali Theatre Museum, Figueres, Spain is an experience that is hard to forget.  Rather than stay in Figueres, there are a few modest hotels in Cadeques that offer an authentic and affordable way to enjoy a real taste of the Costa Brava. In summer on most days there will be a few tourist buses, which is why an overnight stay is so worthwhile.  On Mondays there is a very eclectic flea market.  

Much closer, about 15 minutes south, is  Badalona,  a very low key Catalan beach town I lived in for years. To see and be seen head to the much more trendy Sitges less that a half hour out of town to the north.  

Spend a day Sitges on the beach

Ruïnes d'Empúries, for spectacular Roman and Greek ruins on the coast. Girona, for its restored Gothic/Jewish quarter. Figueres for the wild and woolly The Dali Theatre Museum, Figueres, Spain, Blanes for its fishing port, Sant Feliu de Guixols or Aiguablava for views of the Mediterranean.

Go to Sitges for a weekend beach getaway ( short hop to Nice from there). Go to Cadaques another nice beach town/artist colony.