Living in Costa Garraf/Maresme
Why move to Costa Garraf / Maresme
Want the art, culture, and great food of city life, but also the peace and quiet of smaller towns and villages? You can get the best of both worlds here.
The Costa Garraf and Maresme Costa are two of Spain’s best kept secrets. They are situated in the region of Catalonia on either side of the Barcelona coastline, with Maresme on the northern side, and the Garraf on the southern side. Both are well located for quick access to Barcelona, and the Mediterranean climate means you can lose many an afternoon on their miles upon miles of golden sandy beaches.
The Maresme has some very spacious, family friendly beaches with lots of play areas and activities; these beaches tend to be less busy than those of nearby Barcelona or the Costa Brava. Though with Barcelona close-by, you’ll want to take the very romantic train ride along the 7 mile stretch between Sant Pol de Mar and Caldes d’Estrac. The line, which opened in the mid nineteenth century, stops every few kilometres and offers unparalleled views of the coastline.
If you love architecture you will have much to discover without needing to travel far, with the extraordinary ‘Modernista’ buildings at Canet de Mar, Mataro, and Argentona. Love art? Check out the Fundació Palau Museum in Caldes d’Estrac, where for the cost of a drink you can view some of the earliest works of one of the most important artists of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso.
The Costa Garraf is also a fantastic place to discover great art – have a look around Sitges, a small town with a bohemian atmosphere and year round calendar of festivals. With an international film festival focusing on horror and fantasy, a wine festival, a vintage car festival, Gay Pride Sitges, numerous summer celebrations, and Carnaval de Sitges (known to be one of the best carnivals in Spain), you will never be bored.
