Luxury Hotel on a secluded beach

Set on a stunning cove beach & surrounded by all the best elements of the Costa Brava, you´ll find the beautiful Hostal Spa Empúries




The thing I loved most about this hotel was its incredible location and food!

Sat directly in front of the sandy cove beach of Portitxol, and with seaview rooms available, it´s easy to relax and unwind whilst taking in the views of the Costa Brava.
A coastal walking and cycling path separates the hotel from the beach and runs from the cute medieval village of Sant Martí d´Empúries in the north passed the Greek & Roman ruins of Empúries, down to Escala in the south. (max. of 20-25 mins walk each way)



You can hire bikes from the hotel for 8 euros and ride the quiet cycle path alongside the Mediterranean and stop for tapas or a drink (like we did after about 10 mins!).  I totally recommend a walk around the very small but beautiful village of Sant Martí d´Empuries. It´s like a mini version of Pals, with it´s narrow cobbled streets and beautiful main square with restaurants and tapas bars. 




As it prides itself on being an ecological hotel, the food is incredibly fresh with all the fruit and vegetables coming directly from the allotments in the hotel´s gardens.

The hotel has 2 different areas for eating, both with large windows looking directly onto the beach; Villa Teresita is the a la carte restaurant at the hands of famed Catalan chef, Rafa Peña who creates Catalan eco-cuisine & some quite daring looking fish dishes. The set lunch menu is between 24 and 26 euros during the week & is definitely worth a visit and is open all year round. (My dessert of chocolate and banana filled pastry traingles was amazing!) 

The more informal restaurant is the Bistro del Mar where you can try incredible fresh salads, tapas and rice dishes. A cheaper option and with plenty of light dishes if you just fancy a snack. 




Breakfast in a hotel is always a total pleasure for me & this place is just perfect. Sit on the terrace in the morning sun with a coffee overlooking the sea and people watch the trekkers & cyclists walking by...(I tried to stop instragramming & take it all in!)

The buffet breakfast is amazing but pricey at 17 euros (as always with luxury restaurants) but you can book online beforehand to get it at 12 euros. If like me, you prefer a simple breakfast  then head to the terrace of the restaurant and order a coffee and croissants for about 4-5 euros. (photo above)



In front of the hotel, there´s a cute beach bar offering drinks and snacks which isn´t linked to the hotel (above). Here, you can also hire kayaks or boards for paddle surfing if you´re feeling a bit sporty. 

If not, you can relax in the hotel spa (price unfortunately not incl. in price of hotel stay) or go for a slow walk along the coast and take in some of these views of this beautiful part of Catalunya. 






(All photos by @lascallesdebcn)
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