Llançà
Originally Llançà was divided between the original tenth-century settlement — built inland as a defense against pirates — and the harbor of Llançà.
However, the tourist boom brought lots of urban growth, and the village and harbor soon joined together to create one resort.
By all accounts this is still a relatively quiet town when compared with larger destinations such as Lloret de Mar or Playa D’Aro.
Yet during the summer months both the interior village, Llançà Vila, and the Puerto de Llançà are home to countless foreigners.
As with so many seaside resorts along the Costa Brava, Llançà originated as a fishing village.
The port area is flanked by Passeig Marítim — a modern boulevard that stretches along the beach, Platja del Port — and Carrer Castellar, where you’ll find many shops and restaurants.
The small Vila is centered around the Plaza Mayor, which is shaded by a huge plane tree — named, as in Colera, Arbre de Libertat (Tree of Liberty). The tree was planted in 1870 to commemorate freedom from the French.
The Beaches of Llançà
The coastline between Llançà and El Port de la Selva, a little further north, is not as rugged as in other places along the Costa Brava — but it is irregular and varied enough to awe tourists and locals alike with the same natural beauty that has drawn visitors for decades.
Llançà itself is blessed with an excellent range of small and quiet beaches and coves.
Watersports
Facts about Llançà
• Almost 5,000 people live yearround in the village of Llançà, which covers 28.625 km²
To be continued…
Catalunya – Catalonia
Catalonia, the English term for the Catalan Catalunya, is an Autonomous Community (Comunidad Autónoma) in Northeast Spain.
Its 32.000 km² is home to nearly 7.5 million people, and ranges from the sandy beaches via the wild cliffs of the Costa Brava to the slopes of the Pyrenees in the North.
Barcelona, Catalonia’s capital, is considered one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.
The entire region attracts millions of tourists each year.
Political power in Spain is divided by a central government and 17 Autonomous Communities. “The autonomous communities have wide legislative and executive autonomy, with their own parliaments and regional governments,” Wikipedia writes, noting that these “regional governments are responsible for schools, universities, health, social services, culture, urban and rural development and, in some places, policing.”
In many ways, Catalonia is a country within its own rights, and there are plenty of Catalans who either want more autonomy or even outright independence from Spain.
See Also:
• Generalitat de Catalunya (Government of Catalonia)
– Wikipedia
• Autonomous Communities of Spain
– Wikipedia
Costa Brava Tourist Guide
This website, the Costa Brava Tourist Guide, will focus primarily on the seaside resorts along Catalonia’s Costa Brava, or Wild Coast.
Along the way we hope to share with you concise information about Catalonia — anything from its customs to its cuisine, and from its history and art to its folklore and language.
By the way, this is a labor of love, and we’ve only just started. If you’re looking for information that’s missing right now, just stay tuned and visit us again in a little while. New articles will be added on a regular basis, and current articles will be edited and updated as well.