Most visitors reach Blanes on the way to somewhere else — it is the gateway town for Lloret de Mar and the resorts north of it. That is a reason to stop rather than pass through, because the thing worth seeing is right on the beach and it costs nothing.
Sa Palomera is a rock that pushes out into the sea and splits the bay of Blanes in two. The Costa Brava tourist board identifies it as the point where that coastline begins: south of it the shore runs long and flat, north of it the coves start.
What is Blanes? A town in the Selva county, 70 km north of Barcelona, at the point where the Maresme coast gives way to the Costa Brava. It holds the Marimurtra botanical garden above the harbour and hosts a July fireworks competition with over a century of history.
Marimurtra, and the afternoon ticket that saves a third
The Jardí Botànic Marimurtra sits on the hill above the harbour and is the main reason people plan a day here rather than a stop. Carl Faust founded it, and it is still a privately run botanical garden, which is unusual for a collection of this standing.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Low season, all day | €10.00 |
| Mid and high season, all day | €15.00 (€14.00 booked ahead) |
| Mid and high season, afternoon from 14:00 | €10.00 |
| Fan Individual, a year of visits | €40.00 |
| Fan Familiar, a year of visits | €60.00 |
The practical reading: in summer, arriving after 14:00 costs €10 instead of €15. Morning on the beach, afternoon in the garden, and the ticket pays for the difference.
Two things to plan for:
- The recommended visit runs about an hour and a half, so it fits either side of lunch but not into a rushed stopover.
- Entry is managed by timed slots, and the garden itself recommends booking online, because the gate may have no space left in the slot you want.
Opening hours change three times a year: roughly late October to early March, Monday to Friday 10:00-15:00 and weekends 10:00-16:00; March to mid-May, daily 09:30-17:00; mid-May to mid-September, daily 09:00-18:00. It closes on 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and on 1, 5 and 6 January.
Getting up the hill without a car
The garden is at Passeig de Carles Faust, 9, uphill from the centre. You can walk, cycle or drive up following the signs towards the hill above the harbour.
There is an easier option: a road train leaves from Plaça Catalunya in Blanes and stops directly outside the garden entrance. Bookings on +34 93 561 20 00 or at info@carrilets.com.
Coming from Lloret de Mar, take the Gi-682 Costa Brava access road towards the Blanes district hospital and follow the signs.
The fireworks competition, and why it changes the town
The Costa Brava International Fireworks Competition — Vila de Blanes Trophy runs in late July and has passed 50 editions; the 54th took place from 23 to 27 July.
Launches begin at 22:30 from the beach and the Sa Palomera rock, with the audience spread along the sands of the whole bay. The event carries over a century of tradition and draws between 120,000 and 150,000 spectators per day.
Plan around it either way. Those five nights are by a distance the busiest of the Blanes year: if you want quiet, pick another week, and if you want the show, expect a full train home and book a bed early.
Where Blanes sits, and why the train matters
Blanes is 70 km from Barcelona and 40 from Girona, and it is no longer in Barcelona province — this is the Selva county, in Girona. The change shows up in the rail service.
The Rodalies R1 reaches Blanes, but not at the frequency of the stops before it. Rodalies publishes a train every 30 minutes to Blanes, against every 15 at peak as far as Calella, and beyond Blanes towards Maçanet-Massanes the service drops to hourly.
That makes this the practical end of the commuter coast: the last point where a car-free day trip still works comfortably, and the first where the return timetable is worth checking before you leave. Fares are zonal, from €2.90 in one zone to €8.80 in five, with the 10-journey T-casual from €13.00 to €51.20. Details in the Barcelona public transport guide.
There is one advantage the Maresme towns do not have. Girona-Costa Brava airport is 32 km away, about half an hour by the N-II, while El Prat is 85 km. For anyone flying into Girona rather than Barcelona, Blanes is the closest coastal base.
What to combine it with
Blanes opens the Costa Brava, so heading north the coastline changes character entirely — coves instead of long sand. The stretch is covered in the Costa Brava from Barcelona, and two examples of what follows are Tossa de Mar and Calella de Palafrugell.
Heading south runs the whole Maresme line: rocky coves at Sant Pol de Mar, the architect’s workshop at Canet de Mar and a lighthouse and Civil War shelter at Calella.
Where this ranks against the alternatives is in the best villages near Barcelona, and the car-free routing is in Catalonia without a car.
One budget note before deciding. A day here comes to the train fare plus €10 to €15 for the garden, with the rock, the beaches and the fireworks costing nothing at all. Set against a day of paid attractions in the city — the comparison is in the Barcelona travel budget guide — it is one of the cheaper ways to spend a day out of Barcelona, and the only one that comes with a coastline changing its name halfway along.
Frequently asked questions about Blanes
Where does the Costa Brava actually start?
At Sa Palomera, a rock in Blanes that juts into the sea and splits the bay in two. The Costa Brava tourist board identifies it as the point marking the start of that stretch of coastline, which runs from here to the French border.
How much is the Marimurtra botanical garden?
€10 all day in low season. In spring, autumn and summer it is €15 at the gate or €14 booked ahead, and there is an afternoon rate of €10 for entry from 14:00. Entry runs on timed slots, so booking online is the safer option.
How long does the Marimurtra garden take to visit?
The garden recommends about an hour and a half, and access runs on timed entry slots. Allow extra for the climb from the centre, or take the road train from Plaça Catalunya, which stops directly outside the entrance.
Which airport is closest to Blanes?
Girona-Costa Brava, 32 km away and about half an hour by the N-II. Barcelona El Prat is 85 km, roughly an hour by motorway. For anyone flying into Girona rather than Barcelona, Blanes is the nearest coastal base on this stretch.
Is Blanes worth visiting from Barcelona without a car?
Yes, but it is the practical limit of the commuter line. The R1 reaches Blanes every 30 minutes, against every 15 at peak as far as Calella, and beyond Blanes the service drops to hourly. Check the return timetable before you set out.
When is the Blanes fireworks competition?
In late July. The 54th edition ran from 23 to 27 July, with launches at 22:30 from the Sa Palomera rock. It has over a century of history and draws between 120,000 and 150,000 spectators a day, so accommodation and trains fill up.
Stop at the rock before carrying on north — it is the only place the coast changes name.