What To Do On A Rainy Day On The Costa Brava

The Costa Brava is the Catalan coastline area and around, which runs all the way from just north of Barcelona to the French border. It’s an area typically associated with beaches, coves and rocky inlets and is a popular summer destination. But what if it’s not the sunny day you’re expecting on the beach and it begins to rain? Here’s what to do on a rainy day on the Costa Brava.

Dalí Theatre Museum in Figueres

The Dalí Theatre Museum, located in the small town of Figueres, is perhaps the area’s most famous attraction. Converted from an old theatre and turned into a museum by the artist Salvador Dalí himself, it showcases some of his best and most iconic pieces of work. You can spend most of the day keeping dry here and discovering this quirky art gallery – decorated with plaster croissants, golden statues and large white eggs.

Plaça Gala i Salvador Dalí, 5, 17600 Figueres, Spain +34 972 67 75 00

The capital of the Costa Brava, the historic city of Girona, is a great place to visit when it rains, filled with a fascinating array of museums and ancient sights. Visit the old Roman Arabic-style Baths – the Banys Arabs, the Girona History Museum, and of course the grand Cathedral. To find out more on what to visit here, read our article on What to do on a Rainy Day in Girona.

Visit the Cork Museum in Palafrugell

The Cork Museum, or Museu del Suro in Catalan, is located in the town of Palafrugell and is of course dedicated to all things cork related. The museum itself is housed inside an old cork factory, built from 1900 to 1907. The museum displays exhibits on cork oak forests, how cork is processed and exploited, and all about the history of the factory, which at the time was the largest cork factory in Spain.
Carrer de Begur, 15, 17200 Palafrugell, Girona, Spain +34 972 30 78 25

Can Mario Museum

Just behind the Cork Museum, also within the cork factory, you’ll find the Can Mario – the Fundació Vila Casas Museum of Contemporary Sculpture. The museum displays around 220 sculptures by Catalan artists, which date from the 1960s to the present day. The square behind the factory also features many outdoor large scale sculptures, as well as a huge Modernista water tower.

Museo del Mar in Lloret del Mar

If you don’t want to get wet, but still want to go to the beach, then Lloret del Mar’s Museum of the Sea could be the next best thing. The museum is split into five sections which all focus on a different part of marine life. The first is dedicated to the town’s relationship with the sea, the second to the art of building boats and the third to navigation. The last two sections look at fishing activity in the area and the heritage of historical sites and buildings in the Costa Brava.

Passeig de Camprodon i Arrieta, 1-2, 17310 Lloret de Mar, Spain +34 972 36 44 54

Dine at Compartir

Treat yourself to a meal at Compartir, housed a lovely 18th-century building in the quaint coastal town of Cadaqués. As the name suggests, plates are designed especially for sharing and are all placed in the middle of the table. It is run by chefs Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch, who used to work together at the famous El Bulli (former best restaurant in the world), before it closed down. Try avant-garde dishes like sardines marinated in raspberry and beetroot and sprinkled with pistachios or artichoke salad with raisins and an almond and vanilla sorbet.

Riera de Sant Vicenç, 17488 Cadaqués, Spain +34 972 25 84 82

Visit the Gala Dalí Castle is the village of Púbol

Another Dalí site on the Costa Brava is his medieval castle, located in the village of Púbol. Dalí bought the castle with his wife Gala and renovated it according to his quirky taste, filling it with his artwork as well as period-style furniture. When Gala died, he brought her here to be buried and filled the house with memories and pictures of her. It’s best to buy tickets online for this ahead of time, so if you know the weather forecast is for rain or you see it’s going to be a rainy day when you wake up, you can go onto the website to book.

Gala Dali, 17120 Púbol, Spain +34 972 48 86 55

Castell de Púbol, Casa Museu Gala Dalí

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