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Roses, Cadaques and The Catalan Coast

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4.2 stars(45 reviews)
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Small Group

Enjoy the unspoilt rugged beauty of the Costa Brava

You are viewing the 2023 itinerary. Select your departure year
20222023
9 days From £1,995 per person

2023 Tour code: FCS23

About the tour

The beautiful, unspoilt town of Roses is our base as we explore the rugged Costa Brava, uncovering the region's cultural and gastronomic highlights, including the picturesque fishing village of Cadaqués, vibrant Barcelona and Figueres' Dalí Foundation.

Highlights

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What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - London and Roses

We meet at London St Pancras and take the Eurostar to Paris. Here, we join the high-speed train to Figueres, in Spain, transferring by coach to our hotel which overlooks Almadraba Beach in the town of Roses. Located in the north eastern area of the Costa Brava, a wild and rocky stretch of the Spanish coastline, our hotel offers a complimentary shuttle service into the centre of Roses, allowing you to enjoy the best of both worlds - the peace and quiet of our secluded location and the freedom and flexibility to visit Roses when you choose.

Includes
  • Dinner
  • Eurostar Meal
Day 2 - Discovering Roses

Enjoy a free day to relax by the pool or make your way, by shuttle, to Roses. Set within the beautiful Bay of Roses, the town of Roses is an authentic Spanish fishing port with typical Catalan charm and style. Running south is an almost endless stretch of fine sandy beach, set against a backdrop of distant Pyrenean mountain peaks. You could visit the beach or enjoy a drink in one of the cafés along the promenade, overlooking the Mediterranean. Alternatively, enjoy a walk out of the bay to discover rocky coves and secluded shingle beaches only accessible on foot or by boat.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 – Cadaqués

Boarding a boat at Roses' port, we cruise along a beautiful stretch of the Cap de Creus National Park, passing towering cliffs and small bays accessible only by boat. We disembark in Cadaqués, set in its own cobalt blue bay, where you have some time to look around before our return sailing. A picturesque fishing village of delightful white-washed houses that inspired much of Salvador Dalí's work, you could visit the famous painter's former house and studio, once a bohemian retreat for other artists. Picasso was known to have been particularly inspired by the incredible light and colour on display in Cadaqués. Afterwards, you may be ready for some tempting tapas or a dish of fresh seafood.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 – Roses

With another free day today, you could visit the mighty Castell de la Trinitat at the head of the bay or ride the 'Roses Express' road train along the seafront, up into the hills overlooking the Mediterranean. If you'd like to explore further, the medieval city of Girona is just a short journey away by local bus. A well-preserved example of a Spanish medieval town, Girona's bustling streets are a treasure trove of winding alleys, colourful buildings and diverse galleries and museums. The Gothic cathedral is well worth seeing - the site was first a primitive Christian church then converted into a mosque by Moorish rulers before being re-purposed as a church.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 - Barcelona

We travel by coach to the fabulous city of Barcelona for a guided tour. Beginning at the Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí's unfinished masterpiece, we make our way along bustling Las Ramblas, a tree-lined boulevard that runs from Plaza de Catalunya to the waterfront. Your afternoon is free to explore at your own pace, maybe walk through the city's impressive Gothic quarter to visit the Picasso Museum, housing a collection of the artist's finest work, or discover historic Port Vell. You could also admire more of Gaudí's distinctive architecture in the elegant Eixemple district, one of the city's most exclusive shopping areas.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 – Roses

Enjoy the day to yourself to make the most of the hotel's superb facilities or continue sightseeing around the local area.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 - Figueres and Besalú

Figueres is our first destination today, where we visit the fascinating Salvador Dalí Foundation. The gallery, designed by Dalí himself and built on the ruins of a former municipal theatre, is the largest surrealist object in the world. Exhibits include various collections of the surrealist's work, from different periods of his life. Afterwards, you're free to continue exploring Figueres before we transfer to Besalú - a grand old town dominated by its magnificent, 11th-century fortified bridge. You may like to visit the monastery of Sant Pere or you could hop on the tourist train for a scenic tour of the town.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Days 8 - Roses

We embrace the Catalan way of life today, heading out to a nearby vineyard for a traditional brunch of local specialties, followed by a tour of the vines and a tasting of different wines. Back at the hotel this evening, we enjoy a pre-dinner apéritif on the terrace followed by a farewell dinner.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 - Roses and London

We bid farewell to the Costa Brava today. Leaving Roses, we transfer by coach to Figueres to join the high-speed rail service to Paris. Here, we board the Eurostar to London St Pancras.

Includes
  • Breakfast
  • Eurostar Meal

Additional information

Please note

Please note that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotel

Almadraba Park Hotel, Roses

Almadraba Park Hotel, Roses

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Reviews

4.2 stars4.2 / 5 · 45 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (16)
  2. 4 stars
    (24)
  3. 3 stars
    (3)
  4. 2 stars
    (0)
  5. 1 star
    (2)

Christopher

4 stars

Submitted 29/Sep

Good holiday, with a good balance if organised trips and free days. Hotel had good facilities but was let down by the poor quality food at the evening meal.

Collected by Trustpilot

David

3 stars

Submitted 25/Sep

A great hotel for the fully fit! Bedroom had a lovely view to the nearby beach. Unfortunately we were unable to use several facilities due to the high number of steps or get to the beach as there was no handrail. The hotel is set on a rocky headland with the gardens etc terraced and connected by stone steps. There was no indication in the description of the hotel that it was unsuitable for anyone with access problems, eg older guests. Inside the hotel there were steps everywhere, down to the dining room, down to the cloakrooms, up to the bedroom. Here the hand rails were very low. Breakfasts were great but the evening dinners were very variable and portion sizes inconsistent. No vegetables provided with the main course except garnishes. Although a bus was provided to Roses on free days it was early for a relaxing day. I don’t think anyone used it to go into Roses, a few people used the return service. Local buses were once an hour and a reasonable price. Day in Figueres was good, it would have been nice to have the whole day here as there is plenty to see and do. Besalau was interesting but the time of the visit coincided with most things closing. Maybe that could have been paired with the winery visit which was excellent. The change of trains in Paris was problematic on the outward journey. The six min walk to pick up the coach was as described however we then waited approx 90 mins for the coach to arrive, standing all the time. When we eventually arrived at the Gare de Lyon we had to rush for the train which was due to leave in a few minutes. Very stressful. All the trains were comfortable. It would be nice to sit on the upper level of the TGV trains as the many embankments meant there was no view in lots of places.

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David
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Mr & Mrs Thompson

3 stars

Submitted 24/Sep

Poor food and service. Good pool and beautiful setting. Clean but disabled facilities non existent

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Stewart Langlands

4 stars

Submitted 21/Sep

Holiday accommodation was excellent, hotel food very good, organised activities were very good and a reasonable amount of free time was available. Only observation was that the hotel was a long way from the town,

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MRS RAWLING

5 stars

Submitted 16/Sep

Absolutely lovely holiday!! Good hotel, would certainly go back, very good food and staff friendly and attentive. Would thoroughly recommend!!

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Michael

4 stars

Submitted 5/Jul

We loved the tour and could not fault. Unfortunately we had considerable problems with getting answers from head office before we went and since our return I have completed a full questionnaire, have indicated what we thought of GTR and received many requests from the peole who deal with the baggage asking us how many shirts etc we took. All this ruins the high opinion we had of the tour itself..

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