Costa Direct a Great selection of Vacation VIllas in Spain, Direct from Owners 

Spain is by far the most popular destination for the 800,000 British people who have bought a second home abroad. According to recent research it is estimated that more than 5 million would buy abroad if they had the choice. Forty percent of these would rate Spain as their preferred location and a large number of these are now private villa owners who rent properties out for Holiday Rentals.

COSTA BRAVA

The Costa Brava is a coastal region of northeastern Catalonia, Spain, in the in the province of Girona. Costa is the Catalan and Spanish word for 'coast', and Brava means 'rugged' or 'wild'. The Costa Brava stretches from Blanes, 60 km (37 miles) northeast of Barcelona, to the French border.

In the 1950s, the Costa Brava was identified by the Spanish government and local entrepreneurs as being suitable for substantial development as a holiday destination, mainly for package holiday tourists from Northern Europe and especially, the United Kingdom and France. The combination of a very good summer climate, nature and excellent beaches was exploited by the construction of large numbers of hotels, villas and apartments in such seaside resorts as Blanes, Tossa de Mar, and Lloret de Mar. Tourism rapidly took over from fishing as the principal business of the area.

While part of the Costa Brava coastline lent itself to tourist developments on a very large scale, other parts have retained a more traditional look and have become "hidden gems" for visitors who want a little more than sun, sand and sangria. Small towns like Cadaques, which is close to the French border and close to the foothills of the Pyrenees, have attracted artists, such as Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. The Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres is one of the most important and visited museums in Catalonia. One can also visit Dalí's House-Museum in Port Lligat, near Cadaques .

The coast between Roses and Tossa de Mar has many delightful small coastal towns, such as Pals, Begur, Tamariu, Empuriabrava, Llafranc, L'Estartit, Aigua Blava, Fornells, Calella de Palafrugell, Palamos and íSaint Feliu de Guxols

It wasn't until the 1992 Olympic Games that Barcelona' even acknowledged it had a beach. The city might have been bustling and metropolitan, but the waterfront - once home to gnarly old fishermen - was rundown and empty. Today, while it is looked down on by a few well-heeled locals, it features the new sail-shaped W Hotel, a growing strip of trendy restaurants and cool chirinquitos (beach bars) in summer

With the long, sandy beach on one side and Port veil's sleek yachts on the other, bolt holes at the marina are brilliandy sited. 

Nearby, newly fashionable Poble Nou, close to a wider, more attractive stretch of beach, is also undergoing a dramatic regeneration of its old warehouses. Travel 10 minutes by Metro along the seafront to Diagonal Mar for the swankiest new beach properties in town.

COSTA BRAVA RENTAL VILLAS