Merry Christmas from Lloret de Mar

A special Xmas video filmed out on the streets of Lloret on the evening of 21-12-18 to wish all followers of the blog a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

Tirada l'Art, Lloret de Mar 2018

This morning I had a very early start (7.30 in fact!) to the day to go over to Lloret to take photos of the Tirada L'Art which is an old tradition of fishing which takes place on Lloret beach 2-3 times a year. Today the weather was great and not as cold as previous years. Once the nets have been pulled into the beach its always hoped that there are plenty of fish to serve for breakfast to reward those who have done all the hard work! I'm glad to say this morning there was lots to share and it was served with 'pan con tomate' and lots of wine!

Cadaques, Costa Brava

One of the most beautiful coastal towns of the Costa brava is Cadaques. To reach this little white washed destination though is only by car driving the difficult coastal road which winds around the cliffs and mountains....but I'm sure you will think its well worth the effort once you arrive! 

We paid Cadaques a visit just yesterday and as its now December it was very quiet as we expected, I can imagine it gets really busy with tourists in the summer months but we do prefer these places to be fairly quiet in order to get the best photos. 

This is my video, I hope you enjoy this short visit!

Begur castle, Sa Tuna & Tamariu.

We took a short drive up the coast yesterday to the area around Begur, first visiting the the castle of Begur which looks out all over the coast and also the countryside and mountains beyond. At this time of year the mountains are covered in snow which is always a great site to see, especially when we can still get very mild temperatures of between 15-20c on the coast!

This short video shows the amazing views we captured.

Lloret de Mar November weather.

Well after a few terrible wet and windy days Lloret today was much better, we actually had some sun and quite warm tempertures! Some parts of Spain however have had far worse weather than us with roads and streets flooded, thankfully we didnt get it so bad here on the coast. This is a video which shows the beach as it is today after the storm!

Lloret de Mar, Canyelles Beach

One of the nicest beaches around and its just a short trip from Lloret!
Canyelles Beach is a favourite of many of Lloret's residents, catch the boat to Tossa de Mar from Lloret or Fenals and you will pull into Canyelles to either pick up or drop off other passengers.

Coastal walk near Playa d'Aro.

Take look at these stunning clips in the video from our leisurely walk along the coast near Playa d'Aro. Would you believe that this was only taken yesterday...great weather for the start of November just now!

Fenals Beach... Lloret

After recent strong winds and thunderstorms we now have much more settled weather to start the month of November here in Lloret. Today’s temperatures were a very mild 17-18c with sunny skies and amazing cloud formations as seen in these photos.

Calella de Palafrugell - Costa Brava

Less than a 1 hour drive from Lloret de Mar is the quaint little seaside resort of Calella de Palafrugell. There are some beautiful views of the coast as you walk along the seafront which is lined with some lovely restaurants. Its well worth a visit to this area of Spains Costa Brava!

Lloret de Mar - Excursions

One of the most popular available excursions from Lloret de Mar or several other resorts along the Costa Brava is to the Monestery of Montserrat. Trips to Montserrat can be book in Lloret de Mar at your hotel reception or at the Laeitana Tours office by the bus station...watch my video to see the beautiful monastery of Monterrat and the surrounding views.

October weather Lloret de Mar.

The summer weather in Lloret has been fantastic this year with temperatures reaching the high 30s for most days and even reaching 40c at times! Now that we are into October the weather is still very good and the holidaymakers are still able to do a spot of sunbathing for a few hours each day. Just recently though we are getting a touch of stormy weather and last night (14/15th Oct) we were kept awake by the heavy rain and strong winds. This afternoon though we have a completely different day....the sea is still very rough but we now have temperatures in the mid 20s and the sun is shining once again! 

This is a video taken on the beaches of Lloret and Fenals this morning following the stormy night.  

A trip to Tavertet - Catalunya

After another trip to Tavertet high in the cloud covered mountains I have created a lovely short video to show you around the lovely village and stunning views of the surrounding countryside and mountains!

Talk about living on the edge!

Santa Clotilde gardens

For something a little different to do while in Lloret de Mar try a visit to the beautiful gardens of Santa Clotilde! If staying in Lloret then you can easily catch the L11 at the bus station or if you are staying in the Fenals area then you are within walking distance.. ask at your hotel recpeption for directions.

Expats in Spain

The Expats in Spain website have published a handy magazine for all expats, you can view the mag below. Maybe you are considering moving over to Spain in the near future...if so then this magazine will answer some of your questions before making the final plunge!

Simply click on the arrows to turn the pages and zoom in to read each page.

Celra Flea Market, near Girona.

We have discovered a large collectors & flea market near the town of Celra, maybe worth a visit for our local people. Its open every Saturday 8am-2pm all year so will be somewhere a little bit different to visit in the winter. There is ample parking, lots of stalls...some worth a look at and some not! There is also a cafe/restaurant open for a drink and bite to eat.

Lloret de Mar Fireworks video 2018

Once again this years fireworks display was a fantastic show watched by thousands of people on the beach as well as all over town! 

Lloret fireworks 2018

Just a few of the many photos we took at the annual fireworks display last night (26th July). It was a very good show as usual with one very noticeable difference - there wasn't as many loud explosions as in previous years, a big plus I think!

Lloret de Mar time lapse video

We have something a little different for today! This is a time lapse video taken just this morning (17-07- 2018) .. the video is actually a set of photos taken at regular intervals and then compressed together to the effect of a speeded up video!

Summer time in Lloret de Mar

La Foradada waterfall, Cantonigros

A stunning place to visit just under a 1.5hr drive from Lloret de Mar. There is ample carparking but the walk down to the waterfall can be quite difficult at times. From the car park we reached the waterfall after a 30-35 minute walk. The pathway is very slippy in some parts so you need to wear shoes with a good grip on the soles...trainers or something similar. You can hear the water as you are about half down the pathway and it gets louder and louder the nearer you get, once there the noise is deafening..you can hardly hear each other talking! In the summer months its said that it gets very busy so if your aim is to go get some good shots of the area then go earlier in the year. 

Beer festival in Lloret

Today 27th April we see the start of the 3 day beer festival in Lloret de Mar. As usual the extra large marquee has been erected in the car park near the castle. Visiting the marquee is free but to sample the brews you first need the purchase your glass at the entrance, you then pay for whatever brews you wish to sample. Food is also on sale tapas, pizzas and lots more to choose from. Entertainment is also laid on for the 3 day festival. To read more about this popular event just follow this link....http://allexciting.com/birrasana-beer-festival/

Sagales to operate the bus services around Lloret de Mar

The local bus routes around Lloret are to be operated by the Sagales bus company as from Tuesday 1st May...the first of the new buses could be seen around Lloret earlier today. The routes will basically stay the same but with more stops around the town. There will shortly be a dedicated app to download  giving info of timetables/routes etc and also a website www.lloretbus.cat.

Tourist Tax in Catalunya

All tourists who wish to take their holidays in Catalunya are required to pay a small tax when checking into their hotel. The payment is a government tax collected by hotels which then goes to help resorts upkeep and amenities. For more information about this payment please follow this link - TOURIST TAX

Gay Bars in Lloret

At present La BuBu is the only Gay bar in Lloret de Mar and has been managed by Hans and Rodrigo for 8 years now. The bar is open all year from 10.30pm until 3am. Hans & Rodrigo often have special theme party nights such as Carnival, Drag acts, dance nights and Karaoke is every Thursday night. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun nights at La BuBu.

The bar is situated in the street called Carrer de l'Areny 33 in the older part of Lloret de Mar near the popular chicken restraurant 'La Campana'

To find out more about the La BuBu theme nights take a look at their Facebook page, just search for LaBubu Lloret de Mar.

Balloon trip goes wrong in Vic!

Watching what should have been several ballons taking off from Placa Mayor in Vic...it didn't go quite to plan with the first flight. Needless to say the evening event was cancelled after this disasterous take off to make safe the damaged roof! 

Lloret de Mar Carnival 2018

Well, the 2 carnival parades are over for another year and what a great event it was! All those who took part have worked really hard to learn their dance routines during the past few weeks. The costumes as usual were immaculate, so much hard work has gone into making them...well done everyone you put on a fantastic show which was enjoyed by the hundreds of spectators lining the route!

Carnival in Lloret 2018

Once again Carnival time will soon be here in Lloret de Mar...the parades will take place on Saturday 10th February at 4pm and Sunday 11th at 12 noon. It's always a great atmosphere in town as the parade of floats pass by. Hundreds of spectators line the route so be sure to get there early to get a good view point! The photos here are just a small selection we have taken in previous years. 

The 3 Kings Arrive in Lloret.

The 3 Kings arrived in Lloret de Mar by boat last night where a huge crowd were waiting to see them.