Costa Brava, in the northern corner of Catalonia (Spain) is one of my favourite destinations in the world. Not many places combine sun, sea, nature, culture and gastronomy as effortlessly as Costa Brava. Every time I visit, there’s always something new to experience: another gastronomic highlight, an artistic wonder or a hidden panorama. A great way to get a stunning overview of Costa Brava is to, literally, see it from above. There are various ways to get a bird’s eye view. Adrenaline junkies can go on a skydive. Another more tranquil option is to go on a Costa Brava hot-air balloon flight.
Experiencing a hot-air balloon flight in Costa Brava
Hot-air balloon flights in Costa Brava are offered by, amongst others, Globus Emporda, a small but very experienced team who do hot-air balloon flights over the Emporda region bordering the Costa Brava coast. The Emporda is a predominantly agricultural region with endless fields of crops, interspersed by forests and quaint medieval villages. Check rates for this flight.
The hot-air balloon flights leave at dawn which means an early rise. That gave me the opportunity to see the sun rise from the beach in front of our hotel, Hostal Empúries.
We drove a short distance to the village of Calamers (on a side note, there’s a lovely restaurant there called Mas Pi that serves traditional Catalan fare) where we met the Globus Emporda team in a field ablaze with purple flowers.
The hot-air balloon lift-off
They had the balloon up very quickly and before we knew it, we were clambering into the basket. Our pilot gave us some instructions and up we went!
The panoramic views
The balloon rose quickly and I felt my knees quiver as I looked at the patchwork of fields below – erm…I have a thing with heights. 🙂
The views of the fields, coast, villages and medieval towns of Costa Brava were absolutely breathtaking and that helped distract me from my fear of heights. I started to relax very quickly and noticed the soft breeze in my face and the wonderful silence. The silence was broken occasionally when the pilot fired up the burners or by a barking farm dog far below. The green/brown patchwork of fields stretched to the foothills of the Pyrenees and the Cap de Creus in the distance, and to the beaches of the Bay of Roses.
Check out my Ultimate Costa Brava Guide!
The flight lasted a bit more than 1.5 hours and took us from Verges to L’Escala, a coastal town. During the flight, we floated to a maximum altitude of 1,200m (just under 4,000ft). We landed in a grassy field near the coast with a soft thud.
As soon as we had our feet firmly planted on the ground, we were whisked away to a nearby village for a hearty breakfast. We enjoyed freshly-made tortillas, bacon and sausages, fried chicken wings, tomatoes and fruits, accompanied by a glass of cava! At breakfast, we received a DVD of our flight and a certificate (proof that my quivering knees withstood the great heights!). I can highly recommend this Costa Brava hot-air balloon flight for a stunning bird’s eye view of this wonderful corner of Catalonia.
I also got to enjoy these views during a skydive in Costa Brava!
Note: a big thank you goes to the Costa Brava Tourism Board for hosting me and for their wonderful hospitality. All views expressed above are, as always, mine.
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I like the photo’s tht u usd to represent costa brava. Photo r lookng so live gd shots
A hot-air balloon ride looks like the perfect way to see the sights in such a beautiful place. But I am nervous about heights as well. Maybe I could suck it up. I bet you’re glad you did it!
Great adventure ;-))
It sure is! Thanks for your comment Andi. 🙂
Oh my! What a gorgeous place for a hot air balloon ride!!!
Awesome! Don’t forget to check my Costa Brava posts before you go. https://velvetescape.com/tag/costa-brava/
If you’re looking for a great restaurant in Llafranc with a spectacular view, go to El Far at the historic lighthouse (https://velvetescape.com/2011/08/el-far-restaurant-llafranc/). You’ll love it!
Enjoy your trip!
Cheers,
Keith
Thank you Andrés! Wow, you live in such a beautiful area. You should definitely try the hot-air balloon so you can see your home from the air! 🙂
Amazing experience!
I live in the area and I see the balloons fliyng very often but I have never tried it myself.
Definetly I have to go on board!
Great post Keith! I love the Costa Brava and will be in Llafranc at the end of july.
I’m guessing the hot-air balloon trip will be on the menu in September. 🙂 See you there J!
Wow, pretty awesome views! Maybe I will get the chance to see this for myself in September! 🙂