Lloret de Mar Holiday Guide

The two nearest airports to Lloret de Mar are Barcelona (75 km away) and Girona (35km away). Numerous different airlines fly to these airports from the UK, including British Airways and Iberia. You can also get flights with budget airlines such as EasyJet and Ryanair. The easiest way to get to Lloret de Mar from Barcelona or Girona, is by taxi. You can also take a coach or, hire a car.

The best way to get around Lloret de Mar is to walk. Buses run regularly between neighbouring towns and cities, including Barcelona and Girona. You can also take a taxi. Ask at your hotel for numbers. To get from beach to beach, you can take a tourist bus.

Lloret de Mar has five main beaches along 7km of coastline which have been awarded the Blue Flag, which means they are clean, safe and well-maintained. The most popular and liveliest golden, sandy beach is Lloret de Mar. This is a great place for the whole family as it has excellent water sports facilities including windsurfing, water skiing, jet skiing, parasailing and pedaloes. There are also lots of bars and restaurants to enjoy while on holiday here.

Plata de Finals, is another great beach for water sports, bars and restaurants. Other beaches include Sa Bobadilla, set in a beautiful cove, Santa Cristina, a remote beach with lovely sands, and Canyelles. These are all lovely smaller, quieter beaches. Perfect for early morning walks or for watching the sun goes down.

This area has many cultural and historic attractions to explore in between sunbathing. One of the most iconic attractions is En Plaja's Castle, on the northern side of Lloret de Mar beach. This private home was built to look like a castle, and dates from the end of the Spanish Civil war. To see a real castle, visit the 11th century Sant Joan Castle which sits on top of a hill, overlooking Lloret de Mar and Fenals beaches.

Other attractions include the fortified enclosure at Puig de Castellet, which dates back to 210BC. This is a great spot if you want the most panoramic view of the whole area. See too the Casas Garriga (Houses Garriga), a stylish, colonial style building that was built by a Spanish family who made their fortune in Cuba in the late 19th century.

If you’re on holiday here and want to get a day trip organised, take a trip to Barcelona. The easiest way is to hop on a coach. It only takes about an hour and a half. When you get there take a stroll along the famous La Rambla. See all the flower stalls and browse around the shops. Stop off for Tapas, or cakes at one of the cake shops. Wander down into the Barri Gotic and see the fantastic churches. A must-see is the famous Sagrada Familia Cathedral.

There are plenty of restaurants - but, most of them are international. Restaurants offering Catalan cuisine, such as fresh fish and seafood, include Santa Marta, Mas Vell and La Campana. You'll also find your fair share of places doing good old British food including English breakfasts and fish and chips. Lloret de Mar also has lots of fast food outlets.

If you want a lively nightlife – this is the place to be. You certainly won't be short of bars and clubs to party the nights away if you come here for a holiday. You'll find everything here – from stylish clubs and bars to discos and karaoke bars. You won't have to search far either – just take a walk along the 'Strip' – Avinguda Just Marles – and take your pick. A few names to look out for are Beach Club, Cave of Rave and Bumper's Disco.

You'll find shops in the streets behind the waterfront. You'll find all the usual touristy stuff here – swimsuits, bags, clothes, hats etc as well as souvenir shops. If you look closely, you'll also find some interesting boutiques with clothes, shoes, jewellery and household goods. Look out for the traditional market held every Tuesday at Carrer dels Mestres. There is also an indoor market every week day at the Carrer Senia del Rabic and Carrer Verge de Loreto.

Take the kids to Waterworld, the biggest water park in Europe. They'll love all the water rides such as the X-treme mountain, a 2 minute big dipper that crashes into the water, or, Water Mountain, where you go on a big dipper in total darkness. There are also high speed 'Kamikaze' slides, lots of different swimming and sunbathing areas, cafes and restaurants.