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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
L'Estartit
Go for 2–3 nights if you dive or want a quiet Costa Brava beach base; skip if you want nightlife or a car-free big-town trip.
L'Estartit is a small Costa Brava resort of about 3,200 residents, built around a beach, a marina and the Illes Medes marine reserve 1–2 km offshore. Diving, boat trips and coastal walking are the reasons to come; the town itself is flat, walkable and mostly low-rise, with campsites and apartments filling the hills behind the harbour. Two or three nights covers it, and a car or a bus connection makes the rest of the coast reachable.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–early Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds, parking, peak prices)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All services 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.50–2.50 |
| Menu del día at lunch | €14–22 |
| Paella or rice dish for two | €30–50 |
| Beer: draught / supermarket can | €2.50–4 / €1–2 |
| Glass-bottom boat trip to the Illes Medes | from €25, kids about €17 |
| Kayak hire, per hour | from €20 |
| Two-tank boat dive with kit hire | €70–110 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GRO · Girona–Costa Brava
- About 50 km (31 mi) away; bus to Girona city (frequency check), then change for L'Estartit.About 31 mi (50 km) away; bus to Girona city (frequency check), then change for L'Estartit.
- BCN · Barcelona El Prat
- Over 100 km (62 mi); multiple connections unless you hire a car.Over 62 mi (100 km); multiple connections unless you hire a car.
Typical fares
- Bus Girona → L'Estartit
- about €6, about 1 h 15 min
- Bus Girona airport → Girona city
- hourly service, then change for L'Estartit
- Boat trip to the Illes Medes
- from €25, kids about €17
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The village is flat and small: walk or cycle, and watch for one-way streets. Parking in peak season is scarce. Buses run in and out along Avinguda de Grècia and terminate at the roundabout where the beach meets the marina. The Cami de Ronda path follows the coast north towards Cala Montgó and south towards l'Escala.
See and do
Known for
- Illes Medes diving and snorkelling
- Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park
- Cami de Ronda coastal path
- Family beach holidays and campsites
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Torroella de Montgrí | Local bus or bike along the Cami vell, about 5 km (3.1 mi)Local bus or bike along the Cami vell, about 3.1 mi (5 km) | About 20–30 min |
| Cadaqués | Car over the Montgrí and Roses road, or bus with a change in Figueres or Roses | About 1.5–2 h by car (check); longer by bus |
| L'Escala | Car, or on foot along the coastal forest track (walking route; suitability for bikes check) | About 30 min by car |
| Figueres | Bus or car via Torroella de Montgrí | About 1 h |
| Girona | Direct Ampsa bus from the town centre, about 1 h 15 min, about €6 | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Marina and Passeig Marítim
- Dive boats leave early from here; seafront hotels, bars and restaurants on the doorstep.
- Town centre (Carrer de l'Església and Avinguda de Grècia)
- Shops, buses in and out along Av. Grècia; 5–10 min walk to the beach.
- Campsites and hills behind the harbour
- Cheapest beds and space for families; a car or bike helps, and some sites sit 2–3 km (1.2–1.9 mi) from the marina.Cheapest beds and space for families; a car or bike helps, and some sites sit 1.2–1.9 mi (2–3 km) from the marina.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GràciesGRAH-see-es |
| The bill, please | El compte, si us plauel KOM-tuh, see oos plow |
| How much is it? | Quant costa?kwant KOS-tah |
| Where is the beach? | On és la platja?on es la PLAH-jah |
| I have a diving reservation | Tinc una reserva de busseigtink OO-nah reh-SER-vah deh boo-SEITCH |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- Parking is very tight in July and August: arrive early or leave the car at your accommodation.
- The crossing to the Illes Medes can be rough in wind; take seasickness medication if you are prone to it.
- Dive operators pick the site by which side of the islands is sheltered that day, so you cannot book a specific site in advance.
- The Cap de la Barra viewpoint path is rugged and risky in strong wind.
- Many businesses are seasonal: outside roughly March–November, check what is open before you commit.
Low-crime resort town; the real risks are sea conditions on the Medes crossing, sun and heat in July–August, and traffic and parking on the seafront roads.
One and two days
No timed day plan for L'Estartit yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Illes Medes diving and snorkelling
- Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park
- Cami de Ronda coastal path
- Family beach holidays and campsites
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- L'Estartit tourist information: visitestartit.com/en/
- Port of Estartit marina: www.cnestartit.com/en/
- Wikivoyage: L'Estartit, revision 5286223 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5286223
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
L'Estartit
A aquesta adreça, si us plau
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in town; the nearest consulates are in Barcelona, and embassies are in Madrid.
Catalan is the everyday language here; Spanish works everywhere, English is common in dive shops and hotels.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/lestartit). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.