What to visit in Blanes

Blanes is not just about the beaches and the gentle lapping of the Mediterranean! You will also find nice places to visit that will be interesting for children and adults too!

For history buffs, or anyone who would like to discover the gems of Blanes, this Spanish seaside resort has much to offer. Historic sites or an oasis of greenery, discover the best trips you can make during your stay in Blanes!

Blanes, a town that you simply have to visit on the Costa Brava!

Historic riches and cultural heritage: discover the other side to Blanes!

When you think about seaside resorts on the Costa Brava you often think more about the beaches and other such pleasant aspects than the heritage sites. The maritime environment alone justifies the decision to make Blanes your next holiday destination in Spain.

Organise a dream holiday on the Costa Brava: opt for a stay in Blanes!

See the holiday rentals in the seaside town of Blanes.

Having said that, why not make the most of your trip to alternate an introduction to Catalan heritage with days at the beach?

Let us guide you through the history of Blanes by suggesting 5 visits to do as a family, with friends or as a couple. These places are rich with history and beauty and they are sure to win you over!

Castle of Sant Joan

Botanic Gardens: Pinya de Rosa and Marimurtra garden

A stroll in the old town

The del Vilar sanctuary

The parish church and the palace of the viscounts of Cabrera

A little history…

This little town on the Costa Brava has been inhabited for a very long time. The Iberians, then the Romans successively lived on this perfect site: open to the sea, a hillside from which to watch over the coast…Blanes had everything to attract its first inhabitants! Furthermore, in Roman times it bore the name of Blanda. In Latin this meant attractive, seductive… and we can understand why!

The Mediaeval period was the most tumultuous and Blanes suffered from the conflicts that flared in the Iberian peninsula. It was destroyed by the Moors in the 8th century, and badly damaged once again by the Franks

It rose to its height from the end of the Middle Ages until the Golden Century thanks to its links with certain powerful Catalan families and then with the new Spanish Empire built across the Atlantic.

The “American” heritage from this successful period can still be seen today in the beauty of the modernist houses in Blanes. They were built by colonials who became rich in the American Indies and came back to their home towns to construct sumptuous houses. These adventurers were called “Indianos”. Despite growing urbanisation, some of them have survived and you can admire them using the thematic itinerary suggested by the Blanes tourist office.

The fall of the Spanish Empire forced this port to convert. In the 1920s, fishing, agriculture and the textile industry became the new means of subsistence for Blanes. The Spanish Civil War was not kind to this centuries old town: it was bombarded and badly damaged. Several historic remains were destroyed.

It was not until the 1960s and the development of mass tourism that Blanes would recover its dynamic nature – and it remains just as dynamic today!