Costa Brava Coastal Drive

The Costa Brava — "Wild Coast" in Catalan — earns its name along every centimetre of the GI-682 between Tossa de Mar and Sant Feliu de Guíxols. This short but intensely concentrated 25-kilometre stretch is one of the most dramatic coastal roads in the Mediterranean, a ribbon of asphalt clinging to red granite cliffs above a sea that shifts from deep sapphire to emerald to turquoise depending on the time of day and angle of the sun. The road was built in the early 20th century and has changed little since — its 365 curves (folklore holds there is one for every day of the year) remain as tight and theatrical as ever, making the act of driving it an experience of sustained, low-speed pleasure that rewards patience and attentiveness over speed.

The journey begins in Tossa de Mar, one of the best-preserved medieval walled towns on the Spanish coast. The Vila Vella — the fortified old town — sits on a rocky promontory surrounded by 12th-century walls, towers, and battlements, and was famously described as "the most beautiful old town on the Spanish coast" by the artist Marc Chagall, who visited in 1934 and painted the local light repeatedly. The town beach below the walls is consistently rated among the finest in Catalonia. From Tossa, the GI-682 climbs immediately into the coast, and within minutes of leaving town you are enclosed in a world of pine-scented air, red granite walls, and flashes of impossibly blue water visible through the trees and between the curves. Each bend reveals a new cove, a new angle of cliff, a new surprise of colour and geography.

Along the route, numerous miradors (viewpoints) and pull-offs allow you to stop and take in the panorama — some of the best views are found not at official viewpoints but at spontaneous gaps in the cliff where the sea suddenly opens up beneath you. The coves visible from the road — Cala Giverola, Cala Pola, Cala Salions — are accessible on foot via walking trails that begin along the road's edge, and several can be reached by kayak from Tossa or Sant Feliu. The Cami de Ronda, an ancient coastal footpath that once served as a patrol route for customs officers hunting smugglers, runs along much of this coastline at water level, and walking even a short section of it reveals hidden beaches and rock arches unreachable by road. The drive ends in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, a charming town with a handsome seafront esplanade, a Benedictine monastery dating to the 10th century, and a lively market scene.

For VW T3 owners, this road is a pure joy — and one of the rare routes where the T3's modest power is not a limitation but an asset. The curves are tight enough that speed is never tempting, and the rhythm of the road suits the van's relaxed character perfectly. Windows down, engine ticking over contentedly, the scent of Mediterranean pine drifting through the cab — this is slow travel at its finest. The road is narrow and has limited overtaking opportunities, so be patient with traffic and pull over at viewpoints to let frustrated drivers pass. The best time to drive is early morning, when the light is at its most golden and the day-trippers have not yet arrived. The GI-682 is not recommended for very large motorhomes, but a standard VW T3 camper handles it without difficulty.