A look at the beaches in S’Agaró, one of the Costa Brava’s most exclusive resorts.
The coastal path at S’Agaró. Photo by David Leigh.
S’Agaró is an development dating from the early part of the twentieth century with huge, tastefully designed houses. It is an eclectic mix of classical, nineteenth century and other architectural styles that just seems to belong there. Many houses have gardens with spectacular views over the of the Mediterranean.
The development truly occupies a privileged position and is where you find the luxurious Hostal de la Gavina. It is Catalonia’s only 5-star Grand Luxe hotel and in the 1950s some of the biggest Hollywood stars stayed there.
Past guests include Sean Connery, Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, Frank Sinatra, and Elisabeth Taylor.
As well as the beaches found in S’Agaró itself, Platja de Sant Pol is within walking distance. And a few minutes drive north will get you to the long and sandy beach at Platja d’Aro.
So let’s take a look at those beaches!
Sa Conca
Exploring the far side of the marina, to the south, you’ll find a 400 metre beach of coarse sand divided by a large spur of rock.
The beach at Sa Conca. Photo by David Leigh.
Sa Conca is around 40 metres deep and has a restaurant and comprehensive facilities, although it suffers the same steep shelf as Platja d’Aro’s main beach. The northernmost section has a rocky bottom once you get in the water and so good for snorkelling, while the larger section is sand.
Unless you’re staying in S’Agaró itself you’ll have to walk to Sa Conca as the estate surrounding the beach is gated. Only authorised vehicles can use the road down to the beach but it is accessible to anyone on foot. The beach is extremely popular
Cala Pedrosa
The coastal path between Sant Pol beach and Sa Conca offers spectacular views over the Mediterranean from the cliffs.
Cala Pedrosa seems to have hardly changed since 1951. Photo by British European Airways.
Along the way you’ll come to a small beach of shingle and stones. There are no facilities here at all and it is surrounded by rocks and stone walls with houses perched above. It’s only 20 metres or so wide and less than that deep, but it is relatively inaccessible and so not always full. One of the advantages here is that unlike Sa Conca it has a much more gentle slope to the water.
Platja Sant Pol
The sandy Sant Pol beach is a short walk from S’Agaró.
Sant Pol Beach. Photo by David Leigh.
Although it lies mainly in the municipality of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, there is a section of beach that belongs to S’Agaró just below the Hostal de la Gavina!
The sandy beach is great for swimming as there is a gentle slope into the water but it gets to a reasonable depth if you swim out to the buoys marking the limit for boats to moor. It can get packed out during the summer but if you’re visiting outside the August peak then it is harder to think of a better beach.
There are a number of restaurants nearby for a really good lunch and the Sant Feliu end of the beach has a number of elaborate houses built for the indianos who returned to Catalonia after making their fortunes in Cuba.
Got any comments or questions? Let me know in the comments below!
