April

By the beginning of April there’s no mistaking that spring is here. Wildflowers are everywhere, tulips and daffodils add colour to gardens and trees are covered in buds.

Want to know what the weather will do on the Costa Brava? Here’s the 25 day forecast.

Days are noticeably longer with frequent clear blue skies and sunshine. It’s not warm enough to swim and at night there can still be a chill, but it’s easy to work up a sweat in the garden. But April also brings rain showers, often needed after weeks without serious rainfall.

The warmer weather brings out cyclists from all over Europe, keen to experience the training routes of the pros. During May the heat gets too much for all but the most hardcore cyclists.

What’s on in April

Depending on the year Easter can fall in March or April. This year Easter is on 31st March, while in 2025 it’s on 20th April.

Many Costa Brava towns start to reawaken during the long Easter weekend, which sees an influx of visitors from the cities and from abroad. It’s also when many restaurants open their doors before the tourist season really gets under way.

Diada de Sant Jordi

The big event throughout Catalonia is the diada de Sant Jordi. The traditional lovers’ day of Catalonia is celebrated each year on 23rd April, St George’s Day.

St George is the patron saint of Catalonia and it is traditional for men to give a rose to their sweetheart. In return she gives him a book. It’s a big deal in the towns in particular, where you’ll see hundreds of people clutching either a book or a rose. But you’ll see stalls selling both throughout Catalonia.

Girona: Strenes Music Festival

The annual Strenes Festival showcases local talent across various venues in Girona. Running from the end of March through to early May you’ll find a mixture of musical genres at a theatres, auditoriums and clubs across the city. There are also free open air concerts at Plaça Espanya, on the steps of the cathedral, and at a couple of other locations. It’s worthwhile going to if like live music and want to get an idea of what is happening in the local scene.

Roses: Ruta de Tapes i Vi DO Empordà

For ten days starting in late March or early April each year is the you’ll find the Ruta de Tapes i Vi DO Empordà – Tapas and Ampurdan wine route. It started in 2016 with 25 restaurants but by 2019 there were already 83 participating restaurants serving a variety of tapas and local wines.

Sant Feliu de Guíxols: Cod & Stockfish Gastronomic Campaign

Most of March and the first half of April sees many restaurants in Sant Feliu de Guíxols offer menus based around cod and stockfish. While salt is often used to preserve cod and other fish, stockfish is fish preserved by simply wind drying.

Port de la Selva: Asparagus fair

Springtime in Catalonia sees people scouring the woods for wild asparagus. Much smaller than the ones you find in the shops, wild asparagus is typically sauteed then served in an omelette or scrambled eggs. Despite their size, wild asparagus is really tasty. If that’s something up your street then head to Port de la Selva on for the town’s asparagus fair. Founded in 2009, it takes place during the first weekend in April.

Blanes: Mes del Peix Blau

You’ve probably heard all about the health benefits of eating oil fish, which are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Well, April is the month of oily fish in Blanes and throughout the month restaurants serve dishes using oily (or blue) fish such as anchovies, sardines, salmon and tuna. You can find a list of restaurants participating in the month of of blue fish on the town’s website. It’s in Catalan, but you’ll get the idea.

Sant Feliu de Guíxols: Ganxotapes

At the end of April and beginning of May almost all restaurants in Sant Feliu de Guíxols take part in the biannual Ganxotapes campaign. During the event they compete for the best tapas and sandwiches in the town. Go along for  a beer and bite to eat.

Begur: Peix de Roca

Starting on the last Saturday of April and running through to the first Sunday in June in Begur you’ll find restaurants serving menus featuring Begur’s traditional peix de roca – literally rock fish. These include scorpion fish, monkfish, grouper, sea bream, corb and weever among others. As well as the special menus, you’ll also find wine tasting, concerts and other events.