The views from Maremar are at their most dramatic in Winter – we love it!

The sea goes black, deep, dark blue, grey, green and many other colours. The storms out to sea are dramatic and much better than television. you can sit their for hours, either with the wood fire or the central heating or both and just watch it ll from a very safe distance…

You will be virtually on your own as the Catalans tend to stay at home in winter. All of the grounds will be yours to wander around, although you will have to be very Northern European or North American to chance the pool – brrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Having said this, there can be quite a lot of sunshine still and we have been known to have lunch or cocktails outside in December and January, although possibly with a jumper on.

We are going to provide more detailed information in a special section of our guest only area for those of you who book Maremar in Spring, Autumn or Winter…

So, what gives in winter in the Costa Brava?

• We have Christmas, Three Kings and Carnival to look forward to as well as lots of other great things.
• Where we are, lots of restaurants are still open and there is lots to do.
• The seafood is exceptional, with oysters, sea urchins and the like being well in season.
• And, of course, all of the museums are still open although on reduced hours.

 

December, of course is Christmas time. There is a fabulous Christmas market in Girona. Everything is decorated and the shops are very welcoming as you might imagine. And down the coast road in Tossa de Mar they have “Living Nativity Scenes”.

 

But before that, we have the Christmas Regatta in Palamos (about 20 minutes away from Maremar). Over about five days there are boat races with medal races on the last day. Superb!

On 1 January, we follow Salvador Dali who always said that he lived where he could see the first sun in Spain. At 07.00 people congregate on the Cap de Creus, just next door to Port Lligat where you will find Dali’s house, to watch the first sun of the New Year in Spain. Sardanes are danced and there is hot chocolate to drink for everyone!

 

Running on from the Christmas festivities is the time of the celebration of Three Kings, when the Magi visited Jesus in his stable. This is a spectacular event on the Costa Brava! The three kings arrive on the evening of 5  January. Children carry lanterns to help light their way. The Kings sometimes arrive on horse, sometimes by sea, but it is always great to watch. They bring with them their attendants who may be on horseback and some perhaps on floats. Sweeties are thrown out to the crowds as the procession makes its way through the town. What a delight! The festival goes on more or less all week in Sant Feliu de Guixols where Maremar is situated.

 

Later in January we have the Winter Festival of Saint Vicenc with sardanes, concerts, balls, children’s entertainments, an antiques market and all sorts of other things..

 

 

In February (sometimes March depending on the date of Easter Sunday), we have Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, that great carnival time where everyone has one last blast before Lent. Everyone dresses up and decorates their own floats. And then there are fantastic processions through the town. It goes on for about 10 days, up to and around Ash Wednesday.

There is an even bigger Carnival in Girona. At carnival time, masked balls are held from Saturday to Tuesday as groups of fancy-dress revellers frolic in the streets. Taste the traditional carnival fare of sausage omelette, lard cakes and egg sausages!

Also in February/March  we have the great feast of the “interrment of the sardine”!! Everyone dresses up in funerial garb and the sardine is busied amidst much pomp and ceremony. Don’t ask why, we have no idea!

This is followed by a “Popular Sardinada” – basically there are free barbecued sardines, bread and wine. Scrummy! A mobile disco will keep everyone dancing for as long as they want.