Last updated: September 2026
Lloret de Mar is the Costa Brava’s most popular resort with UK holidaymakers — a lively, energetic town with four main beaches, a large hotel zone, excellent facilities for families and groups, and a nightlife scene that runs from early evening well into the small hours. Yet the resort also has a surprisingly historic heart: a Gothic church, a modernist cemetery that is considered one of the finest in Spain, and a clifftop castle that looks out over the best of the coastline.
Located 75 kilometres northeast of Barcelona and just 35 kilometres south of Girona airport, Lloret is one of the most conveniently placed resorts on the entire Costa Brava. The Barcelona day trip is justifiably famous — an easy two-hour return by coach or local bus, giving even short-break visitors a full day in the Catalan capital. Between the beaches, the theme parks and the old town, Lloret de Mar rarely leaves visitors with nothing to do.
| Resort type | Large beach resort, lively |
|---|---|
| Beach type | Golden sand, well-equipped |
| Nearest airport | Girona (GRO) — approx. 35 min |
| Barcelona access | 1 hr 30 min by coach |
| Best for | Families, groups, couples |
| Nightlife | Lively — bars, clubs, shows |
| Average July high | 29 °C |
| Season | May – October |
Lloret de Mar has four main beaches, giving it more variety than most Costa Brava resorts. Platja de Lloret is the main town beach — a 2-kilometre arc of golden sand at the heart of the resort, backed by the promenade, major hotels and restaurants. It is well-equipped with sun loungers, pedalo hire, beach bars, showers and lifeguards, and gets busy in July and August. The beach narrows at its northern end near the castle, where it transitions into a smaller and slightly wilder stretch.
Platja de Fenals is 1 kilometre south of the town beach and noticeably quieter. The smaller, more sheltered bay attracts a local crowd and has good snorkelling around the rocky headland at its southern end. It is reachable by a coastal path that starts near the marina. Platja Santa Cristina, accessible by boat or a 20-minute walk through pine woods, is one of the most beautiful beaches on the southern Costa Brava — a wooded, sheltered bay with clear turquoise water and a rustic beach bar. It is justifiably popular, so arrive early in high season.
Platja de Canyelles, north of the town centre, is a more residential beach backed by a quieter development. It tends to be less crowded than the main beach and has its own facilities including beach bars and sun lounger hire. The walk between Lloret and Canyelles along the coastal path is pleasant and takes around 15 minutes, passing small headlands with views back over the resort.
The sea at Lloret is clear, warm and generally calm, sheltered from the prevailing north winds by the headlands to either side of the main bay. Water temperatures peak at 25–26 °C in late July and August. All four main beaches are Blue Flag certified or regularly meet Blue Flag standards for water quality, facilities and beach management.
Lloret’s most popular family attraction is Water World, one of Spain’s largest water parks, located 2 kilometres from the town centre. It has over 30 slides of varying intensity — from gentle family rides to extreme attractions including the Kamikaze and Aqualocura — plus a wave pool, lazy river, children’s zone and multiple restaurants. A full day here is the default choice for families with older children, and combined entry tickets with transport from Lloret are available from the resort’s many excursion desks.
The Lloret Castle (Castell d’en Plaja), perched on the headland at the southern end of the town beach, is a picturesque Victorian folly built in neo-medieval style in 1935. The castle is not open to the public but the headland walk around it gives excellent views of the beach and out to sea. Immediately north of the beach, the modernist Cemetery of Lloret de Mar is genuinely remarkable — built between 1900 and 1935 by the town’s wealthy returning emigrants (known as indianos), it contains an extraordinary collection of Art Nouveau and modernist funerary art and sculpture.
The botanical garden of Santa Clotilde, perched on the cliffs immediately south of Lloret, is a formal Italianate garden created in 1919 with a series of terraced walkways, fountains and cypress alleys looking out over the sea. It is one of the most romantic settings on the Costa Brava and particularly popular with couples. Entry is charged and the garden is at its best in spring when the flowering plants are in full bloom.
The old town of Lloret clusters around the 16th-century Gothic church of Sant Roma, a short walk from the beach. Several good traditional restaurants and tapas bars are tucked into the streets behind the church, offering a quieter alternative to the beachfront dining strip. The Saturday market near the town centre sells food, crafts and souvenirs, and the narrow lanes of the old quarter have a quite different character from the resort’s main tourist drag.
Lloret is an excellent base for excursions. Tossa de Mar, just 20 minutes north by bus or boat, has a superbly preserved medieval walled town and some of the Costa Brava’s most picturesque beaches. Barcelona is around 90 minutes by coach. Girona is 45 minutes by bus and makes a superb half-day cultural excursion with its cathedral, Jewish quarter and colourful riverside buildings.
Lloret de Mar has a warm Mediterranean climate with hot, sunny summers and mild winters. The resort season runs from May to October, with July and August the hottest and busiest months (average highs of 28–30 °C, sea temperature 25–26 °C). June and September are excellent alternatives — reliably warm, less crowded and noticeably cheaper. The sea remains swimmable until mid-October, and the shoulder months offer the best combination of good weather, quiet beaches and lower prices that make the Costa Brava such a compelling destination for UK holidaymakers.
The nearest airport to Lloret de Mar is Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO), approximately 35 kilometres north and around 35 minutes by transfer — one of the most convenient airport-to-resort connections on the Costa Brava. Ryanair operates an extensive schedule from UK regional airports to Girona, making it one of the better-connected smaller Spanish airports from the UK.
Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN) is around 90 kilometres south and 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes by private transfer or shuttle, depending on traffic. The advantage of Barcelona is the sheer volume of flight options from UK airports, with British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Vueling and Ryanair all operating routes. The AP-7 motorway connects Barcelona directly to the Costa Brava and the drive north to Lloret is straightforward.
Lloret has the largest and most varied accommodation stock on the Costa Brava — hundreds of hotels, apartment complexes and self-catering properties at every price point. The main hotel zone runs along the promenade and beachfront road, putting the sea within a few steps of most rooms. Large four-star all-inclusive hotels dominate the prime beachfront positions, while more affordable three-star and two-star options are found a few streets back from the sea.
All-inclusive is particularly popular in Lloret — the resort’s size means there is enough critical mass to make AI packages competitive and varied. Jet2holidays, TUI and On the Beach all offer extensive Lloret programmes from UK regional airports. Self-catering apartments are also plentiful, particularly around the Fenals and Canyelles beach areas, and suit families and groups who want the flexibility of their own space alongside the resort’s facilities.
Lloret de Mar’s dining scene reflects its size and cosmopolitan visitor mix. The main beachfront promenade and the streets of the old town behind the church are lined with restaurants serving everything from English breakfasts and pizza to genuinely excellent Catalan cooking. The best traditional restaurants are found in the old town streets rather than on the tourist promenade, and are recognisable by their Catalan-language menus and local clientele. Rice dishes, fresh grilled fish from the Lloret fishing fleet and the classic Catalan combination of pa amb tomàquet (bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil) are all well-executed in the better establishments.
Shopping in Lloret is extensive, with a wide range of souvenir shops, clothing boutiques and beach gear outlets on and around the main shopping street, Carrer de la Abat Biure. A daily market selling food, clothing and household goods operates in the town centre throughout the season. For a more authentic market experience, the old town’s Saturday morning market is worth seeking out for local produce, artisan foods and craft items made in the region.
Search4Sun compares Lloret de Mar holiday deals from the UK’s leading tour operators, with departures from regional airports across the UK. Whether you are looking for an all-inclusive beachfront hotel, a self-catering apartment near Fenals beach, or a group holiday package with Water World tickets included, we can help you compare options and find the right deal at the right price.
Always check your booking is protected by ABTA, holds ATOL certification or carries ABTOT cover — these schemes protect your money if an operator ceases trading before or during your holiday. For a plain-English guide to what each scheme covers, read our holiday protection guide.
For last-minute Lloret de Mar deals, check LastMinute.com for the latest availability and rates. See also our Tossa de Mar holidays and Costa Brava holidays pages for more destinations nearby.
Lloret de Mar is one of the best Costa Brava resorts for families. Water World is the star attraction for older children, but the main beach is also wide, safe and well-equipped for younger ones. A huge range of accommodation at every price point, good excursion options (Barcelona, Tossa, Girona) and a reliable supply of child-friendly restaurants make it easy to keep all ages happy. The resort’s size means there is always something to do even on overcast days.
Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO) is the closest airport, around 35 kilometres north and approximately 35 minutes by transfer. Ryanair dominates the schedule with routes from London Stansted, Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh and other UK regional airports. Barcelona El Prat (BCN) is a larger alternative, around 90 kilometres south, with more carriers and year-round services from virtually every UK airport — including those not served by Girona routes.
Lloret de Mar is approximately 75 kilometres northeast of Barcelona — around 90 minutes by coach on the regular service that runs from the resort to Barcelona Sants and Passeig de Gracia bus terminal. The journey is very affordable and the return service is straightforward to navigate. Most excursion desks in Lloret offer day-trip packages to Barcelona with guide and transport included for those who prefer an organised option.
Lloret de Mar has a lively nightlife scene centred on the main beachfront strip and surrounding streets, with bars, clubs and entertainment venues operating until the early hours throughout the summer season. If you prefer a quieter stay, book accommodation around the Fenals or Canyelles beach areas, which are noticeably quieter in the evenings. Alternatively, Tossa de Mar (20 min north) has a much more sedate atmosphere if a peaceful evening meal and early night is the priority.
Excursions from Lloret are excellent and varied. The most popular options are Barcelona (90 min), Tossa de Mar (20 min), the Salvador Dali Theatre-Museum in Figueres (1 hr 30 min), Girona medieval city (45 min) and coastal boat trips along the Costa Brava to visit otherwise inaccessible coves. Local excursion operators on the seafront promenade sell tickets for organised coach and boat trips to all of these destinations, typically including transfers and sometimes a guide.
Most popular full-day tours
Search4Sun has been comparing UK holiday packages since 2005. We work with some of the best ABTA-registered operators.
