COSTA BRAVA

coastal region of the comunidad autnoma (autonomous community) of Catalonia, northeastern Spain, extending for about 75 miles (120 km) along the Mediterranean Sea from the French border at Port-Bou to the Spanish bathing resort of Blanes, thus coinciding with the coast of Gerona province. This part of the Spanish coast was almost unknown to tourists until the 1920s, when the rugged grandeur of its rocky shores, deeply indented by small sandy bays, bathed in warm seas, and with a temperate climate, began to win recognition. Picturesque villages, now busy resorts, include Lloret de Mar (which has more than 100 hotels), San Felu de Guixols, Palams, and Port-Bou. Agriculturally, the area is one of the richest in Spain, and it is also the most important cork-growing region, supplying the wine producers of the world.