Blanes is a city in the La Selva comarca of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. During Roman rule, it was called Blanda or Blandae.
It is known as the “Gateway to the Costa Brava.” Its coastline forms part of the Costa Brava, which stretches from Blanes to the French border. The municipality covers 18.29 km². Blanes is a well-known tourist city, famous for its “concurs de focs d’artifici” during the “Santa Anna Festival.” This event is actually a fireworks competition; however, other activities are held throughout the week in the city and organized by the town council, as it is a week of festivities in Blanes.
Other attractions include botanical gardens, coves such as Cala Bona, and beaches surrounded by mountains. Blanes is only one hour from Barcelona Airport and approximately 40 minutes from Girona Airport. One of Blanes’ botanical gardens is Marimurtra, which covers almost 15 hectares, contains more than 4,000 different plant species, and is visited by 300,000 people each year.
Another garden is Pinya de Rosa, which contains more than 7,000 different plant species. The city offers countless activities and sports clubs, including the renowned Blanes Sailing Club, founded in 1943. Since then, it has evolved into one of the most important sailing clubs on the Costa Brava.