In July 2023, we traveled by train from Lyon, France to the Costa Brava. Our ultimate flight home to the States was from Barcelona and we had one week left with the whole family so we picked the Costa Brava. To our surprise the duration of the train from Lyon to Girona, the largest city in the Costa Brava, was just over 4 hours, and it’s a scenic trip.
Where we stayed
We found this 3 bedroom, 2 bath property on the beach.
WOULD WE STAY IN THIS AIRBNB AGAIN?
Yes. The owner is French and he has a lot of pride in the property. The power went off the first night and he was all over it. The location is ideal and the property is in great shape. Granted, we haven’t seen many other towns in the Costa Brava but compared to other small beach towns that rank high this is an amazing town. It has a nice spirit to it. One night, there was a large group of elderly citizens doing line dancing along the beach. There are also a couple of glamping camp grounds close to the beach so if you want to visit and spend a bit less than an Airbnb that is an option. It’s a great pairing with Barcelona as the big city is close-by and the Costa Brava is so chill.
Our bill was $385 a night during the high season, plus we needed to rent a car, which was a splurge for sure but it was worthwhile as it was very relaxing and the high cost of lodging was partially off-set by the great value of the dining.
There are many other Airbnbs in Cala Montgo with sea views.
WOULD WE INVEST IN PROPERTY IN CALA MONGO OR THE COSTA BRAVA?
- Emotionally, I rank this area high for the potential to invest.
- Perhaps the one negative is the Catalonia region has Airbnb regulations but they differ from city to city. Barcelona is most strict. So that is a concern. You need to apply for a permit but it seems possible that either you buy a property and the permit is denied or the city titans the screws on Airbnbs in the future. I think you’d really need to be so sold on the area and the property that you are ok with the possibility that you can’t list it.
- You can get a golden visa in Spain if you invest more than 500,000 Euros.
- It’s close to France, the high speed train line as well as the Barcalona Airport. We met many French tourists there. Southern Spain is much less expensive but its less connected to the heart of Europe.
- As Barcelona grows its seems logical that the Costa Brava will continue to grow in tourist interest.
- There are land protections so there will not be over-growth here.
- To see property values for yourself, I’d recommend Lucas Fox agency.
Investment Data
What’s to like about Cala Montgo?
- It’s an ideal Mediterranean beach. We were there in the peak season and it didn’t feel crowded.
- There are a variety of restaurants along the waterfront and we didn’t have a bad meal.
- There is one grocery close by with high quality food and it has a fantastic bakery.
- It’s a great jumping off spot to visit other towns towns in the Costa Brava. We visited Girona and Cadaqués.
- Coming from France, once you cross the border into Spain it feels like everything is discounted.
Activities
- Our host recommended a lot of great destination restaurants but we were so happy to walk a block or two for fantastic Spanish food we didn’t feel the need for it.
- There’s a large dock nearby if you want to rent a boat.
- Historical city exploring is a great way to break up days spent reading books and cooling off in the sea.
Airbnb Hunting 
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