How I Planned 3-Day Camí de Ronda Hike in Costa Brava, Spain
Why Camí de Ronda?
Honestly, I had never heard of the Camí de Ronda until it popped up during a chat with my AI – proof that sometimes algorithms do get you.
We’d been tossing around the idea of another hiking trip for months. The three of us did the Kumano Kodo hike in Japan back in 2023: four days of mountain trails, temples, onsen bliss every evening, and outrageously good meals. It was such a magical combo of nature and comfort that we’ve been dreaming about a sequel—this time in Europe. I wanted to sneak in a short hiking trip as part of a longer two-week Euro adventure.
Originally, we had our eyes on the Camino de Santiago. But after poking around, I realized the more beginner-friendly sections (important because one of us isn’t a regular hiker) were pretty remote. With just 3–4 days to hike, I didn’t want to spend half of it stuck in transit.
Enter: the Camí de Ronda. It runs along the Costa Brava—a stretch of Mediterranean coastline that gets described in travel blogs as “rocky, artistic, uncrowded, dramatic.” That’s basically a highlight reel of things I love. Bonus: it’s super accessible—just 2–3 hours by bus from Barcelona, with multiple direct buses every day. Since we were flying into Barcelona anyway, this felt like a solid win on the logistics front.
DIY Itinerary (aka Spreadsheet Time)
The full Camí de Ronda takes about 7–10 days to hike, but we only had three. After asking my trusty AI sidekick (seriously, it’s like having a travel-savvy friend who doesn’t sleep), I got a recommendation to hike from Sant Feliu de Guíxols to Begur. Apparently, this section had the views.
I spent a few evenings deep in internet research mode—think maps, elevation charts, travel forums, and way too many open tabs. After watching a bunch of videos, I was sold. The trail goes from town to town, which sounds spontaneous and romantic… until you realize this route is popular and you need to book everything in advance. So “flexible” really just meant “time to over-plan.”
Here came the fun challenge: picking towns to sleep in using limited online info, Google Maps, and gut instinct. From south to north, the towns are:
Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Platja de Sant Pol, Platja d’Aro i S’Agaró, Sant Antoni de Calonge, Palamós, Calella de Palafrugell, Llafranc, Tamariu, Aiguablava, and Begur.
My top priority? Making sure we didn’t end up dying on a hill (literally). I wanted each day’s hike to be manageable and beautiful. So I stitched together what I could find and nerded out over elevation graphs until the daily breakdown looked reasonable.
We also had to decide: hike north or south?
North means ending with the more dramatic views and tougher climbs. South means coasting to a gentle, sunny finish. In the end, we picked northbound – it felt more satisfying to end on a high note (in every sense).
Booking Accommodations & Transport
Two months before our trip, I dove into hotel hunting. I assumed spring would be quiet. Nope. Even off-season, things book up fast – especially if you’re trying to fit three people without spending a fortune or sleeping in someone’s garden shed.
Balancing hike distances with actual hotel availability, I ended up choosing:
- Platja d’Aro i S’Agaró for Night 1
- Llafranc for Night 2
- Aiguablava for Night 3
Day 1 would be short and sweet – we could hop off the bus from Barcelona and hit the trail right away. Day 2 was our longest stretch, but we’d have the full day. And Day 3? That one was a bit of a treat.
I was ridiculously excited about our final hotel in Aiguablava. It sits right on the water, has breezy, beachy interiors, and—plot twist—is about a mile before the big uphill slog into Begur. So not only did I book us a great place to recover, I cleverly spared us the final brutal climb. I may have high-fived myself.
At the time I was planning, the buses weren’t open for booking yet, so I set a reminder and checked back like a nerdy little hawk. About a month before departure, tickets became available and I pounced.
The Plan, in a Nutshell
Here’s how it all came together:
- Day 1:
🚌 Bus from Barcelona → Sant Feliu de Guíxols
🥾 Hike to Platja d’Aro i S’Agaró → hotel stay - Day 2:
🥾 Hike to Llafranc → hotel stay - Day 3:
🥾 Hike to Aiguablava → hotel stay - Day 4:
🚕 Taxi to Begur bus station → 🚌 Bus back to Barcelona
As for meals, I didn’t plan much. We’d be walking through adorable towns full of cafes and restaurants, and I figured we’d just eat wherever smelled the best.
Wondering how it went? Check out my hiking review in the other post.
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