A LESSER-KNOWN holiday destination in Spain is becoming popular online because of its seaside cocktails and stunning beaches.
Every year, millions of Brits head to Spain for their holidays, but mostly stick to well-known resorts.
Blanes in Spain is easily reached from both Barcelona and GironaGetty
GettyCastillo de Sant Joan was built for people to keep an eye on pirates in the 11th Century[/caption]
GettyThe botanical gardens overlook the beach nearby[/caption]
However, visitors have started heading to the town of Blanes, which can be reached very easily from Girona airport, or by train from Barcelona.
One of the main draws to Blanes is the Cala de Sant Francesc beach, which offers visitors “beautiful coloured water and excellent snorkelling” according to one visitor on TripAdvisor.
Others have been as impressed with the bay, which is said to remain fairly quiet compared to others in the area.
One person wrote: “Crystal clear waters, sandy beach, restaurant and rocks for snorkelling. Well what more do you want?”
Another described it as the “best beach of the Costa Brava” while third simply added: “A hidden gem of a bay.”
It’s not the only beach in the town that’s worth visiting either, with Playa de Blanes also attracting plenty of visitors.
It backs onto a line of tapas restaurants and cocktail bars, some of which serve drinks on to the sand.
Restaurant Sa Malica-Can Ton is one of the most popular, with one reviewer writing: “The food was absolutely perfect, wonderful for me and the waiters were so kind, fun and welcoming.”
Another said: “This is our favourite place in Blanes! We have been going there for years and it never lets us down.”
While relaxing by the sea is an important parts of going on holiday, there are also other things to see and do in Blanes.
They include the Castillo de Sant Joan – a hill-top fort, with a watch tower, built for the residents to keep an eye out for 11th-century pirates.
There’s also the Jardín Botánico Marimurtra, which is described online as a “serene botanical garden featuring exotic plants from around the globe & picturesque sea views”.
One person who visited the gardens was Tiktoker Thalia (@travelwith.thalia), who showed off the stunning view over the turquoise sea below.
In a video, she said: “This is your sign to take a 90min train ride out of Barcelona to visit Blanes.”
She said she got there in an hour and a half from Barcelona by train, adding: “R1 train from Placa Catalunya, it took 90 minutes direct to Blanes. it cost €12pp (£10.30) return.”
Another visitor commented on her video, saying: “Went there yesterday and it was so beautiful.”
Staying in Blanes isn’t too expensive either, with sea view studio apartments available on Booking.com from £33 per night, for two adults.
Meanwhile, this little-known Spanish holiday resort is soaring in popularity and has hotels from £15.
And another Spanish hotspot is attracting more visitors this summer.
AlamyThe beach is served by the popular Can Tirol cocktail bar[/caption]