The Other Catalonia: Begur

On the street that rings Begur’s central plaza, the stylish Aiguaclara Hotel & Restaurant (rooms from $85; hotelaiguaclara.com) offers ten rooms and one apartment in an 1866 residence and is run by a couple who relocated from Barcelona. The junior suite Aiguaclara has a private terrace and a living room.

A 12-minute drive west, Mas de Torrent (rooms from $320; mastorrent.com) is a Relais & Châteaux property with a pretty outdoor pool, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and a Natura Bissé spa. On the grounds of an 18th-century farmhouse, the hotel has 38 suites, 10 in the main building and the rest in the gardens. The Jardín suites have terraces; the Naranjo suites, with plunge pools, afford privacy.

One block north and run by the Barreda Martin family since 1978, Casa Juanita (restaurantcasajuanita.es) isn’t fancy, but its eight tables make booking ahead essential. The menu showcases local catches like hake and sea bass prepared in an oak-wood-fired oven.

El Tapas de Begur (34-61/695-5980), a tiny bar in Plaça de la Vila with coveted outdoor seating under an olive tree, is a nightly party. It has strong gin and tonics and tapas like avocado purée in pastry cups, spinach pies, and cod balls.

More upscale, Rostei (rostei.com), a short walk south, has a two-story open-air dining room shaded by a 200-year-old wisteria tree. Chef Josep Maria Esteban changes the menu weekly; order the duck breast if it’s available.

A ten-minute drive south of town, Toc Al Mar (tocalmar.cat) borders the popular Aiguablava beach and serves seafood like grilled octopus with potatoes romesco. Reserve a table for lunch.

Another ten minutes south by car, in Calella de Palafrugell, Tragamar (tragamar.com) has outdoor seating with a view of Canadell beach and serves simple salads, such as lentils with red pepper, purple onion, and feta. The ten-minute walk between Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc winds above beaches and passes art installations.

In the hills overlooking Llafranc, the team behind Barcelona’s Japanese restaurants Nomo and Kuo recently opened an indoor-outdoor sushi spot, Far Nomo (gruponomo.com).

Espadrilles are the signature fashion of the region, and the small but well-stocked Castañer (castaner.com) in the nearby town of Llafranc is where to pick up a pair. The brand, founded in 1927, was put on the map when Yves Saint Laurent featured it in a 1960s collection. It has since expanded across Europe, but this is the company’s first shop.

For locally produced cotton and linen clothes that transition from beach to town, Abril Boutique (34-97/262-3326) specializes in Spanish brands like Pou Nou and Magan.