10 mistakes to avoid during the summer Costa Brava holidays

The holidays are here, you have been waiting for them all year and the day has finally arrived: prepared car, suitcases ready and house reserved for a few weeks of summer holidays on the Costa Brava! A dream which could be broken down if you do not follow these 10 tips that we recommend... We closely  know Costa Brava and we are in love with this region, that is why this time we want to give you a hand with 10 errors to avoid to make your stay more pleasant and so that you can take the best possible memory of your summer!

1. Getting to the beach later than 10 am

Between 10 am and 11 am it may seem a very reasonable time to get to your favorite beaches, but reason is not good for the month of August. If you arrive at this time you can find some inconveniences, the first of them the car parking. Try to avoid the car, and if you can not: fill it up to the fullest! If you can share it with the neighbor, the friend or the mother-in-law and with luck you will avoid a few headaches. Another drawback, especially if you are more than two people, is to find a place where you can roll out the towel. Many connoisseurs on the subject, who are usually the most advanced in age, arrive at 7 am, keep the best place by leaving the towel on the sand and go to breakfast quietly waiting for the sun to wake up. If getting up at 07 am seems incompatible with being on vacation, between 9 am and 1 am, on most beaches you can still find a good hole without too many fights.

2. Do not keep yourself sufficiently hydrated or cooled off

Water, juices, natural fruit, lemonade, beer, sangria (sparingly), the question is not to stop hydrating. It is not by chance that in summer we want more fresh and juicy foods, such as melon, watermelon, salads... Let's pay attention to our body! Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink water, that is why you have to be attentive to children and the elderly, as it may be difficult for them to have this dynamic of hydrating and it they could feel sick. Also stay tuned to the heat. If you feel hot and it is easy to find a source of freshness: take advantage of it. The sea, a fountain, a bottle of water, an ice cream... The sensation of cold on our body will calm the internal heat and will surely help us to pass the stifling sensation of the hottest hours.

3. Do not use sunscreen lotion

No matter the skin color, age or time that the skin is exposed to the sun: sunscreen lotion is essential, and not only on the beach. Actions like going for a walk or practicing exercise outdoors can also be dangerous depending on at what hours you do it, if we do not protect ourselves. Sunscreen lotion should be a must to carry in your bag during the summer. If you are one of those who enjoy the solitude of the beach while you devour the last saga of your favorite book, watch your back! You can apply it before leaving home -which would be ideal- or kindly ask a neighbor towel to give you a hand. It can be a good excuse to start a conversation, and if that day you have become clueless and you find yourself on the beach without lotion: ask someone to leave it to you! With health you do not play so shame! Before the summer, let yourself be advised by professionals and choose the sun lotion that best suits your skin.

4. Do not disconnect the mobile

This could be considered as a daily error of our times, but that becomes more pronounced during the holidays. Is there anything more important than our well-being and the one of the people around us? Nothing that can not wait? There are several situations, but often it seems that instead of vacations we are doing social reports about them. Do we live to enjoy them or do we live to show them? Are we present or are we thinking about how many likes the photo of the place where we are reaches? As with everything in life, it would be ideal to find a balance between networks, information and presence. The holidays, however, can serve as an excuse to make a real disconnection. A brief message before leaving should help everyone to understand that you are on vacation and not bother you for what they last. Nobody is so essential. A well deserved vacation, yes!

5. Getting up early and eat later than 2 pm

There is a sage who says that all discussions begin with an empty stomach, and there are studies that corroborate that arguing with hunger causes more aggressiveness. If we join hunger with the summer hot, the tourist agglomerations in some places of the Costa Brava and some tantrum of children -if you have-, stress is assured. If you start to think about the place where you will go to eat at 12 am and you get to be all at the table no later than 1 pm, you will have the success of assured good mood. One tip in case you plan to spend all day outside is to bring something healthy to snack on. Nuts can be a good option, as they give you energy quickly and help you endure the journey of finding a restaurant at rush hour.

6. Eating a paella in the most tourist area

We do not say that it is bad: there are very well prepared pre-frozen paellas and making a good paella is not an easy task. What will make the difference between the most touristy beach bar on the beach and the one that remains a bit further will be, above all and quite exponentially its price. You are on vacation and this is usually synonymous with having time. Time to look for opinions of the most remote restaurants of the most typical places (the use of mobile, in this case, could be justified), time to be able to get away a little from the seafront and the crowd and time to enjoy a good meal in good company without being ruined.

7. Do no be flexible with the family routine

Children are great teachers, and if you look at them in summer we will see that they squeeze it to the fullest. They are capable of throwing themselves into the water dressed, singing songs loudly while riding a bicycle, watching a ladybug trying to take flight on the beach, in general: to live in the present. Many times we, the adults, cut their wings during the day to day, because of our obligations and needs. According to our point of view, it is just as important to establish a routine as being able to break it once in a while. Everything you live during the holidays will be moments that will not be repeated and that will remain in your memory forever... is not it worth it to put yourself in a good mood and be a little flexible?

8. Wanting to have dinner on a terrace without booking previously

After a hot day, a good shower, after sun lotion, you put on your best clothes and go for a walk when the afternoon falls: an ice cream, a walk and you see that idyllic terrace full of people. The smell attracts you, the appetite squeezes you, you ask the waiter if there is a table and he asks you the big question: do you have a reservation? The ideal answer is: yes, we have a reservation. If not, it is likely that you have to wait at least 30 minutes to get that table where guests are already having the desserts... Lucky there use to be quite tourists together with local people, and the lunch or dinner schedule  varies remarkably from ones to the others. In the same way, the rush hour can be both at 7 pm and 9 pm. The best prevention: book.

9. Do not slow down from 2 pm to 4.30 pm

They are the hottest hours. In summer, on the Costa Brava, the day breaks into two: the morning hours and the afternoon hours. From 2 pm to 4.30 pm time stops to rest, as high temperatures force you. To do it there are many options: from a well-deserved siesta, a movie with the children, some board games, a meditation under the shade of a tree, a visit to a nearby museum... During this hours the activity outdoors becomes heavy and it's time for large doses of water, sunscreen lotion and shade! If you get contagiaros of the tradition of the siesta, you can lengthen more the afternoons and enjoy the most of summer nights outdoors.

10. Completely forget the exercise

Let us be honest: summer and holidays in general are often times of excess: ice cream, tapas, beers... Do not obsess, but if we incorporate a little exercise we will feel healthier. You can simply take the opportunity to go to the beach by bike (so you'll save yourself the crowds of cars), walk at a good pace along the many footpaths that we have around our geography, a walk from end to end of the beach with your feet in the shore of the sea, a kayak outing... there are not only the beach bars and the beach, on the Costa Brava we also have place for sports, do not forget!

We hope you can take advantage of these tips to create an unforgettable memory of your summer Costa Brava holidays! And if you are among those who are going at the last minute reserving the accommodation, we recommend you take a look at our houses. Happy holidays!