Blanes is a municipality located in the region of La Selva in the province of Girona, in the autonomous community of Catalonia, on the Girona coast. It is the first town on the Costa Brava, which is why it is known as the "Portal of the Costa Brava".
Blanes has a long history of welcoming families looking for activities, facilities, and services for children and adults, and is now recognized as a destination for this sensitivity and the advantages it offers. It is the first Family Tourism Destination on the Costa Brava to be certified, and each year Blanes continues to welcome thousands of tourists thanks to its leisure, beaches, culture, and other tourist attractions. In Blanes, you will find everything you need to spend a family holiday, discovering the authentic and Mediterranean spirit of this historic and seafaring city.
From www.motion4rent.com, we bring you some important information, places of interest, and tourist offices, as well as accessible beaches, adapted excursions, theme parks, accessible restaurants, and other offers for visitors with reduced mobility. Enjoy your stay!
In Blanes there are 2 tourist information points:
The central office of Plaza Catalunya
A stone's throw from the beach, and near the historic center of Blanes, you will find the Plaça de Catalunya Tourist Office, open all year round with information and material on all the city's tourist resources.
- Plaza Catalunya s/n
- Telephone: (+34) 972330348
Office Els Pins. Plaça dels Càmpings
This information point is located in the heart of the tourist area of Blanes, where most of the accommodation is located. It is open during the high and medium seasons.
- Plaza de los campsites s/n
- Telephone: (+34) 972330348
Airport:
Blanes is located between two airports: the larger Barcelona airport and the smaller Girona airport, which is closer to Blanes but has fewer connections. Both airports have adapted taxi and bus services to reach Blanes easily.
Girona airport is 33 km away from Blanes, while Barcelona airport is 90 km away.
According to Regulation (EC) 1107/2006 of the European Parliament, Barcelona Airport offers a free assistance service for passengers with reduced mobility. This service is available to all passengers with reduced mobility or disability and can be requested at least 48 hours in advance to ensure a smooth journey from the moment you arrive at the airport.
The service is free and can be requested through https://www.aena.es/pmr/inicio?lang=es or by calling (+34) 91 321 10 00.
From Barcelona airport to Blanes, there are various transportation options including train, bus, taxi, or private car, all of which have accessible options for passengers with reduced mobility.
Train:
Blanes is well-connected to nearby cities, as it has the Rodalies (commuter) line that connects all the coastal towns, including the major city of Barcelona. You can catch a Rodalies train from Sants, Plaza Catalunya, or Clot Arago stations, or from Barcelona airport on the R1 line.
The train ride from Barcelona to Blanes takes about an hour and a half. All trains have seats for people with reduced mobility, and Blanes station has lifts and access ramps for people with reduced mobility.
However, it is always a good idea to check which stations are accessible and which are not, as not all stations are adapted. In this case, Blanes station is accessible.
Bus:
The Blanes bus station is located in the square, near the town center and the S'Abanell area where all the hotels and holiday apartments are located. From the center of Barcelona, you can reach Blanes in 1.5 hours by bus with the Sagalés company, which departs from Ronda Sant Pere in Barcelona and arrives at the Blanes bus station.
The Sagalés company provides regular and urban transport services in Blanes and all its buses are accessible for people with reduced mobility. The bus connects the city center with the train station and main points of interest such as educational and medical centers, tourist spots, sports areas, and shopping areas. It also provides transportation to residential areas that are far from the urban center.
Taxi:
In Blanes, there are several companies that offer adapted taxi service. We recommend the local company, which has several taxis adapted for people with reduced mobility and provides service in the area.
Private or rental car
. Arriving by car to Blanes is a good option because it allows you to move freely around Blanes and its nearby towns, such as the beautiful Tossa, and discover the hidden gems of the Costa Brava. From Barcelona, there are two roads that will take you to Blanes in about an hour and a quarter.
During high season, we recommend taking the AP-7 as it avoids heavy traffic and queues on the C-32 motorway that runs along the coast.
In this section, we will introduce a couple of accessible beaches for people with reduced mobility in Blanes, but keep in mind that these are not the only accessible beaches in the municipality:
Playa S'Abanell:
This is the main beach in Blanes and is an urban beach with golden sand. It is 3,100 meters long and 60 meters wide, with a high occupancy rate. It has received the Blue Flag from the European Foundation for Environmental Education, which recognizes the quality of its waters, safety, services, and environmental stewardship. The beach has special access for people with reduced mobility and an unattended parking lot with over 100 spaces.
S'Abanell Beach Services:
- Life guard
- Parking
- Toilets
- Umbrella rental
- Showers
- Hammock rental
- Footbath
- Nautical rental
- Litter bins
- Children's area
- Housekeeping
- Sport's zone
- Food establishment
- Drinking establishment
- Nearby hospital
Cala de Sant Francesc:
Cala Sant Francesc (also known as Cala Bona) is a semi-urban beach with golden sand. It is 220 meters long and 35 meters wide, with a high occupancy rate. It has received the Blue Flag from the European Foundation for Environmental Education, which recognizes the quality of its waters, safety, services, and environmental stewardship. The beach has special access for people with reduced mobility and an unattended parking lot with 50-100 spaces.
Cala de Sant Francesc Beach Services:
- Parking
- Toilets
- Umbrella rental
- Showers
- Hammock rental
- Footbath
- Nautical rental
- Litter bins
- Housekeeping
- Food establishment
- Drinking establishment
- Nearby hospital
Blanes Fireworks:
This world-renowned contest takes place annually during the week of July 26th to celebrate Santa Ana and San Joaquín. It is known as the largest fireworks contest in Europe and is a show not to be missed if you visit Blanes during these dates. The fireworks are launched from the rock of Sa Palomera (in the bay of Blanes) and the show begins at 10:30 p.m. every night, visible from much of the city. (If you want to have a front row view, we recommend arriving early.) The party began in 1970 and has attracted companies from all over the world to compete.
The winner receives the Vila de Blanes Trophy, a cash prize, and is automatically qualified for the following year.
Route of the Hermitages of Blanes:
In Blanes, there are several hermitages and chapels scattered throughout the municipality and its surroundings, and there is a route designed to visit them all. This route takes about two hours at a slow pace and can be done with children and adults, even in a wheelchair or with a stroller, although in that case, the route will take longer since it is not possible to use the paths and must stick to the road.
First section, the hermitages of the town (this is the one we recommend if you go in a wheelchair):
- We start the route near Passeig del Mar, specifically a street behind, where we will find the hermitage of Esperança. A small construction dating back to 1556.
- We continue along this street and arrive at Carrer Ample, where we can enjoy its small shops, from here we turn onto Calle del Raval and continue along Calle de la Antiga, up to the Capella de la Antiga, this even older one, from 1441.
- From here we continue along Carrer Ample to the Capella de la Salut, which, as in the previous case, is located in a small alley in Blanes with modern houses around it. It is first mentioned in the 17th century, but is believed to be older.
If you haven't had enough with these three buildings after a walk of about 45 minutes, you can continue the route in its second section towards the hermitages in the mountains and coasts of Blanes.
Keep in mind that the slopes will be more pronounced in this section. It is a walk that is not very difficult, but it is best to do it on cooler days. If you are using a wheelchair or stroller, the route will vary and the first stop will be the hermitage of Sant Joan, reached by road.
- To get to the hermitage of Santa Bárbara, we continue up the street from the Capella de la Salut and this same path takes us directly to Santa Bárbara. This hermitage is listed as a Cultural Asset of National Interest. Its construction date is also unknown, but there are references from the 11th century. The views from up here are incredible.
- The next stop is the hermitage of Sant Joan, and to get there, we will have to go through a sandy path, here we recommend taking a break. The castle of Sant Joan is free and has space inside to eat something.
- Once we have seen the castle, we return along the same path, but halfway there is a crossroads towards the Hermitage of San Francesc, this one dates from the 17th century and we return to enjoy incredible views of the coves of Blanes and the Costa Brava.
For more information, you can visit the tourist office of Blanes:
- Central Office: Plaça de Catalunya, s/n
- Telephone: (+34) 972 330 348
Blanes markets:
We propose a very authentic, fun, and accessible market for people with reduced mobility. Every Monday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., on the large rock that separates Platja de Blanes and Playa s'Abanell, you will find this market with over 100 different stalls offering the best gadgets, jewelry, accessories, and clothing. It is a market geared towards tourists, but there are always interesting things to be found.
On weekdays and Saturdays, you can also visit the fresh market on Passeig de Dintre (just behind the boulevard), which mainly sells fresh produce.
Blanes Sea Walk
A great activity for any summer afternoon in Blanes is to take a walk along the promenade, which is over 3 kilometers long and fully accessible for people with reduced mobility. The promenade starts at the port and ends near the mouth of the Tordera river, passing through two large urban beaches, Blanes and S'Abanell. In addition to the fantastic views, you can stop for a drink, lunch, dinner, or an ice cream along the way.
Ihgera Restaurant https://ighera.com/
We propose this African restaurant, with accessibility for people with reduced mobility. A different restaurant where you can try and taste the typical food of black Africa, they also have a vegan menu.
Restaurant accessible to people with reduced mobility but bathrooms not adapted.
- Address and contact:
- C/ Olivers 10 Blanes (Girona)
- Telephone: + 34 972108472
- Email: ighera@ighera.com
Passeig Restaurant https://www.restaurantecafeteriapasseig.com/es/
This cafeteria-restaurant located on the beach promenade is perfect for going for a drink and, of course, eating a paella on its terrace with views of the sea...
Restaurant with access for people with reduced mobility and accessible toilets.
- Address and contact:
- C/ Pau Casals 40 – 17300 Blanes (Girona)
- Telephone: (+34) 972918318 or (+34) 675615927
- Email: cafeteriapasseig@hotmail.com
