Catalonia’s rugged coast — premium French/Catalan demand under the strictest mainland rules.
The Costa Brava — from Lloret de Mar and Tossa up through Begur, Cadaqués and the Alt Empordà — pairs a premium villa market with the strictest mainland licence regime in our coverage: Catalonia caps tourist licences at 10 per 100 residents in stressed municipalities, which now includes most of this coastline.
Demand is distinctive: French and Catalan weekenders give it drive-to resilience, and the high-end pocket (Begur, Calella de Palafrugell, Cadaqués) sustains strong summer ADRs. The licence cap cuts new supply — and creates renewal risk for existing licences past 2028.
2,785
Tracked Listings
13
Areas Covered
40%
Avg Occupancy
€236
Typical ADR
€94
RevPAR
Occupancy and ADR are observed from live Airbnb calendars across Apr 2026–Nov 2026 (2,785 tracked listings). ADR reflects asking prices; upcoming months show booking pace to date and typically rise as the month approaches.
Live Airbnb performance by area — occupancy and typical nightly rate from tracked calendars, all property sizes blended.
| Area | Listings | Occupancy | Typical ADR | Est. Monthly Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roses | 564 | 41% | €187 | €2,219 |
| Platja d'Aro | 394 | 37% | €232 | €2,401 |
| Lloret de Mar | 267 | 41% | €234 | €2,647 |
| L'Estartit | 249 | 33% | €183 | €1,695 |
| Cadaqués | 226 | 39% | €286 | €3,308 |
| Palafrugell | 218 | 42% | €286 | €3,746 |
| Tossa de Mar | 216 | 39% | €275 | €2,948 |
| Palamós | 212 | 36% | €219 | €2,414 |
| Blanes | 195 | 41% | €222 | €2,367 |
| Begur | 193 | 41% | €351 | €4,097 |
| Llançà | 84 | 45% | €183 | €2,452 |
| L'Escala | 41 | 44% | €258 | €3,323 |
| Girona | 10 | 49% | €444 | €4,964 |
Calendar-observed occupancy per month. Upcoming months show bookings already on the calendar and fill further as dates approach.
0 bedrooms
42% occupancy
€148 per night
369 tracked
1 bedroom
40% occupancy
€144 per night
678 tracked
2 bedrooms
40% occupancy
€187 per night
845 tracked
3 bedrooms
39% occupancy
€258 per night
543 tracked
Licensing is the single biggest factor in Spanish STR underwriting — it determines whether projected income is achievable at all.
Decree-Law 3/2023 caps tourist licences at 10 per 100 residents in "stressed" municipalities — which now cover most of the Costa Brava coastline (273 Catalan municipalities as of May 2026). Existing HUTs must obtain a new 5-yearly urban-planning licence before 9 November 2028.
HUT numbers transfer with the property, but in capped municipalities renewal is not guaranteed where licence density exceeds the new quota (Calonge, for example, sits at roughly 20 per 100 residents).
Costa Brava carries the highest regulatory risk of our Spanish regions: confirm the HUT number, the municipality’s quota position, and renewal status before relying on STR income past 2028.
Since 1 July 2025 every short-term rental in Spain must hold a national registration number (NRA) from the Registro Único (Royal Decree 1312/2024). Platforms like Airbnb must delist properties without one within 48 hours. The NRA sits on top of each region’s own licence regime — you need both.
Regulation overview only, current as of June 2026 — not legal advice. Verify with a local lawyer before purchase.
For-sale properties ranked by real Airbnb yield in Costa Brava are coming. Join the waitlist for first access.
Yes, but it is the highest-regulatory-risk region we track in Spain. The 10-per-100-residents cap means existing HUT licences in over-quota towns may not all be renewed at the 2028 deadline. Price that risk in, and verify the municipality’s quota position before buying.
The HUT number transfers with the property, but in capped municipalities the licence must be renewed under the new 5-yearly urban-planning regime before 9 November 2028 — renewal is where the risk sits.
Roses, Lloret and Tossa lead on volume; Begur, Cadaqués and Platja d’Aro lead on rate. French border proximity makes the northern stretch unusually resilient in shoulder season.