Costa Brava — Airbnb Investment Data
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.
4,666
Tracked Listings
13
Areas Covered
40%
Avg Occupancy
€265
Typical ADR
€105
RevPAR
Occupancy and ADR are observed from live Airbnb calendars across Apr 2026–Dec 2026 (4,666 tracked listings). ADR reflects asking prices; upcoming months show booking pace to date and typically rise as the month approaches.
Highest-scoring Costa Brava villas
Ranked by BrixfoxScore — real, after-tax net yield from live Airbnb data, not asking-price guesswork.
Detached house in Avenida dels Arbres Nn, Serra Brava, Lloret de Mar
Semi-detached house in Carretera Canyelles, 36, Port Esportiu - Puig Rom - Canyelles, Roses
Detached house in Calle de les Falgueres Nn, Serra Brava, Lloret de Mar
House in Calle Murillo, 6, Port Esportiu - Puig Rom - Canyelles, Roses
Detached house in Calle Huelva, Nord, Roses
Detached house in Torre Vella - Torre Gran - Les Dunes, Torroella de Montgrí
Detached house in Canyelles, Lloret de Mar
Detached house in Avenida Anglaterra, Torre Vella - Torre Gran - Les Dunes, Torroella de Montgrí
Detached house in Roca Grossa, Lloret de Mar
Airbnb Performance by Area in Costa Brava
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 | 1,137 | 39% | €203 | €2,342 |
| Platja d'Aro | 588 | 39% | €284 | €3,178 |
| Lloret de Mar | 540 | 37% | €315 | €3,400 |
| L'Escala | 377 | 36% | €249 | €2,609 |
| Begur | 369 | 40% | €359 | €4,218 |
| Palafrugell | 342 | 43% | €318 | €4,188 |
| Palamós | 319 | 41% | €235 | €2,836 |
| L'Estartit | 266 | 36% | €215 | €2,168 |
| Tossa de Mar | 254 | 42% | €285 | €3,534 |
| Cadaqués | 218 | 47% | €324 | €4,796 |
| Blanes | 205 | 43% | €224 | €2,812 |
| Llançà | 84 | 43% | €185 | €2,428 |
| Girona | 51 | 46% | €401 | €5,010 |
Booking Pace by Month
Calendar-observed occupancy per month. Upcoming months show bookings already on the calendar and fill further as dates approach.
Performance by Property Size
0 bedrooms
40% occupancy
€149 per night
473 tracked
1 bedroom
39% occupancy
€151 per night
1,056 tracked
2 bedrooms
41% occupancy
€196 per night
1,421 tracked
3 bedrooms
40% occupancy
€281 per night
966 tracked
43,155 tourist licences on register · 609 villas for sale
Register rows per municipality against the villas we list there. A licence on the register is a licence at a location on the day the register was read — not a statement about any villa for sale, and not a transfer.
| Municipality | Licences on register | Pinned | Villas for sale | Licences per villa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Begur | 1,764 | 0 | 78 | 22.6 |
| Lloret de Mar | 3,116 | 0 | 73 | 42.7 |
| L'Escala | 3,158 | 0 | 62 | 50.9 |
| Torroella de Montgrí | 2,638 | 0 | 59 | 44.7 |
| Palafrugell | 2,770 | 0 | 51 | 54.3 |
| Roses | 5,340 | 0 | 50 | 106.8 |
| Sant Feliu de Guíxols | 1,053 | 0 | 49 | 21.5 |
| Palamós | 1,626 | 0 | 36 | 45.2 |
| Cadaqués | 997 | 0 | 33 | 30.2 |
| Riells | — | — | 21 | — |
| Mas Nou | — | — | 19 | — |
| Castell-Platja d'Aro | — | — | 18 | — |
| Blanes | 1,277 | 0 | 17 | 75.1 |
| Santa Cristina | — | — | 17 | — |
Sources: Catalonia register, last read 28 Sept 2026. “Pinned” counts register rows with a usable coordinate — what the per-villa match can check within 50 m of an exact pin. A dash means the catalogue files that place as a municipality while the register files it under another; the villas are still counted. Whether any licence transfers with a sale is a question for a Spanish lawyer.
Short-Term Rental Rules in Costa Brava
Licensing is the single biggest factor in Spanish STR underwriting — it determines whether projected income is achievable at all.
New licences
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.
When you buy
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).
Buyer checkpoint
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.
National registry (all of Spain)
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Costa Brava still investable given Catalonia’s rules?
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.
Does a HUT licence transfer when I buy?
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.
Where is demand strongest on the Costa Brava?
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.