Destination

Spain

Spain's Costa Brava moves at the pace of a long lunch: pine-covered cliffs, hidden coves, and medieval towns that seem to glow at golden hour. Our Spanish program opens with a night in bustling Barcelona before heading north to the coast. Programs span sketchbook, painting, and mixed media, inspiring the travel journal you'll build along the way. Art workshops in Spain move between two very different rhythms — a night of city energy, then days that slow to the tempo of the sea.

Destination

Spain

Barcelona

The first evening brings a stroll through the Gothic Quarter and a welcome dinner of tapas. The next morning starts at Sant Pau, a former hospital whose Art Deco campus feels more like a work of art than an institutional building. Then a visit to the Encants flea market, one of Europe's oldest, for an hour of treasure hunting and quick sketches among the stalls before the group heads north to the coast.

Costa Brava

From there, programs are based in the villages of Calella de Palafrugell or Tamariu. Creative sessions happen either on site — sketchbooks out along the water — or back at the hotel's sea-view terrace, depending on the program. Afternoons are often free to swim in a nearby cove or simply relax by the sea, and one evening brings an easy coastal walk to Llafranc for gelato at a favorite local shop. Day trips reach the medieval towns of Pals and Peratallada, all cobbled streets and centuries-old stone, and a beach day at Platja de Castell, with a walk through coastal pine forest along the way, rented lounge chairs, and plenty of time to unwind. A morning walk along the coast from Platja de Castell to Palamós closes the week, ending with a farewell lunch at a family-run restaurant tucked down a side street in the old town.

A Note on Pace

We walk together at a group pace, with some flexibility to adjust the route as the day unfolds. For a full breakdown of pace and fitness expectations, see our Walk Levels page.