The Costa Brava is where this guide started, and it's still the strongest single stretch of coast on the whole list — rocky coves, a coastal footpath that strings them together, and a real cluster of hotels that get the access rules right. Here are ten worth building a trip around, in no particular order beyond geography.
Step straight off the terrace onto a quiet pebble cove inside a protected natural park.
See the full listing →The path leads to a cove you can only reach by swimming, walking, or paddling.
See the full listing →A private cove with three more just a short stroll away, on undeveloped coast.
See the full listing →A launch point built for swimming, with trails on to two neighboring coves.
See the full listing →One of the Costa Brava's smallest, quietest cove towns — right on the coastal path.
See the full listing →A few steps from the sea, on the path that strings together three cove towns.
See the full listing →Right across from Llafranc's sandy beach, on one of the coast's most scenic paths.
See the full listing →A long, open swim route toward the ancient village of Sant Martí d'Empúries.
See the full listing →Perched on the rocks between two beaches on the coastal path — swim either way.
See the full listing →On a peninsula where the rocks split the bay for swimming and for snorkeling.
See the full listing →Every one of these sits on or right next to the Camí de Ronda, the coastal footpath that runs along most of this shoreline. That matters for swimmers specifically — a hotel on this path usually means the coastline in front of it hasn't been broken up by a marina or a private development, so the swim you start on day one can turn into something longer by day three, once you've scouted the next cove over.
If you want the full list — every hotel we've vetted across Catalunya, the Balearics, France, Croatia, and beyond — the complete guide is organized by country and region, with filters for coast type and hotel category.