Costa Brava, Catalunya: As Seen from a Thermal Airship

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It’s not everyday that I travel by thermal airship over Costa Brava, Catalunya.

This futurist sounding ride though is actually anything but.  It’s actually the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology, according to Wikipedia.  And it dates back to 1783.  Yes, I’m talking about what we would call in today’s terms a hot air balloon ride!

It’s also not everyday that I embark on an adventure and go… wherever the wind takes me.

Quite literally in this case!  You never know exactly where you will end up and aren’t those usually the most entertaining adventures anyway? Thankfully, the pilots from Globus Emporda know exactly what they’re doing.  There’s a good section of patchwork fields between the Pyreenes in the north and the rugged cliffs and coast line in the south.  Their plan is to land somewhere in one of the fields, but no one knows exactly where.  This is the stuff that Costa Brava is famous for and I have a bird’s-eye view of it all:

Check out this medieval village in Costa Brava, Catalunya, Spain which is even older than thermal aircrafts.

Birds eye view of the Mediterranean that Costa Brava is so famous for.

Our hot air balloon route over Costa Brava. We traveled just over 15km.

If exploring Costa Brava via a thermal airship is not your thing (although I highly recommend it), I can also suggest these travel adventures:

• Cycling in Costa Brava
• Hiking in the Pyrenees
• Visiting the medieval town of Besalu, which Jade from Vagabond3 calls The Best Secret Village in Europe
• Taking a tour of the Portilligat House Museum of Salvador Dali in Cadaques
• Enjoying the feast of your life at Les Magnolies (I highly recommend the 17, yes 17 course meal!)
• Taking a sundial tour of the town of Gualba, home to a whopping 17 sundials!
• Volunteering with chimps near Girona (where I fell in love with Charlie!)
• Exploring the ggreatest gothic castle in all of Catalunya
• Sampling Catalunya wine
• Visiting the Costa Brava Tourism Site for further info.

Know Before You Go Hot Air Ballooning in Costa Brava, Catalunya:

• Hot air ballooning with Globus Emporda is surprisingly affordable, starting at €160 per person.
• Flights leave early in the morning or later in the day when it’s likely to not be as windy.
• Hot air balloon flights are always subject to weather conditions, which can change quickly.
• The landing is a bit bumpy, so if you have any health concerns, check with Globus Emporda before booking.
• We celebrated with a huge breakfast and Cava (a sparkling Spanish wine, mostly produced in Catalunya)
• Find out more about the experience by reading about Andrea’s hot air ballooning experience  and Laurence’s who was a teeny bit excited about hot air ballooning.
• Lastly, you really should do it!  It’s exciting and the views are incredible!

Many thanks to Globus Emporda and Costa Brava Tourism for such a memorable and incredible experience!  As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

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