A 1932 seafront hotel in S’Agaró
Hostal de la Gavina is a hotel in S’Agaró, a garden-city development on the Costa Brava, in Girona province. It opened on 2 January 1932, and the fourth generation of the Ensesa family still runs it. The architect Rafael Masó gave it porticos, towers, terraces and low-pitched roofs. It has 76 rooms and suites, with sea, bay or garden views, and an outdoor pool above the Bay of Sant Pol.
Civil ceremonies take place in the private gardens, which look over the Bay of Sant Pol. For a religious ceremony, the hotel uses the neighbouring chapel of Nostra Senyora de l’Esperança, a two-minute drive away. The aperitif can be served in the landscaped gardens or on the private Sunset Terrace. The banquet takes place either in an indoor lounge facing the Mediterranean or on the Bay Bar terrace, and the hotel states that both spaces can cater for up to 300 guests.
The hotel says it can be booked exclusively for a wedding, so the whole group can stay on the property. The hotel’s chefs prepare the menus, and they can be tailored to the couple. It suits formal, larger weddings with a full team behind them, and couples who want one address for the ceremony, the dinner and the rooms.
For your photos
The ceremony garden and the Sunset Terrace both face the Bay of Sant Pol, so the last hour before sunset is the best time for portraits there. At midday the sun is hard on open terraces, and the sea breeze can move veils and flower arrangements, so fix them well. Use the porticos and the old interiors for shade, and the Camí de Ronda, the coastal path with umbrella pines at the foot of the hotel, for a change of background.
The website does not describe a rain plan, so ask which indoor lounge takes over if the garden ceremony has to move. Set aside at least 45 minutes for couple portraits, and more if you want to include the coastal path. For more ideas on timing and weather, read our Costa Brava planning tips.
Good to know
- Location: S’Agaró, Girona, about one hour north of Barcelona by the AP-7 and half an hour from Girona-Costa Brava airport.
- Ceremonies: civil in the private gardens, religious in the neighbouring chapel, a two-minute drive away.
- Banquet: indoor lounge or Bay Bar terrace, both for up to 300 guests.
- Accommodation: 76 rooms and suites on site. The hotel can be booked for exclusive use.
- Catering: in-house, with custom menus.
- Website: lagavina.com.