The best Costa Brava kayak tours

What is the best kayak tour on the Costa Brava?

The one that matches the coast you want to see. For a first trip, the sea caves tour from S'Agaró is the most booked; Tossa de Mar is the highest rated, and the Medes Islands tour takes you round a marine reserve.

The numbers first. The sea caves tour from S'Agaró is rated 4.7 from 1,412 reviews, far more than any other tour on this site. Tossa de Mar is rated 4.9 from 224 reviews. The two Sant Feliu tours from Kayak Center Guíxols sit close behind: the sit-on-top kayak and snorkel tour is rated 4.7 from 567 reviews, and the morning sea kayak to the Rats Penats cave is rated 5.0 from 24 reviews. Platja d'Aro is rated 4.7 from 377 reviews.

Our take: on a first visit, book S'Agaró. The bay is sheltered, the groups stop at 14, and the route runs along cliffs, coves and caves with a snorkel stop on the way. If you want the prettiest town to come back to afterwards, Tossa wins, with its walled Vila Vella on the headland. Already paddled before? The Rats Penats trip puts you in a proper touring kayak.

Tomas paddled from Sant Feliu in Sep 2026: "The incredible passage and the attitude and professionalism of the guide, Jaume, are worth highlighting."

Where is the best place to kayak on the Costa Brava?

For sea caves, the bay of S'Agaró and Sant Feliu de Guíxols. For rock formations below a medieval town, Tossa de Mar. For small coves, Platja d'Aro. For a marine reserve, the Medes Islands off L'Estartit.

• S'Agaró and Sant Feliu de Guíxols: granite cliffs, coves you cannot reach by road and the Cova dels Rats Penats, a sea cave in the bay of Sant Pol-S'Agaró. Three tours start here: the sea caves tour, the Sant Feliu tour and the Rats Penats sea kayak.
• Tossa de Mar: about 100 km north of Barcelona, with the walled Vila Vella on Mount Guardí. The guided tour weaves between rock formations and shows you a cave; the self-guided option pairs a coastal walk with a 2-hour kayak or SUP rental.
• Platja d'Aro: a long beach town next to S'Agaró. The tour follows the small coves nearby with several snorkel stops.
• L'Estartit and the Medes Islands: seven islets that belong to Spain's first marine reserve, part of the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park. See the kayak tour or, without paddling, the boat trip; the Medes Islands guide compares them.

Further north there is more. The Costa Brava Girona Tourism Board lists guided kayak trips at Platja de Castell near Palamós and from L'Escala, and Palafrugell's tourism office notes that from Tamariu you can reach the cove of Aigua Xelida by canoe, where the coastal path does not go. For the towns themselves, see the towns and beaches guide.

Which kayak tours are there on the Costa Brava, and how do they compare?

Nine trips on this site: six guided group tours, one private tour, one self-guided rental and one boat trip. Most run 2 to 2.5 hours with about 2 hours on the water.

Every trip side by side. Start points, timings and gear are from each listing:

The private tour costs the most because it is yours alone: a guide for 3 hours on a route planned around your experience and the weather, about an hour of free time by the sea and a picnic. The rental is the cheapest way onto the water, and the only one with no guide beside you.

Guided, self-guided or private: which kayak trip suits you?

Guided group tours suit almost everyone, beginners included. Go private for your own guide and route; go self-guided only if you are a confident paddler happy to read the sea yourself.

• Guided group tours: a guide shows you how to paddle on the beach, leads the route and picks the snorkel spot. Most have a rescue motorboat on standby. No experience is needed on S'Agaró, Sant Feliu and the Rats Penats sea kayak, per the listings.
• Private: the private tour is built for couples and small groups of friends. The guide plans the route around you, and you can add a transfer from Caldes de Malavella station, the Sant Feliu or Platja d'Aro bus station, or a hotel within 10 km of Platja d'Aro. It is for adults with some kayak experience; the listing sets the age range at 18 to 65.
• Self-guided: the Tossa hike and kayak rental gives you a GPS track and a briefing, then you walk to Santa Maria de Llorell beach (2.6 or 3.3 miles) and take a kayak or SUP for 2 hours on your own.

Our advice for a first time on the sea: a guided tour. The guide knows which cove is sheltered when the wind turns, and that matters more than any map.

Your own guide for 3 hours on a route planned around you, then free time by the sea and a picnic, with optional station or hotel transfer.

★ 5.0 · 5 hours · from $119

Explore the private kayak tour → Tour details

Sit-on-top or sea kayak: what is the difference?

A sit-on-top is open: you sit on the deck and climb back on if you slide off. A sea kayak has a closed cockpit and a spray skirt; it is faster and drier, but you need to learn how to get out of it.

Wikipedia's article on sea kayaks describes them as boats with a covered deck and room for a spray deck, built for open water; a sit-on-top has the basic hull shape of a kayak without an enclosed cockpit. On the Costa Brava, most group tours use doubles. The Sant Feliu tour names stable double sit-on-tops, and the S'Agaró and private tours use doubles too, with singles if needed.

The Rats Penats trip is the exception: a single closed sea kayak, "the type used for true coastal touring", per the listing, with a briefing on how to get in, get out and steer. It starts early, when the sea is usually calm, in a group of up to 7. Limits are stricter: from age 14, at least 155 cm (5 ft 1 in) tall and up to 220 lbs (100 kg).

Magali took it in Sep 2024: "Very pleasant to sail along the cliffs while learning things about the environment."

Which Costa Brava kayak tours include snorkel gear?

All the guided tours except the Medes Islands kayak tour, where snorkel equipment is listed as not included. Tossa includes a snorkel mask, and on the private tour snorkel gear is optional.

The snorkel stop is half the fun on this coast. Platja d'Aro makes several stops among small coves to look for fish, algae, crabs and sea snails. On the Sant Feliu tour, the guide picks a sheltered cove to swim over rocks with fish, sea urchins and anemones. At Tossa, the guide snorkels with you and points out what lives there.

Heading for the Medes Islands? Bring your own mask and snorkel: the tour includes a swim in the reserve but no snorkel kit. The boat trip from the same harbour does include snorkel and masks. One thing applies everywhere: the sea state decides. Guides choose the snorkel spot on the day, and in wind they head for calmer water.

How long is a kayak tour on the Costa Brava?

Most run 2 to 2.5 hours, with roughly 1.5 to 2 hours of actual paddling. The Rats Penats trip is 135 minutes; the private tour takes 5 hours with 3 hours guided on the water.

The listed time includes the beach briefing, getting the kayaks in and the snorkel stop. Platja d'Aro asks you to arrive 20 minutes early. Tossa says its kayak tours take place in the morning and advises eating breakfast first, which is good advice anywhere. The Rats Penats trip leaves early for calm water and quiet coves.

Want a whole day? Pair a morning paddle with lunch in town and a walk on the camí de ronda. Platja d'Aro's listing suggests its stretch towards Sant Antoni de Calonge, with tunnels cut between beaches. Meike, who did the Tossa tour in Aug 2026, put it well: "We went canoeing around the coast, through small rock passages, and into a cave."

How much does a kayak tour on the Costa Brava cost in 2026?

Group tours start at $32 to $39 per person, the Rats Penats sea kayak at $33 and the private tour at $119. The self-guided rental starts at $28.

These are GetYourGuide from-prices in USD, for the basic option where a listing has several. Platja d'Aro and the Medes Islands kayak tour both start at $32, Sant Feliu at $33, S'Agaró at $38 and Tossa at $39. The Medes Islands boat trip starts at $83 for 4 hours with an aperitif on board.

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before applies to every trip, which helps on a coast where the wind can change plans. For the full price list and the cost per hour on the water, see this year's kayak prices.

About 2 hours among the rock formations off Tossa de Mar, with a guided snorkel stop and a cave to paddle into.

★ 4.9 · 2.5 hours · from $39

Explore the Tossa de Mar kayak tour → Tour details

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