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The second edition of the Comic Con Costa Brava brings Geoffrey Butler from the series “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” to Lloret de Mar

This weekend, 5th and 6th October, Lloret de Mar will once again become the epicentre of entertainment on the Costa Brava with the second edition of the Comic Con Costa Brava, held at the Gran Casino Costa Brava.

Comic Con Costa Brava 2024 will be attended by various international actors and actresses, content creators, writers, and more than eighty exhibitors related to geek products and market. In addition, there will be different experiences such as video games, raffles, cosplay and K-pop contests, exclusive Jurassic Park merchandising and surprise attractions with 3D creations and free activities included with the ticket.

This year, Comic Con Costa Brava will once again feature British and American actors and actresses such as Joseph Marcell, the British actor best known for his role as butler Geoffrey Butler in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Karyn Parsons, who played Hilary Banks in the same series. Craig Fairbrass, the British actor who played Dan Sullivan in the series EastEnders and Chef Zeff in the Netflix series One Piece; Colton Haynes and Paul Blackthorne, known for their roles in the popular Marvel series Arrow, will also be there. The driving force and organiser of this event is Alec Utgoff, a British actor of Ukrainian origin, resident of Lloret de Mar and known for his role as Alexei in Stranger Things (and soon to appear as “Darius2 in Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator 2). Utgoff explained that “In this second edition we have increased the capacity, improving the experience with an outdoor area where visitors can enjoy different food trucks and a larger stage for the performances”.

The Comic Con Costa Brava expects to exceed the 2,000 visitors of the 2023 edition this year.

The entrance fee is €15 for adults and €10 for children up to 14 years old. Family packages (2 adults, 2 children) are also available: for 1 day, €40, and for the whole weekend, €65.

More info: Comic Con Costa Brava ticket sales

The MontPhoto FEST international nature photography festival, the Plogging Congress and the Beaches Walk and Swimming: Lloret de Mar emphasises the preservation of the natural environment

On Sunday, more than 800 people took part in the traditional Beaches Walk, which Lloret de Mar celebrates on the last Sunday in September and which covers a distance of around 11 kilometres along the different beaches and coves of Lloret de Mar. In addition, the Beaches Swimming was also held along the same route by sea.

This popular walk kicked off a week in which Lloret de Mar focuses on the preservation of the natural environment with two other events linked to environmental sustainability: the MontPhoto FEST international nature photography festival and the Plogging Congress.

 

International nature photography festival MontPhoto FEST 2024

It comes to Lloret de Mar from 4 to 6 October to celebrate its 28th edition with presentations by internationally renowned nature photographers. Jaime Rojo will present “Saving the Monarchs”, a project on the migration of monarch butterflies highlighted by National Geographic. English photographer Matt Maran will talk about the coexistence between humans and animals in Highgate Cemetery in his talk “Life instead of death”. Sergio Pitamitz will share “Stories with feathers”, focusing on the lives of birds such as starlings and the ibis eremita. On Sunday, photographer Kristel Schneider will present “Riverscape”, a visual exploration of the Allier River in France, and Ugo Mellone will close the festival with “Monk seal: the mystery of the Mediterranean” to highlight marine biodiversity. In addition, other big names such as Arturo Rodríguez, Héctor Cordero, David Hup and Michiel van Noppen will also be present with projects on migratory birds, volcanoes and bears in Romania.

In addition, MontPhoto FEST 2024 will feature prominent voices from the Catalan photographic scene. Maria Contreras Coll, a National Geographic explorer, will present her project “Women revisiting religion”, where she explores menstrual stigma and its relationship with the traditions of Nepal, reflecting on the connection between feminism, religion and territory. Marta Bretó, who has been documenting Arctic foxes in Iceland for more than a decade, will give a talk entitled “About foxes and men: the story of the first Icelandic settler” on Saturday 5 October at 16:00. The young Catalan photographer Pau de la Calle will open the festival on Friday with “Coexisting”, a reflection on the coexistence between humans and animals in the Gaia Sanctuary and the role of documentary photography in times of precariousness.

The talks are complemented by exhibitions that will be held at various locations around Lloret de Mar. The winning images from the MontPhoto 2024 competition will be on display at the Municipal Library, along with the open-air exhibition “Changing Planet” in Plaça de Pere Torrent. The Municipal Theatre will be showing “Birds of our area” by the Agrupació Fotogràfica de Catalunya and “SMOOTH” by the Portfolio Natural collective.

 

III Plogging Congress

Organised by La Mar de Dones, the Mossos d’Esquadra Sports Club and the Climent Guitart Foundation with the collaboration of Lloret Town Council and Lloret Turisme, it will take place on 4 and 5 October at the Guitart Central Park Aqua Resort hotel.

On 4 October, different round tables will be held to exchange experiences with organisations, companies and young people involved in the field of sustainability to debate issues such as the circular economy and sustainable tourism. This year there will be talks by Christian Pétron, professional diver, director and documentary filmmaker of underwater photography (Le Grand Bleu) and Àlex Lara, Brand Manager of Bluewave Alliance, and presentations such as those of the “Circular Seas” project by Coca-Cola, as well as a round table with the participation of Eduard Jornet, mountain guide and keeper of the Cap del Rec refuge in Cerdanya; Andrea Compaposada, director of Annelids Marine Environmental Services; Mario Vizcarro, secretary of the Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds of Girona, and David Serrano, director of ESG Barcelona Municipal Services.

The following day, 5 October, at 10:30 am, Plogging Day will be held in the Roca d’en Maig and the Dona Marinera area, an initiative that combines sport with waste collection and is open to everyone.

In the words of the Mayor of Lloret, Adrià Lamelas: “The quality of life of our residents and visitors is closely linked to the privileged environment we have and, therefore, it is a strategic objective of this government to continue to promote events and initiatives with a legacy for the future that contribute ─whether through awareness-raising, training or action─ to conserving and preserving these spaces”.

 

Lloret de Mar celebrates 2nd Tourism Night

The Lloret Theatre was packed to capacity to celebrate Lloret de Mar’s Tourism Night, organised by the departments of Economic Promotion and Lloret Turisme. The event was presided over by the Catalan Minister for Enterprise and Employment, Miquel Sàmper, and the Mayor of Lloret, and was also attended by Martí Pujals, President of the La Selva County Council, Joan Plana, MP and Second Vice-President of the Costa Brava Tourist Board, Xavier Font, Deputy Director General for Tourism Development of Lloret de Mar, and Xavier Font, Deputy Director General for Tourism Development of Lloret de Mar, Deputy Director General of Tourism Development of the Catalan Government, Lara Torres, Deputy Director General of Transparency and Good Governance of the Catalan Government, Jennifer Pérez, President of the Consell de la Selva Tourism Association, councillors of the municipal corporation and representatives of the different trades.

Lloret Tourism Night is part of the World Tourism Day celebrations and is the most important event in Lloret’s tourism sector. In the words of the Councillor for Tourism, Frederic Guich, “this night was revived last year to highlight the great work of the professionals in Lloret’s productive fabric and to highlight a way of doing things in our sector that, over the years, has maintained its focus on customer service and its pioneering and innovative spirit as its main characteristics”

 

The winners of this year’s Lloret de Mar Tourism Night were:

– Innovation Award. To Jordi Frigola and Anna Martínez of the Delamar Frigola Group as a source of inspiration and leadership for an investment of 26 million euros in the refurbishment of their establishments, demonstrating their commitment to offering exceptional experiences to their customers.

 

– Social commitment award to the environmental organisation Xatrac. Created in 2008, the environmental organisation Xatrac promotes the conservation and protection of the natural environment, especially the marine ecosystems of the area, with an enthusiasm and tenacity that, even in the most difficult times, such as this year with the collapse of the Fenals Promenade, has maintained its activity and commitment.

 

– Emblematic establishment award to Can Planet-Toni Planet. Since 1877, the Planet family started the butchers’ trade in Lloret de Mar, reaching the fifth generation with Toni Planet. His grandfather left in 1953 for the city of Cologne, in Germany, Joan Planet, for an apprenticeship specialising in German sausages and opened the establishment in what is now Calle Sant Pere. The philosophy of the shop is to specialise in German sausages, with more than 30 traditional products, without forgetting at any time the typical products of Catalonia.

 

– Award for international projection to the driver Miguel Molina. Since he was a child, he showed an overflowing passion for motors. At the age of five, he already felt the adrenaline rush at the wheel of the Go Karts, dreaming one day of competing among the big ones and where he won two Spanish championships and one in Catalonia. He went through the Young Drivers programme at the Circuit de Catalunya and in 2010 he joined the Audi team in 2010 to race in the German Touring Car Championship, becoming the first Catalan to participate, winning the title of best rookie and the following year reaching the podium for the first time. This year, with the 24 years Le Mans podium, he enters the history of motorsport.

 

– Award for tourism communication to Mariona Ferrer. After a long career in Barcelona and Madrid working for different media such as TV, Televisió de Barcelona and the international press, where she has lived and explained the challenges posed by current political and social issues, Mariona moved back to Girona a few years ago as a delegate for Diari Ara. She has won this category with “trip to the authentic Lloret” published on 24 July, which as you know is the day of the Festa Major.

 

– Local ambassador award to Maria Josep Martí. A sports doctor, she has taken the name of Lloret beyond its borders with her tireless commitment against doping at the Olympic Games. She first took part in the Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992, then in Tokyo 2020 and this year in Paris 2024 she has once again ensured compliance with the doping control programme.

 

– Entrepreneurship award to Joan Bernat. Co-owner of La Brava Grup, he has created a line of quality restaurants combined with modern, contemporary establishments. His entrepreneurial vision has made it possible to create a modern restaurant offering that at the same time maintains the charm of emblematic places such as Casa Marlés, boosting the economic dynamism of this area.

 

The final part of the event saw the presentation of the two outstanding awards of the evening; the outstanding professional award and the business career award:

– Outstanding professional award to Pere Travaglia. Born in Luxembourg 55 years ago, he is a benchmark in the tourism industry in Lloret de Mar, with Swedish and Catalan roots. Since he was a child, he has experienced the world of tourism from close quarters with a family that has worked in various travel agencies such as Ultramar Express, Feria Tours, Creutur and Viajes Bonavia, which have awakened in him a deep passion for the industry.

At the age of 20, Pere began his career at the H-TOP Gran Casino Royal in Lloret de Mar as a receptionist. His dedication and interpersonal skills stood out from the very first moment, which led to a rapid progression within the company until he became director. His leadership has been a key element in the transformation of the L’Azure hotel, always committed to excellent service and fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.

 

– Business career award to Montserrat Sala Montero. Born on 28 June 1946 in Lloret de Mar, she is a visionary, courageous and tireless woman. As the second of six siblings, she grew up in an environment of work and responsibility, values that have accompanied her throughout her life. Educated by Catalan nuns and with business studies, her passion for knowledge led her, when she grew up, to complete a Master’s degree in Business Management at ESADE.

At just 16 years old, Montserrat began working in the management of the Hotel Montserrat, the family hotel, an establishment that stood out as one of the most modern of its time. This was only the beginning of a professional career marked by her courage, determination and vision of the future. On 30 October 1967 she married Joan Masó, and together they embarked on a business path that transformed Lloret de Mar and the neighbouring towns.

From small food shops to the construction of large apartments and aparthotels, Montserrat was always an innovative woman, able to see beyond and to take on ambitious projects, such as the construction of the Massó supermarket in Fenals in 1974, when the area was still underdeveloped. With sacrifice and perseverance, she consolidated a business empire that over the years included apartments, hotels and shopping centres in various locations.

But beyond her business success, Montserrat Sala was a generous, empathetic, modern and very discreet person. In the words of the Mayor of Lloret, Adrià Lamelas, “A woman of challenges, who has left her mark not only in business, but also in her way of doing things”.

 

In his closing speech, the Mayor of Lloret de Mar recalled the beginnings of tourism in 1950, when Lloret became a pioneering destination for European tourism, emphasising that tourism has been fundamental to the prosperity of the town and its people and recalling that “Tourism is not our ultimate goal. It is a tool, a means that has helped our grandfathers and grandmothers, mothers and fathers and now many of us to prosper. The real purpose is to build a strong, cohesive community, with quality of life for all, because the well-being of our citizenry also brings quality to the tourism experience of our visitors. Tourism has allowed us to develop, but it cannot define us or exhaust our dreams. We must be able to use it to create opportunities, to care for our environment, to preserve our identity, and this is the line along which we will work in the Lloret de Mar Strategic Plan, a plan that puts people at the centre”.

The Catalan Minister of Enterprise and Employment, Miquel Sàmper, stressed that Lloret de Mar 2symbolises the strength and vitality of the Catalan tourism sector, which is not only an economic engine but also a fundamental element for the social and cultural cohesion of our society”. The minister highlighted the good work “of the professionals who, day after day, make it possible for Lloret to remain a leading destination” and “the complicity between the residents of Lloret and those who visit us, the tourists”. For Sàmper, this complicity “is key to achieving respectful and balanced tourism, where hospitality is combined with care for our environment and our identity”.

Lloret Tourism Night is the main event of World Tourism Day, but it is complemented by various free activities on 27 September, such as an open day at the cultural facilities of the Lloret Open Museum; a guided tour at 11:30 am in the Santa Clotilde Gardens in Catalan and another guided tour of the Indiano Route at 5:30 pm in Spanish; the travelling show Swing Engine Street Sextet at 7 pm, and the cover band WASA in Plaça de la Vila at 10 pm.

Campanya publicitària Lloret Turisme

The feeling of belonging and the pioneering nature of Lloret de Mar are the focus of the new advertising campaign “Whatever they say, we are very much from Lloret”

Lloret Turisme, Lloret de Mar’s tourism management and promotion body, today launched its new advertising campaign which, under the slogan “Whatever they say, we are very much from Lloret”, emphasises the sense of belonging of its people, showing the pioneering and open character that tourism has given the destination. The Councillor for Tourism, Frederic Guich, stressed that “without a doubt, one of the characteristics of the people of Lloret is that we are very proud of our town, despite the challenges we have to face”.

The campaign, which has visibility in outdoor advertising, radio, digital media and Catalan television, features Lloret residents from different fields and highlights the beauty of its coastline, with Cala Boadella considered one of the most beautiful coves in Europe; its open and pioneering spirit as the first LGBTI tourism destination; and the visits to Lloret of various well-known personalities such as Maradona and Julio Iglesias.

The manager of Lloret Turisme, Elizabeth Keegan, also pointed out that “in a context in which tourism-phobia is a trend, this campaign aims to highlight, in a fun way, all the good things that tourism has brought us and that have made us the city that we are”.

In addition to the advertising campaign, in terms of territorial planning and management, Lloret de Mar has tendered for the Strategic City Plan. In the words of Frederic Guich, 2we are aware that Lloret de Mar has major challenges to face and that the tourist-resident balance is vital for the present and future of the town”. This Strategic City Plan will run until 2035 and will identify, on the one hand, the needs, challenges and opportunities facing the city and, on the other, the interests and projects envisaged to configure a plan of strategic actions aimed at the city model that is agreed upon by all the agents and stakeholders involved and oriented primarily towards the resident-tourist balance, social inclusion and climate change mitigation. It consists of three phases and includes a transversal and integrating vision such as Infrastructure and Urban Planning; Environment and Sustainability; Business, Economy and Employment; Equality, Social Cohesion and Housing; Education, Culture and Sport; Health and Wellbeing; Security and Civil Protection and Technology and Innovation; Regulations and Legal Aspects and Governance and Citizen Participation.

The campaign can be viewed at

https://mylloret.lloretdemar.org/ca/sommoltdelloret

Nature and culture are the focus of Lloret de Mar’s offerings this autumn.

Lloret Turisme, Lloret de Mar’s tourism management and promotion body, travelled to Barcelona’s Media Manga restaurant today to meet with the general press and the specialised tourism and travel media.

Lloret Tourism has chosen the Montbar and Media Manga restaurants in Barcelona, whose gastronomic director is Fran Agudo, a Michelin-starred chef from Lloret and 1 Sol Repsol Guide, whose fusion cuisine is a very good example and a great ambassador for our town. In the words of the Councillor for Tourism, Frederic Guich, “young local talent that has grown up in Lloret and has been imbued with the brand personality of this enterprising, diverse and open destination”.

During the presentation, the Councillor for Tourism explained the new features offered by Lloret de Mar in autumn, a destination, in the words of the Councillor for Tourism, “which is the third largest city in Girona, with the attraction of its seafront location and which offers many cultural and natural activities to enjoy a getaway in the mid and low season”. And he recalled that “when the other towns on the Costa Brava are already closed, Lloret de Mar continues to offer many activities and events, as well as a fully functioning hotel industry”.

The novelties for this autumn presented by the manager of Lloret Turisme, Elizabeth Keegan, were:

Gastronomy.

  1. Healthy food. Lloret Turisme, in collaboration with the Alícia Foundation, has been working for years on adapting its restaurants to the new demands of its customers, paying special attention to allergies and intolerances, with specific training and audits to ensure compliance with the different certifications. This makes Lloret de Mar a pioneering destination in Catalonia in terms of the tourism sector’s focus on healthy food adapted to different needs.

 

  • AMED certification from the Catalan Public Health Agency. Around twenty establishments have this certification in the gastronomic offer of Mediterranean food.

 

  • Gluten-free accreditation. Lloret has more than 5,000 hotel beds (12 establishments) accredited by the Catalan Coeliac Association.

 

  • Little Foodies. Seal in good, healthy and sustainable children’s catering in a total of 20 establishments, specifically 14 hotels and 6 restaurants. This certification certifies that the establishments that have passed the audit guarantee a balanced diet for children during their holiday stay, avoiding the traditional children’s menus that focus on macaroni and spaghetti and escalope with chips. A second round of audits will begin this autumn to accredit new establishments.

 

  1. Gastronomic Market. In 2025, Lloret de Mar will have a new municipal market that will combine the sale of local products with gastronomic tasting.

 

Nature: Coastal paths.

Autumn invites you to enjoy the changing scenery and Lloret de Mar has a coastal path that links the different beaches and coves with views of the Costa Brava. New for 2024 is the new Lloret-Fenals coastal path, a route of approximately 1.5 kilometres that can be completed in 25 minutes. Along the route there are a total of nineteen viewpoints and walkways with panoramic views of the coastline.

In addition, on the last Sunday in September, 29 September, a new edition of the Beaches Walk will be held, which covers all the beaches and coves of Lloret de Mar over a three-hour route (More info: https://www.xinoxano.org/ca/marxa-popular-platges-les-de-lloret). On the same day, the Lloret coastline can also be explored by sea with the Lloret Beaches Crossing.

For sea lovers, there are also snorkelling trips with marine biologists at the Casa del Mar in Fenals throughout September and marine biology workshops in October to discover the secrets of Lloret de Mar’s marine flora and fauna.

Culture: Activities and new projects.

The Indiano Route to discover the town’s Indiano past, dramatised visits on the link between the daiquiri and Lloret de Mar and wine tasting in the Modernist site of Sant Pere del Bosc are just some of the cultural activities that can be booked on the website (https://tickets.lloretdemar.org/ca).

For lovers of the performing arts, there is also a full programme at the Lloret Theatre, with performances of a range of current performing arts. More info: https://www.teatredelloret.cat/programacio

Work on the new amphitheatre in the Santa Clotilde Gardens, with a capacity for 250-300 people, will soon be completed. The Santa Clotilde Gardens, noucentista style gardens hanging over Cala Boadella, are included in the cultural facilities of the Lloret Open Museum and are the most visited cultural space in Lloret. In 2023 they closed with 118,327 visitors. The Santa Clotilde Gardens are also included in the European Route of Historic Gardens listed as a European Itinerary by the Council of Europe.

Events

The dynamism of Lloret de Mar is captured by the wide variety of events scheduled for this autumn with events of different types such as the Marcha de las Playas, the Montphoto international nature photography festival or the Plogging congress linked to the field of nature and sustainability; the Comic Con Costa Brava, the Diada Castellera, the Medieval Fair and the Sant Romà Festival with a leisure and entertainment theme, as well as private events such as the Costa Brava Hub Conference, a football tournament organised by a multinational consumer goods company and another sporting event organised by Unesco with more than 1,200 participants.1,200 participants. Other sporting events include the Cabra’s Trail in September and the Corriols de l’àvia mountain bike race in November.

The manager of Lloret Turisme, Elizabeth Keegan, also detailed during the presentation that “apart from all these proposals, Lloret de Mar continues to work on the present and future of the city in a more strategic plan and we have recently put out to tender the Strategic City Plan 2035”. This Strategic City Plan will run until 2035 and will identify, on the one hand, the needs, challenges and opportunities facing the city and, on the other, the interests and projects envisaged to configure a plan of strategic actions aimed at the city model that is agreed upon by all the agents and stakeholders involved and oriented primarily towards the resident-tourist balance. It consists of three phases and includes a transversal and integrating vision such as Infrastructure and Urban Planning; Environment and Sustainability; Business, Economy and Employment; Equality, Social Cohesion and Housing; Education, Culture and Sport; Health and Wellbeing; Security and Civil Protection and Technology and Innovation; Regulations and Legal Aspects and Governance and Citizen Participation.