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The Costa Brava at 40 to 50m is Catalonia's northern bracket and the destination Barcelona and Andorran owners route as the quieter alternative to the Balearic August density. A 40 to 50m motor yacht running a Costa Brava week in 2026 peak August costs $210,000 to $295,000 per week plus 30 percent APA, takes 10 to 12 guests, and embarks at Barcelona Port Vell, Palamos, or the French border at Banyuls or Port-Vendres. The active 40 to 50m fleet the Catalan north coast through July and August is roughly 8 yachts, a tighter density than the Balearic bracket because the corridor here runs port-heavy and the pattern embeds the Cadaques day-anchor and the Medes Islands marine reserve as the editorial anchors.
Why the Costa Brava works for the bracket
Barcelona Port Vell handles the bracket's southern embarkation at OneOcean Port Vell and Marina Vela with full provisioning and shore power; Palamos handles the bracket at the central Catalan base with stern-to capacity to 50m at the Marina Palamos pier under negotiated arrangements. Roses (40nm north of Palamos) handles the northern bracket and the Cadaques shuttle base with anchor-outside capacity for above 45m. The French-border corridor at Banyuls and Port-Vendres handles the one-way reposition north into the Cote Vermeille and the southern Cote d'Azur routing.
The Costa Brava anchorages run Cadaques and Cala Portlligat for the Dali-quarter shore-run and the swim, Cap de Creus at Cala Culip and Cala Jugadora for the rocky cliff anchor and the lighthouse scenery, the Medes Islands marine reserve at L'Estartit for the regulated day-anchor (permit required for snorkel and the reserve approach), Tamariu and Aiguablava at the eastern cala face for the protected swim, S'Agaro and Sant Feliu for the cliff-house anchor and the dinner shore-run, and Palamos Marina for the central berth and the inland excursion access. The Catalan summer wind pattern carries the tramontana from the north at 8 to 18 knots in the morning (locally higher at Cap de Creus, 25+ knots in the funnel windows) and the marinada from the southeast in the afternoon.
Weekly rate map for 2026 season
Rates below are for peak weeks (mid-July through end of August) for the 2026 Spanish season, before APA at 30 percent and gratuity at 10 to 15 percent. The Spanish matriculation tax structure, the Catalan VAT, Barcelona OneOcean Port Vell or Palamos berth fees, the Medes Islands marine reserve permits, and the French-border crossover documentation if the routing extends run through the APA.
| LOA bracket | Motor yacht (low to high) | Sailing yacht and large catamaran (low to high) |
|---|---|---|
| 40 to 43m | $210K to $245K per week | $185K to $220K per week |
| 43 to 47m | $235K to $270K per week | $210K to $245K per week |
| 47 to 50m | $265K to $295K per week | $235K to $270K per week |
The Costa Brava prices 4 to 7 percent below Mallorca at the same LOA because the corridor is tighter and the bracket here positions less heavily than the Balearic fleet. The Cap de Creus tramontana window is the binding constraint, not the rate. For corridor context see the 40 to 50m Mallorca bracket, the 40 to 50m Ibiza bracket, and the 30 to 40m Costa Brava bracket.
What the bracket buys you in this bracket
Cabins. 5 cabin layouts dominate, with the pattern running multi-couple seven-night Catalan weeks that embark Barcelona or Palamos and anchor across the Costa Brava cala coast with Cadaques and the Medes as the editorial midweek.
Crew. 9 to 11 on motor yachts. The Catalan workload runs a balanced mix of stern-to and anchor: dinner shore-runs at Cadaques, S'Agaro, Aiguablava, and Palamos run via tender shore-run with marina alongside at Barcelona, Palamos, and Roses for the embarkation and provisioning days. The Spanish-domestic crew workload runs Spanish-flag-heavy.
Tenders. A primary 9m fast tender plus a 6 to 7m beach-landing secondary. The Cap de Creus cliff anchors and the Tamariu cove run the secondary off the back deck and the Cadaques and S'Agaro evening shore-run runs the primary at the dinner-hour rotation.
At-anchor stabilizers. Strongly recommended. The Catalan tramontana funnel at Cap de Creus pushes the bracket's western anchorages into 0.8 to 1.4m residual chop in the active windows and the at-anchor system is the difference between a workable and unworkable Cadaques lunch anchor. The eastern cala coast runs cleaner.
Helipad. Useful at the upper end for the Barcelona reposition (El Prat in 20 minutes by helicopter from Port Vell anchor) and the Girona airport transfer (in 25 minutes by helicopter from Palamos). Touch-and-go capable yachts price 3 to 5 percent above non-helipad equivalent at peak.
Trip shapes that fit the bracket
The Costa Brava seven-night. Embark Barcelona, transit Sitges or Garraf for the first afternoon, north to S'Agaro for one night, Aiguablava and Tamariu for one night, Medes Islands day-anchor at L'Estartit with the regulated permit, Cadaques and Cap de Creus for two nights at the protected cala face, return Palamos for one night, disembark Barcelona. Seven nights. The bracket fits this routing and Cadaques anchors the week.
The Costa Brava and Cote Vermeille seven-night. Embark Palamos, two nights at Cadaques and Cap de Creus, cross the French border to Banyuls and Port-Vendres for one night, Collioure for one night with the inland excursion, return south to Aiguablava for one night, Palamos disembark with one night. Seven nights. A week that pairs Catalonia with the southern Roussillon.
The Costa Brava and Balearic ten-night. Embark Barcelona, two nights at the Costa Brava with Cadaques and the Medes midweek, southwest cross to Menorca for two nights at Mahon and Ciutadella, Mallorca east coast for two nights at Cala Pi and Porto Cristo, Palma for one night, disembark Palma one-way. Ten nights. A bracket-fit one-way that links the Catalan coast with the Balearic corridor.
For destination context see Charter Costa Brava, Charter Spain, and Best charter yachts Western Mediterranean.
What the bracket does not do well on the Costa Brava
Cap de Creus overnight in the tramontana window. The cliff anchorages at Cala Culip and Cala Jugadora run exposed in the northern wind and the August tramontana days push the bracket's overnight anchor onto the eastern Cadaques face or south to Aiguablava. We would pass on any captain's plan that books a Cap de Creus overnight without a tramontana-relocation plan written in.
Medes Islands anchorage without booked marine reserve permits. The reserve at L'Estartit runs on a regulated permit system through the Generalitat de Catalunya and the bracket's snorkel and dive day-anchor needs confirmed permits inside 6 weeks of the embarkation. We would pass on any Medes-routing week without confirmed permits.
Cadaques harbour stern-to plans above 35m. The inner harbour caps the bracket and the pattern is anchor outside at Portlligat or in the Cadaques bay. We would pass on any plan that books a 40+m yacht for stern-to Cadaques without a written exception from the harbour master and a Roses or Cala Montjoi backup anchorage.
Two we would book
For two couples, seven days in early August, Costa Brava rotation with two nights at Cadaques and the Medes midweek: a 43m motor yacht with 5 cabins and at-anchor stabilizers, embarkation Barcelona, round trip with the Costa Brava week. Budget $245K plus APA, all-in roughly $330K. Booking lead time: 8 to 11 months with confirmed Medes permits.
For a family of 10, ten days in late July, Costa Brava and Balearic one-way: a 47m motor yacht with 6 cabins, twin tenders, embarkation Barcelona, full Costa Brava midweek and Balearic tail with the Palma one-way disembark. Budget $285K plus APA, all-in roughly $385K. Booking lead time: 9 to 12 months.
For a friend group of 8, seven days in mid-September, Costa Brava shoulder routing with the tramontana window opening: a 42m motor yacht with 5 cabins, embarkation Palamos, Cadaques and Cap de Creus with the Cote Vermeille day-cross. Budget $220K plus APA, all-in roughly $295K. Booking lead time: 6 to 9 months.
Build, refit, what to ask
The Costa Brava 40 to 50m fleet runs a mix of Spanish-domestic units (Astondoa, Astilleros del Norte) and northern European tonnage (Sunseeker, Heesen, Amels, Princess) that reposition through Barcelona and Palamos in the corridor. A 2017 to 2024 build with at-anchor stabilizers (tramontana-tested), twin tenders, and a refit within 24 months of the booked week is the zone. We would pass on any unit booked for the Costa Brava without confirmed Medes Islands permits where the routing books the reserve, on any peak-week booking whose Cadaques anchorage plan has not been positioned with a tramontana-relocation backup, and on any unit whose Spanish flag or temporary import documentation has gaps that complicate the Spanish matriculation tax structure or the French-border crossover paperwork.