The most unfairly maligned stretch of coast in Europe, the Costa Brava has long been derided as a package holiday, chips-and-sangria destination, an image based solely on two or three towns at its southernmost tip. The truth is that this diverse region matches extraordinary natural beauty with a rich cultural heritage, an accumulated legacy of centuries of invading armies that shows itself in a tapestry of walled towns, fortified farmhouses and ancient hilltop villages.