The Costa Brava region of Spain, in Catalonia, has gained prominence recently through its agressive campaigns on social media and with bloggers. The hashtag #InCostaBrava and #InPyrenees have signaled a shift in the use of social media, inspiring other destinations and brands to promote in similar ways.

Costa Brava is a region that, surprisingly, was unknown to me before I visited. When I considered Spain, I always thought of Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia but never of heading north from Barcelona to the countryside that is between that city and the great Pyrenees mountains.

It turns out, I couldn’t be more grateful to Costa Brava for how they have chosen to promote their great region because now - I have been here: