Pasta and pesto. A picturesque beach and boardwalk lined with homes and buildings in coastal colors. Spectacular sunsets. These are the hallmarks of a stay in Camogli — a laid-back fishing village on northern Italy's Ligurian coast ...

From traversing the mountaintop towns to relaxing on the breathtaking beaches along the Mediterranean Sea, there really is no wrong way to capture the beauty that is the Côte d'Azur. But it is possible to expertly mix the two — along with a serious side of art and culture — for the perfect stay on the southeast coast of France.

My husband and I recently returned to the Costa Brava (and to Hostal Sa Rascassa) with two goals in mind — to relax (and ultimately recharge) and to explore parts of the coastal region we hadn't uncovered during our visit nearly three years ago. While six nights of vacation flew by in what seemed like an instant, we were able to achieve both ... the first almost immediately.

Almost three years ago, my now husband and I discovered a veritable gem in the Costa Brava ... a five-room hotel above a restaurant in a cove on the coast of northeast Spain. We were blown away by the tranquility of Hostal Sa Rascassa — the little nook that instantly erased the hustle and bustle of our New York City lives.