Destino magazine was founded in Burgos in May 1937 by Xavier de Salas Bosch and Josep Maria Fontana i Tarrats, a group of Catalans linked to the Spanish Falange.

The magazine eluded the difficulties posed by the censorship of the Franco regime while retaining a high cultural tone and formal quality, which had a great influence on the Catalan bourgeoisie.

In 1975, Jordi Pujol (future president of Catalonia) bought the magazine to Vergés and ask Baltasar Porcel to direct it (1975-1977),[8][9] who was followed by Josep Pernau (1977).

[1] Among the directors of the Barcelona epoch were Ignasi Agustí, Néstor Luján and Xavier Montsalvatge, but Josep Vergés exerted much influence as he owned them.

Although Josep Pla was one of his main contributors, as he published for thirty-six years in a row, regular contributors, among others were Celestí Martí Farreras, Valentí Castanys, Manuel Brunet, Joan Estelrich, Juan Ramon Masoliver, Josep Palau i Fabre, Sebastià Gasch, Miquel Porter i Moix, Jaume Vicens Vives, Azorín, Néstor Luján, Santiago Nadal, Sempronio, Josep Maria de Sagarra, Gaspar Sabater, Enrique Badosa, Camilo José Cela, Carles Soldevila, Miguel Delibes, Joan Fuster, Francesc Candel, Ana María Matute, Dorothy Molloy, Joan Perucho, Álvaro Cunqueiro, Baltasar Porcel, Manuel Jiménez de Parga, Juan Goytisolo, Josep Melià, Pere Gimferrer, Carmen Alcalde, Pedro J. Ramírez, Josep Maria Espinàs, Francisco Umbral, Manuel Benet Novella, Frederic Roda Pérez and Delfí Abella.

[1][3][13] They are considered the main writers and intellectuals of the so-called "third Spain" (tercera España), a possibilist group formed by not exiled but neither francoists.