Villas with pools - perfect for the family summer holiday
Shopping in Girona is spread out across quite a few districts and within whats called the ‘Mercadel’ area. There aren’t many big chains here except for ones like Benetton, Zara, El Corte Ingles and Massimo Dutti, but mostly small shops like the fishmonger, butcher and grocer etc, so not everything has been swallowed up by the big retailers.
I’m not a ‘shopper’ but I’ve noticed an abundance of trendy clothes shops and so many in general that I wonder how some of them survive. Some statistics say that Girona has the highest percentage of shops per head of population, which could be right. There are many small, independent shops to browse around and childrens clothes in particular are not as cheap as in the UK, so my wife informs me!
Remember to carry additional ID when shopping with your credit and debit cards, like your passport or a photocard drivers licence. You may get asked for an I.D. even after signing a till receipt and entering your pin details, when buying by credit or debit card.
You really will find shops everywhere but these are some of the best places to head for:
The old town Rambla has many stylish clothes shops, and others, like ‘The Chocolate Factory’ where you can buy quality chocs plus more small, independent shops down some of its side streets notably C/ Caderers. Just follow the main Rambla down to the bottom, turn right and then left again.
The Mercadal area, around streets like C/ Santa Clara (runs parallel to the river Onyar), C/ Nou and the streets that radiate out from around the Hotel Carlamany. The free Girona map from the tourist office will help you locate these streets, just ask for it at the desk.
Some shops that we’ve found of interest include these:
Casa. Pl. Hospital. Home interior decoration items, good value and the range changes often.
Casa Viva, in Grand via Jaume 1, is a more up-market home decor store, I saw some lovely mirrors here.
Gluki, C/ Santa Clara, heaven for chocolate-lovers, as is the shop called ‘Chocolate Factory’ in the old town La Rambla.
Coronel Tapiaocca, Inside the Girona train station it has a good range of casual, quality clothes for men and women.
This shop review below was kindly supplied by one our site visitors.
Just come back from a lovely break away in Girona, shame about the weather, but I definitely will return it’s a beautiful place. Info on your website was really helpful, so thanks, but I must tell you about a gem of a place that’s definitely worth a visit and a mention on your website. It’s situated right in the centre in Hortes street, perfectly located right by the red Eiffel bridge so you really can’t miss it and really easy to find again. It’s a beautifully designed gallery-workshop dedicated to glass making and is called nou taller de vidre (I think!!!), a place where time looking and gift buying was well worth spent. I bought some really special gifts for my friends and each one was a success. Everything is individually made by local artists creating original pieces from contemporary jewellery, glassware, glass pictures to a selection of textile items too. You even have the opportunity to see the two artists at work, melting the crystal glass with the torch which was amazing to see. It”s very reasonably priced, a great Girona gift, a real souvenir which is so difficult to find these days, a refreshing change from the normal stuff so can buy everywhere.
Also, go along C/ Barcelona towards the Hotel Melia until you reach the ‘Centre Comercial Girocenter’ (no.106-110) also known as Hipercor, which has a large El Corte Ingles store inside with plentiful, underground paid parking, a large supermarket in the basement and a bar/restaurant on the top floor. Every Saturday from mid-day it also offers free kids activities in the ‘libreria (book shop) section on the ground floor.
A couple of things to remember if you enter here with a large bag of any kind you’ll be asked to leave it at the “Consignia” desk near the entrance/exit for free. Just hand the assistant your bag and she’ll give you a receipt which you just hand in at the same desk when you’ve finished shopping to get them back. Also if you come out of the food hall upstairs with a plastic bag, a nice young lady will tape-up the top, before letting you walk across the store! www.elcorteingles.es
Girona also has one large modern out-of-town shopping mall with extensive car parking called Espai Girones in nearby Salt (pronounced ‘Sal’), drive there (lot’s of free parking outdoors and underground) or catch the L-2 bus from Girona centre or go by taxi. Lots of stores (130) here like Zara, numerous restaurants, fast-food places, cafes, a supermarket, and an eleven-screen cinema. The whole complex is open all day until 10 p.m. (cinema & some eateries stay open a bit later) and gets crowded at the weekends, especially from early evening onwards.
I’ve eaten here at a few places which are mostly upstairs and, so far have’nt enjoyed any of them except the ‘La Da Vinci’ pizza place.
These three huge, retail shops or ‘sheds’ mentioned below are next to each other, just on the outskirts of Girona city clearly visible as you enter the city via the Girona Sud (south) signs, from the slip roads off the main AP7 motorway. Worth checking out if you’re planning to live here as the prices are quite good and they have an enormous choice. Theyr’e open Monday to Saturday 10am to 10pm, closed Sunday. We visited once on a Saturday evening and all these shops below were very busy, and parking was difficult, seems like its a popular time to go shopping here. To avoid the crowds try going early afternoon.
Media Markt. Electricals, PC’s, Laptops, Peripherals, Digital Cameras etc. All manner of domestic appliances, consumables, leads, Phones, TV’s, Hi-Fi’s, just about anything that you can think of with a plug on the end of it! Some staff speak English and I’ve never seen such a wide range of coffee-makers on one shelf! My favourite item has to be the large fridge with a beer tap on the outside!
BauHaus. Home decor items, lighting, DIY items, tools, kitchens, bathrooms, heating and plumbing, garden furniture, sheds, fireplaces, screws, nails and much more.
Decathalon. Sports equipment and ton’s of sports clothing for all manner of sports, bicycles, rollerblades, fishing equipment, horse riding, treking, camping equipment, sailing, surfboards, wetsuits, gym equipment and trainers.
Opening Hours.
Most other shops are open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 1.30pm and then from around 4.30pm to 8.00 or 8.30p.m, but be careful as some smaller shops also remain closed Monday mornings. Shops are closed on Sundays except on the coast, where Girona locals normally go to places like Platja d’ Aro about a 30 min. drive from Girona. You do find the odd bakers (‘Fleca’ ) or cake shop open on a Sunday, until maybe 2pm, if all you want is a baguette, some cakes and a coffee. I’ve also noticed the odd, small convenience shop run by immigrants can be found if you look hard enough.
The larger department stores in Girona like the El Corte Ingles in Carrer Barcelona are open from 10am to 10pm, Monday to Saturday. If your’e here in August expect to see many of the smaller, independent shops and cafe’s closed for their annual holidays for up to 2-3 weeks. Lately, I’ve noticed some shops opening on festival days, especially if it’s before an important gift-giving occasion like the three kings in early January.
The Catalan for open is “Obert” and “Tancat” for closed.
Sales
“Rebajas” in Spanish and “Rebaixes” in Catalan they start in the second week of January, just after the Three Kings festival and finish at the end of February. There are also summer sales which start around the beginning of July. Apparently the first day of the sales at the Corte Ingles Hipercor store are a bit of a scrum.
Most shops usually have a second further reduction and then a final clearance sale or “remate”. Discount is ‘descompte’.
Also, the Fires de Girona exhibition hall, next to Devesa Park hosts an annual gigantic clearance sale of clothes, shoes and some furniture from numerous local retailers, for 4 days at the end of January with free entry (also something similar is held here in July).
Every Tuesday and Saturday in the Parc de la Devesa until about 2pm, mainly clothing, shoes, a fruit and veg section with a few plant stalls also. Girona also has a permanent, daily, indoor ‘Mercat’ a large red building just down from Pl. Catalanya in Placa de Leo (Lion) that has a food hall, including fresh fish. Open daily (excl.Sunday) until 1.30pm.
Flower market in La Rambla (Girona old town) Saturdays till 2pm. Indoor, outdoor plants, shrubs, cut-flowers and bedding plants.
Another ‘retail event’ which happens at different times of the year is for some shopping streets in Girona to host an outdoor one-day event where the individual shop owners put out tables in front of their shops and sell-off old or clearance stock at a discount, look-out for flyers or small posters in local shops.
Girona street markets
Every Tuesday and Saturday in the Parc de la Devesa until about 2pm, mainly clothing, shoes, a fruit and veg section with a few plant stalls also. Girona also has a permanent, daily, indoor ‘Mercat’ a large red building just down from Pl. Catalanya in Placa de Leo (Lion) that has a food hall, including fresh fish. Open daily (excl.Sunday) until 1.30pm.
Flower market in La Rambla (Girona old town) Saturdays till 2pm. Indoor, outdoor plants, shrubs, cut-flowers and bedding plants.
Craft stalls (below), on one side of the Pont de Pedra, every Saturday all day, till late.
Locally produced artisan products.
Artisan food market (fira d’alimentacio artesana) is held on the 1st Saturday of every month from 9am-8pm in the La Rambla.
For art lovers there’s a weekly Art market on Saturdays from 9am-8pm in Carrer Mercaders I Abeuradors.
Collectors Fair. Books, stamps, cards, coins. Every Sunday, under the arches in C. Francesc near Placa Catalunya.
Second-hand market (intercanvi als Quatre Mercats).
This is supported and run by the Girona local authority to promote re-cycling, held four times a year each time at a different location. It’s essentially a giant swap-shop, so no money changes hands, you take something you don’t want hoping to find something that you do want. Items include books, music, clothes, toys, electrical goods and household items. To reserve a table tel.972 419 017, and for future dates check www.ajuntament.gi/mercatintercanvi
I’ve also heard about something similar in the nearby town of Llagostera www.llagostera.cat
Outside of Girona.
Between Barcelona and Girona on the AP7 motorway (Salida 12 for Cardedeu) there is a chic, oulet shopping village called La Roca with over 100 stores open all year round. It offers large discounts on previous years clothes collections and has restaurants, cafes, cash points and a childrens play area. www.Larocavillage.com Going the opposite way towards France and just before the border there’s also a Catalan shopping village.
Car Boot sales: I’ve heard of one in Estartit, held on every other Saturday and also in Castello d’Empuries on Sundays at Urb. Castello Nou between 8am-2pm.
Santa Cristina d’Aro Inland nr. St. Feliu de Guixols has a used market day on the first Sunday of each month.
I’ve also heard about a second-hand market in Pals, held on a Saturday.
If you fancy venturing North into France then go to Perpignan, about an hour’s drive from Girona, as they have a weekly Flea Market every Sunday, starts early untill about 2pm. I’ve been here and it’s worth going, lot’s of bric a brac mixed with collectibles and genuine antiques.
Currency. The currency here is the Euro. Coins of 1, 2, 5,10, 20 and 50 cents and 1 and 2 €. Notes of 5, 10, 20 50, 100, 200 and 500. I very rarely see the 100/200/500€ notes, and anyway it makes common-sense to keep to the lower denominations. Many shops and retailers will refuse to take anything bigger than 50€ notes.
The bigger banks in Girona offer currency exchange and larger hotels, just lookout for the muti-lingual signs eg. Change/Cambio.
Banks / withdrawing Cash.
Banks are open usually from 9am to 2pm Monday to Friday, although you do find the exception with some closing at 1.30pm on a Friday or the day before a Bank Holiday. Also, many operate summer/winter opening times.
Girona also has many different “Caixa” (savings) banks with ATM’s inside or outside, open 24hrs. so it’s easy to get cash this way if you need to. With some that have the ATM inside you have to swipe your card to enter when out of hours. Once inside and you’ve entered your card, the screen based process has an English language option and will also alert you to whether your withdrawl will incur any commission charges.
If you live here and have a local debit card the fees can vary between 60 cents and 3-4€ for each cash withdrawal, but the display will alert you to whatever the costs are and offer the option to continue or to cancel, before any money is withdrawn.
Tip, for UK visitors the Nationwide debit card is one that you can use without being charged any commission fees.
Sales Tax (IVA)
This is like the UK VAT tax and varies on the type of product, from 7% on food items to 16% on most others. Non-EU residents can claim this tax back on any purchases at Girona Airport in the Travel Value store called Aldeasa (handling fees may apply).
Customs
Visitors from outside the EU must declare any gifts and personal items worth over €175.
Other Street Markets in the Costa Brava area and Inland. In alphabetical order:
Banyoles
Every Wednesday in the Placa Mayor.
Begur
Wednesday and Sunday, street market selling clothes and food.
Besalu
Every Tuesday in the centre.
Calonge
Street market every Thursday.
Empuriabrava
Every Saturday on the seafront.
Figueres
Every Tuesday and Saturday fruit and veg street market.
La Bisbal d’Emporda
Street market every Friday.
L’Escala
Market days are every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday in the Passeig Maritim.
L’Estartit
Every Thursday in the Avinguda de Roma. I’ve also heard about a monthly car-boot here, every 2nd Sunday but yet to visit.
Lloret de Mar
Street market every Tuesday.
Olot
Street market every Monday.
Palafrugell
Tuesday and Sunday mornings.
Palamos
Street market every Tuesday.
Pals
Street market every Tuesday, near the Pavello poliesportiu.
Platja d’Aro
Street market every Friday.
Roses
Street market every Sunday.
Sant Antoni de Calonge
Street market every Wednesday.
Santa Coloma de Farners
Street market every Monday and Saturday.
Sant Feliu de Guixols
Street market every Sunday in the Placa d’Espanya and stretching out along the sea-front a little.
La Seu
Street market every Tuesday and Saturday.
Torroella de Montgri
Street market every Monday.
Tossa de Mar
Street market every Thursday.
Verges
