Places to visit outside of Girona. The list of places below is just a start. There are numerous Catalan towns, villages on the coast, inland and in the mountain areas waiting to be discovered, and mentioned in these pages. So, for now these are a few places that we’ve been to since we moved here, and worthy of a mention. They all make a great day trip and I think the furthest place we mention is only 90 minutes. by car.
Barcelona
I’ll only mention it briefly here as there will be a dedicated section just on Barcelona later on. The Catalan capital has numerous attractions like its famous Gaudi designed houses, the Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, the port, beach area, its Rambla and of course the shopping!
If you are living or staying here it’s a great day trip and well worth the effort. If you have kids try to visit the ‘cosmo caixa’ in Montjuic. From Girona you can drive down the AP7 motorway which will cost you about €10 in tolls each way, or the much slower route on the N-11 for free, or catch the Catalunya Expresss train from Girona which takes about 75 mins. and costs about 13€ (adult return). This is what we do as parking in Barcelona is difficult and expensive.
Banyoles
North of Girona, about 15 km and best known as the site for the rowing events during the 1992 Olympics it’s got a huge natural, volcanic lake set amidst pretty countryside, and well worth a visit, especially if you have kids.
There’s a wide footpath that goes all the way around the lake which is great for joggers and cyclists. The Club Nautic (sports club) is perched right on the edge, if you walk through the entrance it has a nice lakeside restaurant and outdoor cafe which anyone can walk in and use. During the summer months there’s a roped-off area for lake swimmers and the water is shallow in places for kids. They set aside a grassy lakeside area for lounging or sunbathing which has some shade, a kiosk with snacks and beers (plastic glasses) and its popular at weekends with families. We tried it once during August, the water was quite warm and clean! At the time there were many forest fires and we watched as planes came down over the lake to collect water to dump on the fires beyond our view.
Further along there’s a large cafe called La Carpa which faces the lake, has an outdoor area and serves food till late. When we tried it the food was fine but not exceptional, its mainly snacky-type stuff like burgers and pasta. Nearby there’s also another bar with outdoor seating that extends right out to the lakes edge (above).
Banyoles has undergone a lot of recent renovation work to its old quarter (Bari Vell) of cobbled streets and small squares, and is worth walking around. The tourist information office is located at the front of the lake in a former fishing house (pesquera).
Nearby is an archeological site with a re-creation of a village from the early Iberian times. Two museums of note are the Archeological museum Museu Arqueològic Comarcal de Banyoles Pl. Font 11, situated in the Gothic palace of Pia Almoina.
www.banyoles.cat (good, informative website with an English option). Every September they hold a large swimming race the length of the lake, which I’ve seen once. Most swimmers wear a wet-suit and there are separate races for kids, men and women.
Tossa de Mar
A much nicer alternative than it’s nearby, overbuilt, tacky, package-tourist neighbour Lloret de Mar. This small coastal resort has a nice sandy beach, no high rise hotels and a Castle walk with some great views of the Costa Brava coastline once you reach the top. From here you can really see why they call it the Costa Brava or wild coast.
There’s paid car parking on the beachfront and one end of the beach has some interesting rock pools and rocky outcrops for kids to explore. Plenty of places to eat here, we found one place in the old town just off the main street which is full of restaurants, up near the castle tower with some great views out across the bay. Well worth the find, typically Catalan menu, but closed during the winter, re-opens in May. Nearby is a bronze statue of Ava Gardner who starred in the movie that was filmed here called ‘ Pandora and the Flying Dutchman” in the 1950′s.
Tourist Information Office, Av.Pelegri 25 Ed. La Nautic Tel.972 34 01 08 www.infotossa.com
S’Agaro
A favourite of ours as it’s barely 30 mins. by car from Girona. S’Agaro has a very chic feel about it, with a lot of expensive cars jostling for parking spaces at weekends, a small but pleasant sandy beach (Sant Pol) with a spattering of low-rise hotels and restaurants on the seafront. It seems a lot like a summer weekend place as there’s not a lot to do here at other times, but we often come here out of season to have a Sunday lunch in one of the restaurants facing the beach.
Further along the beach there are some posh looking seafront apartment blocks, and at one end a gated entrance for cars, to a swanky hotel (la Gavina) and a residential area, although you’re free to enter on foot. There’s also a nice coastal path that will take you as far as Platja de Aro if you fancy going that far (90 min. walk), and a sailing club that hires small boats and windsurf boards (16€ per Hr.) I tried it once, but watch-out for the shoals of jelly-fish further out in the harbour, amongst the moored boats. Restaurants along the S’Agaro seafront. We’ve tried Can Laura a couple of times which is OK and relatively inexpensive. At the far end, there’s one called Barbieri’s (open daily 12.30-4pm) which does a menu del dia, as it was a Sunday it cost 16.90 euros, drink included, and was better. If you want an outside table at any place along here then try to eat early, for us that’s part of the fun of eating here, that you get a sea-view and soak up some of that sun! Las Dunas in C/ Josep Amat 18 looked nice but pricey menu, with tables spread around its pool as it’s also a hotel www.barcarola.com S’Agaro also has an annual music festival (July/Aug)
Monells
This really is worth a visit, it’ll take you about 25 mins by car from Girona. Head out eastwards from Girona on the C-66 road signposted Palamos until you reach the edge of La Bisbal. Lookout for the Monells sign, and turn right for a few kms. Leave your car in the public car park on the edge of the village and walk into the centre of Monells.
It feels like you’re walking back into the Medieval past, along narrow, cobbled streets full of old stone houses set above numerous, wide stone arches. It’s not really a working village, it’s well healed residents probably live in Barcelona and come up only at weekends and during summer.
There are one or two restaurants (open just summertime) in amongst the side streets, with set menu’s at around 25 euros each, but no outdoor seating.
There’s also two more basic bar/restaurants (open all-year round) that both serve food and snacks, in the double-porticoed square, traffic free, which is great if you have kids that just want to run around while you eat! Summertime can get busy so make a reservation. Someone also mentioned a restaurant called l”Hort de Rector as being good.
The two main hotels here are: Hostalet 1701 is a restored old building that faces the central plaza and is well worth just walking in and having a peek at lots of artifacts that decorate the reception area, walk through and you’ll find a charming, small pool area at the rear of the ground floor. On our last visit in August 2010 the reception area had been turned into a clutter-free contemporary art gallery.
The other Hotel is on the edge of Monells and is more modern looking, low level building with what looks like a grass roof and a restaurant at the side called Restaurant Monells, tel 972 630 318. We ate here once, outside on its summer terrace, the setting however was better than the food, except for the first course of snails (cargols). We also went to Monells on one sunny Sunday in February to watch a local Fiesta that involved loads of horseriders and people dancing the traditional Catalan Sardana dance, in the main square.
Madremanya
Near Monells there’s also a small village called Madremanya, with quaint narrow streets where they hold English services in its church once a month and were we also attended an English carol service in early December (an annual event).
St. Pere Pescador
Go in a northerly direction from the coastal resort of L’Escala, going through pretty villages like St. Marti d’Empuries and following signs for the village of St.Pere Pescador (which is actually inland but the beaches are due east). Hugging the coastal road and passing some camping sites you then turn right, this road ends at the beach where free parking is plentiful and access to the beach is just a few metres away.
The sand is fine and the water is shallow for quite a way out, across the water you can see places like Roses and Empuriabrava. The beach itself has one beach-bar which closes about 7pm, a red-cross first aid cabin and a freshwater shower.
More places outside of Girona to visit. Once you’ve seen everything in Girona it’s time to head out of the city. You don’t have to go too far to discover some of these places below.
Caldes de Malavella
Translated it means ‘waters of the bad witch’ and roughly S. E. of Girona past the airport, its a nice town with some Roman ruins and its own spa hotel and famous for its mineral waters like ‘Vichy Catalan’ , a sparkling water bottled at sorce-very nice! It also has a train station and the Catalunya Express stops en route to Barcelona. www.caldesdemalavella.com
L’Estartit
The first thing you see when approaching this beach resort is its 13th C. castle high above Estartit. Best known for its long, wide beach and reasonably shallow water, perfect for families with young kids, and with a huge, free parking area you can park very close to the beachfront. This really is one of the widest and longest beaches around. The charming, whitewashed town centre comes to life in the summer evenings with shoppers and diners. Hoardes of foreign invaders during the Summer!
Be sure to visit the Isles Medes, visible just off the coast, glass bottom boat trips depart from Estartit to these protected seven islands which also attract scuba divers. I’ve also been told that Estartit has a car-boot sale on every other Saturday.www.estartit.org
Torroella de Montgri
Just five kilometers inland from Estartit and well worth spending some time in its old narrow streets within the old town quarter. There are plenty of little squares and courtyards, small shops, cafes and restaurants dotted around. Walking around on one hot, July evening it reminded me a bit of Banyoles old town. The place seems to have grown since my first visit several years ago as a tourist, with many more new, modern developments on the fringes of Torroella. www.torroella.org I noticed a small 4 star, swanky hotel in town which has just 8 rooms called the Palau Lo Mirador www.palaulomirador.com
During the summer it hosts an annual classical music festival, with many concert dates that span July and August and we were here in late July (26/27th, 2008) when it also had a food-from-around-the-world festival (an annual event).
Similar to the food stands which feature during the Girona Religious music festival, there’s food from such far-flung places like Korea and Tibet! with prices around 3-4€ per portion. It was very well attended, open till late as with many such events, and there were also many craft stalls nearby. It also has a Mediterranean Cultural Centre called Can Quintana. www.torroella.org/canquintana
Sant Feliu de Guixols
More of a real working town than just a beach resort, it has a kind of faded, lost-granduer look about it which adds to its charm. Explore the town behind the sea-front promenade where you’ll find the marketplace and plenty of places to eat.
The rambla, a wide avenue that runs at right angles from the seafront has one notable restaurant where we had an excellent meal, called El Dorado. If you are living or staying in Girona this is probably the nearest coastal resort to drive to in terms of driving-time, at about 25- 30 mins. The sandy beach is clean, with beach showers and toilets.
During the summer there’s a small pontoon anchored just off the beach with a slide that people swim to and a few childrens attractions and rides along the promenade, which open in the evening. It also has a toy museum (Tomas Pla Collection) with over 2,500 toys dating from 1860 to 1960, most of Spanish origin, Rambla Vidal 48-50 Te. 972 822 249.
Tourist Information, Placa del Mercat 28, Tel: 972 820 051 www.guixols.net
Santa Cristina d’Aro
Just a few kms. inland from St. Feliu this small town has expanded in recent years, and has a few ‘urbanizations’ spread out behind the town and up the hillsides, stretching to Castell d’Aro, next door. It has a second-hand market on the first Sunday of the month. If you are here try and visit the village of Romanya de la Selva which is several kms. above Sta. Cristina itself, which has a couple of good restaurants.
The ‘d’Aro’ bit comes from the nearby river d’Aro.
St. Antoni de Calonge
This sea-side town adjacent to Palamos has a nice, warm atmosphere but feels more of a holiday place than a working coastal town like Palamos, just up the road. Indeed, you can stroll along the beach-front from here to Palamos (15-20 mins) and even all the way to Playa d’Aro (1hr 45) in the opposite direction.
Follow the coastal road north past Platja de Aro and take the turning off for Calonge (which is slightly inland) and then follow the signs for the coastal town of St Antoni de Calonge. Very much a popular summer destination for local Catalans, who have second homes here. It has a wide, long beach with paths for both walkers and cyclists. Walk for about 2 kms. north along this path and you’ll reach Palamos, the next coastal town. www.calonge.net
Platja d’ Aro
In between Palamos and St Antoni de Calonge, Playa de Aro is another favourite destination for package tourists. It has a nice long. sandy beach and plenty of hotels, bars and cafes along its sea-front. It’s also a popular place for Girona locals to visit on a Sunday as most of the shops here are open, in contrast to Girona where they’re all shut. We had the beach to ourselves when we visited once in mid-October for its annual beer festival.
It also holds an unmissable annual Carnival in early February . See our ‘more Festivals’ page. www.platjadaro.com Very nearby is the Les Gavarres natural park area and a stunning golf course atop a residential area called Mas Nou. Just follow the road signs for Golf d’Aro, the road is quite steep for a good few kms. but once you get to the top there are some stunning views.
Palamos
A beach resort as well as an important regional fishing port and working town, the harbour area with its fishing boats and yachts seperates the beach area with its clean, fine sand and it doesn’t get too packed, so another good one for families with kids, as we’ve been here a few times with ours. There’s a coastal footpath which takes you into St. Antoni d’Calonge, which makes for a nice 30 min. stroll.
While the modern, residential parts of Palamos behind the seafront are quite ordinary looking, its old town is better and an enjoyable place to walk around on summer evenings, checking out which fish restaurant to eat in! Summer-time evenings the seafront promenade nearest the harbour has a small arts and crafts market.
One day in August we tried a boat trip on an old sailing vessel which you can book inside the fishing museum. It departs from the port area, takes you out to sea a short way, hugging the coast and lasted about an hour but all in Catalan! P.s No lifejackets were issued.
The Fishing Museum is open from Sunday to Monday 11am-9pm, 3€ to enter and also offers guided tours from 5pm-6.30pm (Mondays in English).
www.museudelapesca.org & www.palamos.org/turisme/index_en.htm
Calella de Palafrugell
Head for the inland town of Palafrugell and then follow the signs for Calella.This is one of our top favourites and has buckets of charm, with five small beaches or coves and a botanical garden at Cap Roig (where they also host an annual, summer music festival with many famous national and international artists). We keep coming back here as its one of our favourite beach places, and to one of these coves you have to walk down some stone steps to get to a small beach. Its got a restaurant directly facing the beach, another good spot to have your lunch or a drink while the kids play in the sand within eye-shot. We had the paella, very nice but make sure you order your food between 1-3pm.
Summer-time it gets super-busy here, in the evenings people promenade around town and I got the impression it had more Spanish visitors than your usual English/ German mix of tourists (that probably go to larger places like Estartit and L’Escala). The houses and apartment blocks are all low rise and it has the usual mix of touristy shops, restaurants, bars, and a few Art galleries near the beach.
There’s a tourist ‘road train’ that leaves from here, which takes you up to the lighthouse (faro) which has wondeful views of Calella and some nice coastal footpaths that should be sign-posted.
www.palafrugell.net / Jardi Botanic de Cap Roig : tel 972 614 582
I’ve also been here in December to have lunch, as there are still a couple of places open here but walking around the town was strange as it felt like a ghost-town with just no-one around!
Palafrugell
The town itself is probably not much to write-about but it does host a particularly good Spring carnival (In 2007 it was the 3rd of June) which is well worth seeing, and it has a good Sunday provisions market. See our Festival pages for more info.
You can also head for Palafrugell and then pick up the signs for nearby Llafranc and Tamariu which are both small beach resorts with some good sea food restaurants.We had a very nice lunch here once, with fresh sardines! Llafranc has some low-rise hotels along its short seafront making it an ideal place for a short stay or day visit, being just 45 mins. drive from Girona. Parking here during the summer can be very difficult because of the dramatic increase in visitors.
L’Escala
One coastal resort with a reputation for good fish restaurants, that’s heaving with tourists during the summer months, especially August. Its got many campsites, and many holiday-villa and apartment owners. Simply getting into or out-of the town can takes ages because of the amount of traffic. Also, if you have a car take a drive up Montgo to the car-park at the top for some great views. We visited once, out of season in late September and the contrast could’nt be more different-very quiet and empty!
Nearby, north of the town are some Greco-Roman ruins at Empurias, an important historical site. www.lescala.org
Llanca
One of the Costa Bravas’ most northerly sea-side towns it has an un-commercial feel to it and a number of small coves with dark sand. We walked along one its coastal paths in January and yes, the sun was shining but a bit windy as the area here does get the ‘traumantana’ winds. It has some great views across to its neighbour Port de la Selva. A small fishing port cum marina has daily fish auctions that I’m told are good to watch. Of course that means there’s got to be a few good fish restaurants, Los Pescadors (The Fishermen) near the port is supposed to be good. We took the train from Girona, about a 40 minute journey each way. www.llanca.cat
Besalu
Not that far from Girona and near Banyoles, It’s the stunningly well preserved 11th C. fortified bridge over the river Fluvia that greets you before you cross over into this small village full of stone houses and medieval charm. It also has the rarely seen remains of a Jewish ritual bath house or Mikwah (key to enter is available) two Romanesque churches and a 12th C. monastery.
Every year over one weekend in early September it turns back into ‘Besalu Medieval’ a two day festival of medieval re-enactments, displays and music of that period. 
Walk amongst inhabitants dressed in period dress and sample local produce from some of the food stalls. Entry price is 3€ (2006) for adults, but it gets very crowded with visitors, plus allow some time to park your car. There’s a large parking area just outside the village plus and an information point just before you cross the bridge. www.besalu.cat
Peralada
This medieval, picturesque village north east of Figueres has a castle, a posh casino and a rather nice five-star hotel nearby with a golf course (Hotel Golf Peralada). It’s well worth spending an afternoon walking around its streets and alleyways. All the main points to see are adequately signposted. Monday when I visited seemed to be a bad day to eat as many places were closed at lunchtime!
Peralada wines are known to be quite good and it’s also well known for hosting an annual musical concert held in July in the grounds of the castle. www.peralada.org
The Mountains
Leave Girona and head for the hills. Broadly speaking head in a north-westerly direction to experience the contrasting landscape. Even in the summer if you’ll notice the contrast in temperatures between the coast and the lower Pyrenees. One September we moved from Estartit on the coast and stayed in a converted mill near Olot, down a long dirt-track road and set amongst pine forests. Here the evenings were much cooler and damper.
Santa Pau
A small, pretty, picturesque hillside village near Olot. Located amongst the natural park area of Garrotxa it is full of old extinct volcanoes.You can get here by taking the main road from Girona to Olot, going through a few tunnels or take a more shorter, scenic, winding route from Banyoles. It makes a pleasant day trip, walking around its old, cobbled streets and courtyards and there are some great countryside views around. This old 12th C. village is known for its local beans and hosts an annual festival every February. There are also several walking routes which are sign-posted in the village, and a small tourist office. www.santapau.com
Olot
Olot is a prosperous Catalan town with a rich cultural history and the capital of the Garrotxa region. Its natural park area has many extinct volcanic cones within it. Back in 2001 we followed signs for one that is near to the town and walked up with our two young kids in buggies. Some great views await you when you reach the top and the town itself has many fashionable shops and squares. Not so much a place in which to stay in but perhaps included as a day-trip. www.olot.org (in Catalan only)
It has a good xmas market (mercat de nadal) 6-8 Dec.
If you’re a fan of Monasteries then nearby Sant Joan de les Abadesses has a very good example (entrance fee applies).
Oficina Municipal de Turismo de Olot, Hospici, 8, 17800 Olot.Tel: 972 260 141 / 2 Fax: 972 271 900 E-mail:turisme@olot.org
Camprodon
Near to Olot, we visited this small mountain town once in late September and it was very quiet but things get busier during the winter ski-ing months because of its proximity to ski resorts like Setcases, just up the road. However, it does also have a particularly nice 15th C. bridge with a defensive tower.
We were here again on a sunny Sunday in January 2008 and there seemed to be many visitors strolling around, sitting in outdoor cafes or enjoying the many fine restaurants.www.ajcamprodon.com
Vall De Nuira. (See a visitor review of this place on our Reviews page).
A popular Winter/Summer weekend destination amongst Catalans. Access to this small, valley resort is solely by the Cremallera (zip) train as its called, which you can catch from a choice of three stations below. We caught ours from the station at Ribes-Vila in the tiny mountain town of Rebes de Freser. This electric train winds its way up the mountain and after almost 40 minutes signals its arrival at Vall de Nuria by blowing its whistle! www.valldenuria.cat
It has a few ski-runs and a cable car which makes it a popular place for day-skiers in winter. Summertime activities include horse and pony rides, boating on the lake and rambling along sign-posted paths.
Great for a day-out, it takes about 90 minutes to drive from Girona, up through Olot and Ripoll. Our train tickets for 2 adults and 2 kids were 60€.
Lloret de Mar
I’d heard many things about this overbuilt, package-tourist resort that was the Costa Bravas first attempt at attracting us Brit’s to a fortnight of warm English beer, greasy fry-ups and Euro-pop being bashed out all night long. It’s very built-up with hotels and apartment blocks and a huge contrast to other nearby, much nicer places. I’ve not stayed here, just stopped one-time to get some petrol and another time spent a Saturday evening visiting friends which was enough for me!. I read this apt comment elsewhere “Lloret de Mar is best seen at 30km. per hour on your way to Tossa de Mar.” That, I’m afraid explains it all.
Lloret de Mar tourist office. Plaza de la Vila, 1, 17310 Lloret de Mar, Tel: 972 364 735 E-mail: lloret-turisme@lloret.org
Pals
A well preserved, walled medieval town really worth a visit that does attract a lot of summer tourists but there are parking areas on the edge of town. We’ve been here a few times and love just walking around its narrow streets, lined with restored fine buildings and enjoying a drink or snack in an outdoor bar. www.pals.es
You’ll find many vantage points where you can look across miles of surrounding, lush Catalan countryside. Apart from the town walls it’s also noted for its church of Sant Pere and the Casa Museu de la Pruna. It has a weekly market on Tuesdays and a second-hand market every Saturday in Pl. Catalunya 10-2.
If you are here at Christmas time the town holds a recreation of Christ’s story over a few days including Xmas eve and beyond, which is highly recommended. www.pessebreviventpals.es.tl/
Update Jan.09 We finally managed to go on Jan.4th 09 and were very impressed by what we saw, well worth doing.
There are also signs for Pals beach (Platja de Pals) which is just a few kilometres away to the east. The easily accessable beach is long, sandy with a life-guard station, a couple of beach bars, toilets and outdoor showers. I noticed that the sea-water level became deep quite quickly. Plentiful parking behind the beach area, 1.50€ all day, with numerous camping and caravan sites, restaurants and shops as you go back up towards Pals town.
La Bisbal
Just before you get to Pals you’ll pass through this large town, famous for its ceramic and clay products and the principal town for this region. Worth a stop to stroll and browse around its many shops. www.labisbal.cat
Peratallada
Another pretty, well preserved village with an old church worthy of a visit, full of stone houses and near to La Bisbal. We had a stroll through the narrow streets one pleasant, sunny afternoon and ate lunch outside. The car parking is on the outskirts so parking outside the village boundaries is best. Its got a few ‘arty type’ shops, a couple of hotels, a few hostel/B&B type places, and a fair number of restaurants to cater for the tourist visitors. It hosts an annual wine/xmas fair in early December.
Begur
A well-healed coastal resort with a small beach area and a hilltop village above and the way to a few similar chic-places like Aiguafreda and Sa Riera. Many homes here are built into the side of the hills, and there’s some spectacular views around so worth a visit. When you approach Pals you’ll see signs for Begur. www.begur.org There are also a couple of very exclusive, up-market places near here called Sa Riera and La Tuna.
Ripoll
The provincial town of the Ripolles region. If you’re travelling in this direction, up towards the hills then its worth a brief stop as it’s a bit industrial, although the Monastery is its most important monument. We spent a few hours here just walking around and I remember visiting some nice cake shops! Nearby, there’s the town of Ribes de Freser (worth another stroll) which is one place where you can catch the Cremallera (zip) train up to the Vall de Nuria.
Cadaques
One of the nicest Costa Brava resorts that we have been to and well worth the drive up a long winding road and then down again, to get there. The little town has a real bohemian-chic feel with its white painted houses, and its long been a popular place for artists hence a lot of galleries.
The view is dominated by the church of Santa Maria. We didn’t find the beachy areas of which there a few dotted around, that big or that sandy and so we sat amongst the small fishing boats. Nearby is Portlligat where the famous Catalan artist Salvador Dali lived for a time, and the Cap de Creus nature park.
During every August it hosts an international music festival (2008 dates, 02-08th) www.festivalcadaques.cat
Romanya de la Selva
Situated about 6 kms above Santa Cristina d’Aro is a small village with a 10th C. church and a cultural/artistic venue called El Refugi. It’s also where we’ve had one of the nicest restaurant meals since living here, at a place called Can Roquet. We had a long, leisurely lunch one Saturday in July, sitting outside. The views of the surrounding, wooded hills are wonderful from its terrace and the internal decoration is also worth seeing. A bit on the expensive side, our lunch for four cost about 150 €, evening diners ought to make a booking. www.canroquet.com Or, try the restaurant next to it called Les Gavarres.
Verges
It may just be another small Catalan village which you pass through on the way to the coast to places like L’Escala and Estartit but, on the evening of Easter Monday locals dress up as skeletons and other scary characters to perform the ‘dansa macabra’ or death march. I’ve not seen it and highly recommend it. Starts around 9-10pm, but the procession itself can be as late as midnight.
Figueres
A place more famous for its Dali Museum (Museu Dali). We tried to visit this place but the queues were enormous, so we’ve left it for another day. Instead, we went inside the toy museum nearby (see Girona Museums page).
Figueres tourist office, Plaza del Sol, s/n
17600 Figueres (Girona) Teléfono: 972 503 155 Fax: 972 673 166 E- mail:turisme@figueres.org
Castle San Miquel, Els Angeles, nr. Girona.
Head out of Girona going in a southerly direction, past the university area, heading towards Celra and pick up the signs for Els Angeles. The road meanders upwards for a few kilometres and past a couple of restaurants like Can Pol (see review under our Restaurants pages) and then becomes more of an unmade road so take care. When you finally arrive at the ruins there is parking space, and its also a popular mountain biking route.
The views are amazing, and by climbing up the iron staircase inside the tower (Mirador)you can see Girona below and as far as Banyoles to the north.
Even more places to visit outside Girona.
Flea market, Perpignan, France.
Held on every Sunday, early until 2pm in Perpignan, just across the border in France. Takes about 1hr.15mins by car from Girona, and I travelled with a friend who was driving and spoke some French, as we had to ask for some directions. The flea market area is huge and we managed to park the car easily, although even when we arrived at 9.30 it was already quite full.
It’s roughly divided into two parts, one has all the flea market things and the other half is more modern items you’d expect to find in any street market in the U.K. WIthin the flea market area there was anything from old bric a brac to collectibles and antiques at all price levels. My friend stumbled across an old French magazine with a cover of the 1966 England world cup team, at only 1€ and an old Singer sowing machine for just 8€.
I picked up a nice old glass soda bottle but was surprised to see the price was 70€, so I came away with nothing that day. It made for an interesting morning and we were back in Girona in time for a late lunch. Well worth going and I plan to return again some day soon, as there really isn’t anything like it here in the Girona area.
Vic
The provincial town of this area, Vic is noted for its large, old square which hosts a weekly market on Saturday and a good place to buy locally produced pork meat products like dry cured sausages. We spent a pleasant couple of hours walking around the streets that lead of the square, observing local life. It’s about a 1 hour drive from Girona, heading upwards through some pretty rolling countryside.
Tordera
Heading south from Girona towards Barcelona on the N-11 for about 30 minutes, Tordera, near the coastal resort of Blanes is a normal looking inland town more known for its general Sunday market which snakes around its many streets. It even has a section where you can buy a wide variety of fowl like chickens and ducks to dogs and rabbits, the latter of which I suspect are for eating and not as pets!
Further afield.
Andorra. Although it’s a good 3-4 hour drive from Girona, I’ll give it a brief mention here, as many locals seem to go there for the shopping, winter ski-ing and as a summer destination. Perhaps the lure of its tax-free shops is waning as people tell me that prices are about the same these days, even if you buy the same things locally.
Valencia. Be prepared for a drive of about 4 to 5 hours from Girona, south along the AP7 toll road, which will set you back about 30 euros. We visited the city during one easter break and had a hard time finding a suitable hotel, but spent 3 days visiting such must-see places like the Bioparc, and the City of Arts and Sciences. The Bioparc is an open-air type zoo environment arranged into several habitat zones which we all enjoyed, you can easily spend a whole day here. The ciudad de las artes is also impressive. Several futuristic-looking white concrete buildings are all near each other, with the Oceanografic, one of the best.
