Girona y Costa Brava

Dalí Theatre-Museum

· Figueres

A museum designed by Salvador Dalí himself on the ruins of the town theatre, with giant eggs on the roof and a glass dome, and his tomb inside; a bit like stepping into the mind of Surrealism.

Pont de les Peixateries Velles

· Girona

A red iron bridge designed by the Gustave Eiffel company in 1877, from which the most famous picture of Girona is taken: the coloured houses of the Onyar river with the cathedral behind them.

Call jueu – Museu d'Història dels Jueus

· Girona

El Call is one of the best-preserved medieval Jewish quarters in Europe: narrow stone lanes and winding steps in the heart of old Girona. The museum stands on the site of the last synagogue and tells the community's history up to the expulsion of 1492.

Ruinas de Empúries (MAC-Empúries)

· L'Escala

An archaeological site on the seashore combining a Greek colony founded around 575 BCE with a larger Roman city, with walls, temples and mosaic houses; around it are dunes and pine forests along the coast.

Easy to reach · needs a car

40 minutes from Girona by car. Relatively flat dirt paths; two hours.

Muralles de Girona

· Girona

A walkway on the Roman and medieval walls that circles the old town, with towers overlooking the cathedral and the Pyrenees; Girona (Jirunda) was in Muslim hands for about seventy years after the conquest (until 785 CE).

Arab Baths

· Girona

A bath built at the end of the 12th century by Christians in the style of Andalusi and Roman baths, with a reception hall with an octagon of columns topped by a dome; a witness to the influence of Islamic architecture even after the Muslims had left.

Cabanes als Arbres

· Sant Hilari Sacalm

Wooden cabins hung in the trees of the Montseny forest, to which breakfast and dinner are hauled up in a basket on a rope—an unforgettable experience for children and adults.

Moderate effort · needs a car

By car to the farm car park near Sant Hilari Sacalm (mountain road), then a walk through the forest to the cabin (5–15 minutes) and a climb up wooden stairs to the tree. Not suitable for older people or those with limited mobility. There is no full electricity supply, and the village is 10 minutes away.

Les Cols Pavellons

· Olot

Glass suites designed by the RCR studio, winner of the Pritzker Prize, in the dormant volcanic zone of the Garrotxa near Olot. A unique architectural experience where the boundary between room and nature dissolves.

Easy to reach · needs a car

On the edge of Olot (about 2 km from the centre). Buses to Olot from Barcelona, but a car is essential for visiting the volcanoes. Private parking; city services are nearby.

Fageda d'en Jordà (La Garrotxa)

· Olot

A rare beech forest growing on solidified volcanic lava in the Garrotxa volcanic zone, at an altitude unusually low for beech; its basalt rocks covered with moss give it a legendary air that inspired the poet Joan Margarit.

Moderate effort · needs a car

By car to the Can Serra car park; the trail is easy (1–1.5 hours) but not suitable for strollers. No services inside the forest.

Platja Gran de Platja d'Aro

· Platja d'Aro

A wide beach about two kilometres long, with clean coarse sand and calm water, bordered by a seafront promenade full of restaurants. The centre of life in Platja d'Aro in summer.

Mas Falgarona

· Avinyonet de Puigventós

An 11th-century stone country house (mas) in the Empordà countryside, with a spa, a pool and olive gardens, near Figueres and the Costa Brava beaches.

Easy to reach · needs a car

By car only, on a short paved country road from Figueres (10 minutes); parking is beside the house. The nearest services (grocery, pharmacy) are in Avinyonet and Figueres, 5–10 minutes away. No practical public transport.

Glamping Vall de Codó

· Terrades

Equipped tents in a quiet green valley in the Empordà countryside, within an old stone farm.

Easy to reach · needs a car

Near Terrades, north of Figueres, by a country road ending in a short dirt track; a car is needed. The village has almost no services; Figueres for shops is 15–20 minutes away. The tramontane wind can be strong at times.

Camí de Ronda Platja d'Aro – S'Agaró

· Platja d'Aro / S'Agaró

A rocky coastal path, one of the most beautiful walks on the Costa Brava: from Cala Rovira and Cala Sa Cosa southwards to S'Agaró, Sa Conca beach and the elegant villas of S'Agaró, with views over turquoise coves all the way.

Platja Gran

· Cadaqués

The most beautiful village of the Costa Brava: white houses, fishing boats and crystal-clear water at the far east of Spain, which inspired Dalí and Picasso.

How to get there

Sarfa bus from Girona/Figueres (≈1 h 30 min) — by car ≈1 h 15 min

Easy to reach · needs a car

By car on a winding mountain road (Sarfa buses are few, from Barcelona and Girona). Paid parking at the entrance to the town, then a 10-minute walk. Pebble beach with cafés. Crowded, and parking is hard in August.

Camí de Ronda de Calella a Llafranc

· Calella de Palafrugell

A fishing village with white arches and small coves, from which the coastal path “Camí de Ronda” runs between the rocks and pines as far as Llafranc; the most beautiful part of the Costa Brava.

How to get there

Sarfa bus from Girona to Palafrugell (≈1 h), then walk — by car ≈45 min

Moderate effort · needs a car

A car is practically needed (few buses to Palafrugell). A coastal path of about 1.5–2 km with steps up and down and rocks, 30–40 minutes each way; not suitable for strollers. Little shade; cafés in both towns. Paid parking fills up in summer.

Murallas de la Vila Vella

· Tossa de Mar

The only fortified town left on the Catalan coast: medieval walls and towers embrace the beach and overlook the sea.

How to get there

Bus from Girona or Barcelona (≈1 h) — by car ≈45 min

Moderate effort

A bus from Barcelona (about 1 hour 30 minutes) or a car with paid parking. The walled town sits on a hill with steep stone lanes and steps up to the lighthouse; hard going with strollers. Restaurants, cafés and a beach beside it.

Besalú Bridge

· Besalú

A preserved medieval town, entered over a fortified 11th-century stone bridge across the Fluvià river; it has a Jewish quarter and a rare mikveh (ritual bath).

How to get there

Teisa bus from Girona (≈40 min) — by car ≈35 min

Easy to reach · needs a car

Mainly by car (few buses from Girona). Park at the bridge, then a short walk; the bridge is paved and sloping, and the town is small. Cafés and restaurants. Crowded on holidays.

Torre de les Hores

· Pals

A golden stone village on a hill, topped by the 13th-century “Clock Tower”, overlooking the rice fields and the sea in the Empordà area.

How to get there

Sarfa bus from Girona (≈1 h) — by car ≈40 min

Easy to reach · needs a car

By car. Park below the old quarter, then climb for 5–10 minutes through steep stone lanes to the tower. A few restaurants. Parking is hard in summer.

Diving Center La Sirena

· L'Estartit

The Medes Islands off L'Estartit have been a marine reserve since the 1980s, and are Spain's most famous diving site on the Mediterranean: huge, unafraid groupers, tunnels and sea caves, and Posidonia meadows.

Moderate effort

Boats leave from the port of L'Estartit (bus from Girona/Torroella). Diving requires a booking and a certificate or a trial course, within age limits. Cancelled in easterly wind. Paid parking in summer.

Vol de Coloms – vuelo en globo por la Garrotxa

· Santa Pau / Olot

A hot-air balloon flight at dawn over the dormant volcanoes, forests and stone villages, with views of the Pyrenean peaks. It usually ends with a country breakfast of local produce.

Easy to reach · needs a car

An hour from Girona. Meeting point at dawn near the Croscat volcano; climbing into the basket is aided by a small ladder.

Cremallera y Vall de Núria

· Queralbs

A mountain rack railway climbs for 40 minutes through Pyrenean gorges to the Núria valley, which is closed to cars. There you will find a lake, a shrine, a cable car and family activities. In winter it becomes a small ski area suitable for beginners and children.

Easy to reach

Two hours from Barcelona to Ribes de Freser or Queralbs by car or R3 train, then the rack railway; the valley is flat around the lake.

Tourist Service Llafranc (Kayak Costa Brava)

· Llafranc

Guided kayak tours on the most beautiful stretch of the Costa Brava between Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell: rocky coves, sea caves and turquoise water, with snorkelling in a secluded bay.

Moderate effort

Departure from Llafranc beach (bus from Palafrugell). Paddling for 2–3 hours on open sea needs moderate fitness; it is cancelled in wind and waves. Parking in Llafranc is difficult and paid in summer.

Skydive Empuriabrava

· Empuriabrava

One of the world’s best-known skydiving centres: you jump above the Empuriabrava canals, the Roses bay and the foothills of the Pyrenees, and from the air you can see the Greek and Roman ruins of Empúries.

Easy to reach · needs a car

A small airfield in Empuriabrava with a car park and a café. Tandem jumping needs no physical effort, but has weight and age limits. Jumps are postponed for weather, and waits can run for hours.

Estació d'Esquí i Muntanya de Masella

· Masella (Alp)

A resort on the Cerdanya plain in the Catalan Pyrenees, linked to the neighbouring La Molina resort within the “Alp 2500” area. Known for night skiing and one of the longest seasons in the Pyrenees (December–April). Slopes for all levels make it suitable for families.

Moderate effort · needs a car

From Alp (Cerdanya) by mountain road to the station car park; R3 train to La Molina/Puigcerdà, then a seasonal bus. Snow chains. Full services at the station.

Mesquita Bilal Girona

· Girona

The community mosque inside the city of Girona, near the centre.

Centre Islàmic Imam Malik (Salt)

· Salt

A large air-conditioned mosque in the town of Salt next to Girona, which holds the five daily prayers, Friday prayer and Eid prayer.

Nord 1901

· Girona

• One of the city's best hotels

A boutique hotel on the edge of the old town with a garden and a pool; the best base for exploring Girona.

Elisabeth by the Sea

· Tossa de Mar

• I stayed here in 2026

A modern five-star boutique hotel on the seafront of Tossa de Mar on the Costa Brava, with a rooftop and a pool overlooking the sea and the old town.

Mas de Torrent Hotel & Spa

· Torrent

• One of the city's best hotels
• Romantic

An 18th-century Catalan farmhouse converted into a luxury country resort near the beaches of the Costa Brava.

Hostal de la Gavina

· S'Agaró

• One of the city's best hotels
• Romantic

A grand historic hotel (since 1932) on a rocky headland above the Sa Conca bay in S'Agaró on the Costa Brava, with lush gardens, a coastal walk and magnificent sea views.

Hotel Castell d'Empordà

· La Bisbal d'Empordà

• One of the city's best hotels
• Romantic

A medieval castle converted into a boutique hotel on a hill overlooking the Empordà plains and medieval villages; a favourite for weddings and romantic holidays.

Càmping Begur

· Begur

A large campsite among pine trees near the castle town of Begur, in the middle of the most beautiful bays of the Costa Brava (Aigua Blava, Sa Tuna, Sa Riera); one of the best-rated campsites on the coast.

Rambla de la Llibertat

· Girona

The elegant street between stone arcades on the bank of the Onyar, full of cafés and shops, from which the coloured houses overlooking the river can be seen. The heart of daily life in Girona.

Balneario Vichy Catalán

· Caldes de Malavella

A historic spa resort from 1881 in Mudéjar style in Caldes de Malavella near Girona, source of the famous sparkling water “Vichy Catalán”. The building is lovely, but the rooms need renovating and the restaurant is weak.

Camiral Golf & Wellness (antes PGA Catalunya)

· Caldes de Malavella

The best golf resort in Spain according to several rankings, with the “Stadium” and “Tour” courses and the National PGA Academy of Spain. A five-star hotel and family-friendly spa near Girona.