Spanish Property in Girona - Zones and Maps - Costa Brava - Spain

Figueres
The capital of L’Alt Empordà, Figueres is situated in the middle of the region and has 35,000 inhabitants. The birthplace of Savador Dalí, Figueres is home of the Dalí museum – the Teatre-Museu Dalí, which is one of the most-visited museums in Spain. The museum was designed by Dalí and the building itself is a sight to behold, with its crown of a giant metallic dome and decorations of luminous egg shapes. The other main point of interest in Figueres is the massive 17th century Castell de Sant Fernand, which served as the last stronghold for the republicans in the Civil War. The military still uses the castle but you can walk around the star-shaped castle walls. Cafés line the pavements of the town centre, where there are plenty of art galleries and gift shops around the church of Sant Pere. Figueres has all the amenities of a large town and a market is held in there on Thursdays.
The town is well connected, with a national RENFE train station and being the point where all the roads in the area converge.
Figueres is 35km from Girona.

The Costa Brava

L’Escala 5200
The southernmost town along the Costa Brava in L’Alt Empporda, L’Escala is widely known for its anchovy canning factories. Far more tranquil than the busy package tourist resorts further south, L’Escala is more popular with local tourists. Sandy bays are separated from one another by rocky outcrops and backed by pine forests. The town itself is pleasant, steep streets lead down to the sea front on which a number of restaurants serve seafood and tapas. The beaches are a fifteen-minute walk from town and a toy train runs along the path behind the beaches taking people to beaches further away from the town. With a population of 5500, L’Escala is one of the main fishing harbours along the Costa Brava. Near to L’Escala is one of the most important archaeological sites in Spain. This site, at Empuries, contains the remains of a Greek necropolis and Roman ruins. It is about 2km north of L’Escala just behind a sandy bay.
L’Escala is 25km from Girona and Figueres and 18km from the A-7 motorway.

Moving up the coast from L’Escala, the coastline is relatively quiet compared to the rest of the Costa Brava. The Golfo de Roses stretches between L’Escala and Roses, encompassing the Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l’Empordá. This natural park takes up what is left of the Empordá marshland which once covered the whole of the Golfo de Roses and has gradually disappeared over the years due to agriculture. The park has a wonderful selection of birds, the widest range of which can be seen during migration season. L’Armentera is a village just outside the park with a population of 750. It attracts a few tourists and is set back from the coast. Sant Pere Pescador is the nearest village to the park. It’s a fairly drab place but its position, adjacent to the sea, means that it has been somewhat developed and there are plenty of bars and restaurants in this village of 1400 people. A market takes place in Sant Pere each Wednesday. North of Sant Pere, away from the sea, is the village of Riumors with 200 inhabitants.

Roses
Roses is located at the head of the Golfo de Roses which is a huge, sweeping bay. Lapped by the Mediterranean and situated underneath a medieval ruined fortress, Roses has long been colonized, the Greeks taking advantage of its excellent location in the 9th century BC, calling the town Rhoda. Only the castle and some remains of the old city walls have survived as witnesses to Roses’ long history. Today, Roses is a town of 12,000 people and a thriving resort. The natural harbour makes it a great place for water-sports and the 4km of sandy beaches attract huge numbers of visitors in the summer. Roses has all the usual trappings: discos, supermarkets, nightclubs, English breakfasts and an enormous marina.
Roses is 20km from Figueres.

Cadaqués 2000
Pleasanter and more low key than Roses, Cadaqués has remained quite isolated since it can only be reached by following a steep, winding road that crosses the headland from Roses or El Port de Selva. On the peninsula of the Cape Creus with a tree-lined promenade and rocky bays on both sides of the headland, Cadaqués is a working fishing port. The steep streets and whitewashed, cube-like houses make the town quite picturesque. Popular through the years with painters and artists, Cadaqués inspired Dalí in some of his works. Since Dalí built his house just outside the town in the 60’s, the town became a “trendy” place to live and today it can seem quite expensive, having attracted a number of rich home-owners to the area. Cadaqués’ beaches are all quite small and pebbly, and the nearby coves and harbours are good to explore. A town of 2000 people, Cadaqués has plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants catering to its visitors, including some smart boutiques and art galleries. A market is held there on Mondays.
Cadaqués is 25km from Figueres on a winding, hilly road. It can be reached by bus from Figueres.

El Port de la Selva
Another working fishing port, this town of 800 people is set by a natural harbour and its other main economic activity is tourism. The town attracts mostly families to its beachside campsites, although the beach is not one of the best in the area. There are a number of hostals, bars and restaurants in the village.
El Port de la Selva is 30km from Figueres and 13km from Cadaques.

La Selva de Mar 180
A little village of 180 people, La Selva de Mar, whose name means “Forest of the Sea”, is the site of the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, one of the most important monasteries of the region. Dating from the 9th century, this monastery is shrouded in legends of hidden treasures and religious wars. The ruins of the monastery are a marvelous sight and are generally acknowledge to be the precursor of the Catalan Romanesque style of church found throughout Catalan.
La Selva de Mar is 2km north of El Port de la Selva.

Llançà
Llançà used to be a tiny fishing village, but its proximity to the sea and its position on the Spain-France road and rail route has made it into a tourist hotspot. The old town is set away from the sea so as to escape the attention of passing pirates in centuries gone by. There is a pier in the town for yachting and the beach is situated a couple of kilometres from the old town. Llançà has a population of 4000, numerous restaurants shops and bars, and a street market is held on Wednesdays.
8km north of La Selva and 25km from Figueres, Llançà is well connected via the main N-260 road. It is also the point at which the Barcelona train line reaches the coast again and there is a train station in the town.

Colera
A coastal village with a pebbly beach, Colera is one of the smallest villages left on this stretch of coast with a population of 450. There has been a little development in the village and the beaches attract mainly locals and families. There are several restaurants and bars in the village.
Colera is situated on the windy N-260 coastal road that runs between Llançà and Portbou towards France.

Portbou 1700
The small town of Portbou (1700 people) is just 3km from the French border and has the markings of a border town with day-trippers from France stopping in the cafes and restaurants. The old town centre is pleasant and there are lots of little coves and bays to explore by the sea, which are relatively uncrowded. There is a market hall in Portbou, open in the mornings and a street market that takes place on Fridays.
Portbou is 7km north of Colera on a winding coastal road. There is a train station in the town.

Around Figueres

Away from the beaches of the Costa Brava, inland Alt Empordà can seem like a different world altogether. Just north of Figueres is the village of Vilabertran with a population of 800. The village grew around the monastery of Santa Maria, a beautiful 12th century building with rounded cloisters that now serves as a church. There are many Romanesque buildings in this pleasant village. A music festival is held here in September. North of Vilabertran is the village of Peralada with 1200 inhabitants. There is an old castle here with a park, a library and an art collection. Part of the castle is now a Casino. There is an 18-hole golf course in Peralada.
El Far de l’Emporda is located east of Figueres on a main road. It is characterised by its striking Romanesque church that stands on a hill in the village. El Far has a population of 400.
Just south of Figueres are the towns of Vilafant (3500 people) and Avinyonet de Puigventós (480 people).

La Vajol
A tiny hamlet on the north west border of Alt Emporda next to France, with a population of 85 people. Surrounded by cork trees, there is a Memorial to Luis Campany who escaped to France via La Vajol during the Civil war. He was later captured by the Germans, returned to Barcelona and shot. There is a restaurant in La Vajol. Close to La Vajol is the sleepy village of Agullana with a population of 620 and just south of that is Darnius (530 people) where there is a restaurant and a hostel. La Vajol is 25km from Figueres on quiet, mountain roads.

To the West of La Vajol is a large reservoir on whose shores is situated the village of Sant Llorenç de la Muga with 130 inhabitants. On the other side of the reservoir is Maçanet de Cabrenys (650 people) which looks down onto wetlands by the reservoir where many herons can be seen. Maçanet is also very close to the French border. The tranquil village of Albanyà is situated to the west of Sant Llorenç. At the source of the Muga river, this village of 130 people is set in tree-covered mountains. Sant Llorenç is 15km northwest of Figueres and there is a bus route from Maçanet to Figueres.

East of Darnius is Biure, a village of 220 people. There are a number of houses that are used as holiday homes around Biure, which is situated close to the A-7 motorway, 9km from Figueres.

North of Figueres
In the area directly north of Figueres, the fertile plains of the Empordà are used for agriculture and are covered with olive groves and fruit trees. North of Figueres on the main A-7 road is the village of Pont de Molins with a population of 450. East of Pont is Cabanes (800 people), a prosperous village in the heart of the fertile Empordà plane that relies on agriculture due to its location in a well-irrigated area. Just north of Cabanes is the village of Masarac with 500 inhabitants, whilst Capmany (400 people) is northwest of Masarac. There are a number of holiday homes in this area. Campany is 7km north of Figueres and 12km from France.

In the north of the Alt Empordà on the border with France, La Jonquera has always been an important pass through the Pyrenees. With a population of 2400 people, La Jonquera has the characteristics of a border town and is situated on the main N-11 road next to the A-7 motorway that crosses into France. There are some remarkable megalithic tombs in the surrounding area. East of La Jonquera is Cantallops, a village of 300 people. La Jonquera is 19km from Figueres.

Espolla
There are at least 10 prehistoric sites in the Espolla area, one of which is the Dolmen de la Cabana Arqueta which dates from around 2500 BC. The village is a typical example of an Alt Empordà village, with shuttered houses and a maze of streets leading round them. The village is surrounded by vineyards and cork trees and at harvest time, Espolla bursts into frenetic activity. Espolla is 17km north of Figueres. Close to Espolla is the tiny village of Rabós with a population of 150. The village of Mollet de Peralada (200 people) is just south of Rabós.

East Alt Empordà

Castelló d’Empúries
The town of Castelló d’Empúries is a medieval town of 5000 people located next to the Muga river. Castelló has retained its medieval charm despite being so close to the coast and its tourists. With narrow streets and alleyways, a medieval bridge and the church of Santa Maria with its magnificent ornate doorway, Castelló is a charming place with an arcaded main square. Visited mainly by day-trippers from the coast, there are plenty of restaurants, bars, shops and hotels in Castelló.
Castelló is 7km east of Figueres.
Near Castelló are the villages of Pedret i Marzà (115 people), Pau (400 people) and Palau-Saverdera (750 people).

South Alt Empordà

South of Figueres, the Alt Empordà is dotted with villages which are often popular with those seeking holiday homes due to their position near to, but not on, the coast, since they tend to be quieter than the coastal areas. Just south of Figueres is the village of Villamalla with a population of 600. East of Villamalla, close to the coast is the farming village of Vilamacolum which has good connections to Figueres and to the coast, located between the sea and the mountains. Vilamacolum is a couple of kilometres from the coast and 9km south of Figueres.

Torroella de Fluvià
A quiet agricultural village with 350 inhabitants, Torroella is a peaceful, friendly place in the south of the Alt Empordà. There is one small shop in the village that sells local produce including farm raised rabbits and chickens and fresh pork sausages. There is one bar cum restaurant in the village. Torroella is 10km from Figueres on the C-31 road.
West of Toroella is Sant Miquel de Fluvià with 600 inhabitants and west of that the village of Pontós (450 inhabitants), situated beside the Fluvia river on the N-11 south of Figueres.