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© Data Spain Maps
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| L’Alt Emporda |
The Alt Empordà is snuggled into the north-eastern
corner of Spain, the Pyrenean range of L’Albera
separating it from France. The region marks the
beginning of the Costa Brava and is perhaps most
famous for its associations with Salvador Dalí.
Alt Empordà attracts a large number of
tourists drawn to the coast and the attractive
towns and mountains inland. |
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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.
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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. |
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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). |
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Northwest Alt Empordà
In the north of the region, bordering with France,
the Albères mountains present a tranquil,
undiscovered area, devoid of major roads and little
visited by foreigners. Half-ruined villages can
be found in the hills which support cork plantations,
olive groves and vineyards. The Albères
were so devoid of people during World War II that
there were no Guardia Civil stationed in the area,
hence it became a popular escape route from Spain
to France. Some of the villages remain fairly
inaccessible today. 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. |
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West Alt Empordà
West of Figueres on the plains of the Empordà
turn into the foothills of the Pyrenees, there
are scattered villages across this area.
Cistella is a small village of
220 people whose ancient houses are built around
the wonderful Romanesque church of Santa Maria
de Cistella, which has one of the most interesting
Romanesque façades in the Alt Empordà.
Set in the mountains on a hill at the foot of
the lower Pyrenees, there is little agricultural
land in the area, the vineyards and olive groves
have been abandoned over the years and pine forests
now cover the hills. There is a hermitage near
Cistella from which there are beautiful views
over the village. The Festa Major is celebrated
on October 12th with traditional Sardana dances
and other cultural events. Cistella is 8km west
of Figueres on country roads
Around Cistella, in the foothills of the Pyrenees
are the villages of Llers (850
people), Terrades (200 people)
and Lladó (500 people)
located along the country roads.
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| Towns and villages |
| Agullana |
| Albanyà |
| L'Armentera |
| Avinyonet De Puigventós |
| Bàscara |
| Biure |
| Boadella d´Empordà |
| Borrassà |
| Cabanelles |
| Cabanes |
| Cadaqués |
| Cantallops |
| Capmany |
| Castelló d´Empúries |
| Cistella |
| Colera |
| Darnius |
| L'escala |
| Espolla |
| El Far d´Empordà |
| Figueres |
| Fortià |
| Garrigàs |
| Garriguella |
| La Jonquera |
| Lladó |
| Llançà |
| Llers |
| Maçanet de Cabrenys |
| Masarac |
| Mollet De Peralada |
| Navata |
| Ordis |
| Palau-Saverdera |
| Palau De Santa Eulàlia |
| Pau |
| Pedret I Marzà |
| Peralada |
| Pont De Molins |
| Pontós |
| El Port De La Selva |
| Portbou |
| Rabós |
| Riumors |
| Roses |
| Sant Climent Sescebes |
| Sant Llorenç De La Muga |
| Sant Miquel De Fluvià |
| Sant Mori |
| Sant Pere Pescador |
| Santa Llogaia d´Alguema |
| Saus |
| La Selva de Mar |
| Siurana d´Empordà |
| Terrades |
| Torroella De Fluvià |
| La Vajol |
| Ventalló |
| Vilabertran |
| Viladamat |
| Vilafant |
| Vilajuiga |
| Vilamacolum |
| Vilamalla |
| Vilamaniscle |
| Vilanant |
| Vila-Sacra |
| Vilaür |
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