Spanish property in Girona - Maps and Towns - Costa Brava - Spain

Olot
Capital of the Garrotxa, Olot has ugly industrial outskirts and a contrasting pleasant town centre with narrow, old streets and a laid back central rambla. The buildings in the centre are mostly 18th and 19th century, the old medieval town having been destroyed by earthquakes in the 15th century. Three volcanoes, now dormant, can be seen just north of the town as evidence of this violent geological activity. The town has been and continues to be a prosperous place, largely due to its economic history which was based on textiles and on the manufacture of religious statues. The Sant Esteve church in the centre of town was built on a platform above the streets and its tower rises up above the buildings. The older streets in the town are lined with fashionable boutiques, mouth watering patisseries and art galleries. The café-lined central rambla, Passeig d’en Blay is a pleasant place to pass the time. It comes to life just after siesta when the whole area seems to be the focus for the town’s inhabitants.
In the eighteenth century, a large cotton industry functioned in Olot which, in a round-about way, caused the town to become an artistic centre. Huge cotton fabrics were printed with coloured drawings and displayed in the town. This was eventually the driving force that led to the establishment of a Public School of Drawing in the late 18th century. It was from this school that the “Olot School” of painters emerged. Examples of their work can be seen in the Museu Comarcal de la Garrotxa, which also displays the development of Olot through the ages. Twenty minutes walk from the town centre is the Jardí Botànic, some landscaped botanical gardens which also contain the Casal dels Volcans, a museum documenting the local volcanic region.
Festa Major is on 8th September when the traditional dance of the Giants takes place. Figures with huge heads made out of papier-mache (called cabezudos) parade through the streets accompanied by dancers in horse costumes.
Olot is an ample town of 28,000 people and has amenities including a wide variety of shops, supermarkets, restaurants and a hospital. The lively weekly market takes place each Monday.
The coast is an hours drive from Olot, Barcelona is 2 hours away.
The nearest airport is at Girona, 40 minutes from Olot.

Alta Garrotxa

La Vall de Bianya
Scattered along the floor of one of the prettiest valleys in the Eastern pyrenees, the village is surrounded by a handful of hamlets and scattered farmhouses. On the north east edge of the Garrotxa region, the village has a population of 1000 people.
La Vall de Bianya has a couple of shops and a restaurants.
The village is located away from the main roads, 13km from Olot, 40km from Girona, 70km from the coast and 2 hours from Barcelona.

Sant Joan les Fonts
Just north of Olot, the small medieval town of Sant Joan les Fonts lies next to the Fluvià river. A restored medieval bridge crosses the river and leads into the picturesque town. The most striking view in Sant Joan is the ancient Benedictine monastery-church, a massive Romanesque structure made of reddish stone with a round rose window and arched tower.
The Festa Major is held on 24th June.
There are a couple of shops and restaurants in Sant Joan and a market on Sunday mornings.
The village of 3000 people is withing easy reach of Olot by car or by bus.

Castellfollit de la Roca
Built on the edge of a sheer 60m precipice above the Fluvià river, Castellfollit makes a stunning site. The town’s church is flanked by a cluster of houses that, from a distance, look like they are dangerously close to the edge of the drop. Most of the houses are built from volcanic rock and the town’s dark, narrow streets are quite enchanting. There is a Museum of Sausages in the village (the Museu de l’Embotit) that is run by a family of sausage makers, sausages being an important aspect of the gastronomy of the surrounding area. Castellfolllit is the starting point of some excellent trekking country, being the gateway to the Natural Park of the Volcanic Area of the Garrotxa. The amazing sites in the park include over 40 forested volcanic cones and 20 lava flows which make up a unique landscape.
With a population of about 1000, Castellfollit attracts a number of visitors and has several restaurants, pensions and local shops. An open air public swimming pool operates in the summer.
Castellfollit is a few kilometres north east of Olot on the N-260 road.

Continuing past Castellfollit on the N-260, is the quiet village of Sant Jaume de Llierca (800 inhabitants) and then Argelaguer (360 inhabitants). There is a golf course near Argelaguer and just outside the village is the curious sight of a four-story maze, constructed from entirely from twigs – an excersise undertaken by a local man purely for his own diversion.

Besalú
This intriguing town is approached by a huge medieval stone bridge, topped with a gatehouse complete with portcullis, that crosses the river Fluvià. The town itself is a wonderfully preserved medieval village where both Catholics and Jews lived in the Middle ages. Declared a national historical and artistic site, Besalú contains the Miqwe – the Jewish Purification baths as well as a number of Catholic buildings dating from the same era. These Jewish baths are the only of their kind remaining in Spain. The town’s picturebook interior consists of steep, twisting streets, shadowed archways and dusty main squares. The town can get busy in the daytime with daytrippers from the Costa Brava.
There are plenty of shops, cafés and bars in this town of 2000 people, as well as local craft shops and an excellent delicatessan. The weekly market is held on Tuesdays.
Besalú is on the main N-260 road, 25km from Figueres and Girona.

Tortellà
This village of 700 people has several quirks that make it unique. The town has a long tradition of manufacturing wooden spoons, originally crafted by hand but today an industrialised process. The streetlamps in the market square have been built in the shape of spoons in acknowledgement of this. Tortellà’s Romanesque bridge spans the Lierca river and is an impressive sight. The bridge area is popular with bathers in the summer. Tortellà is also remarkable for its large number of musicians residing in the village belonging to different ‘coblas’ or traditional Catalan music groups.
For such a small village, there are plenty of shops including 3 butchers selling the sausages famous in the Garrotxa region, 2 bars and a restaurant. A pharmacy operates on the town square and there is a surgery in the village. A public swimming pool, tennis court and childrens playground are available for use.
Tortellà is located off the N-260 road, 30km from Figueres.

East of Tortellà is the tiny hamlet of Sales de Llierca and beyond that, Beudà another small place with a population of 100. Perched on the slopes of a hill amongst the trees, Beudà is a perfect countryside location. The remains of a 10th century Moorish castle can be found in the hills above the village. A handful of hostels and a restaurant operate here. Beyond Beudà is the village of Maià de Montcal. A small place with 300 inhabitants and a pleasant historic centre. This village contains some shops and a public swimming pool.

Baixa Garrotxa

Santa Pau
Santa Pau is a lovely medieval town located in the volcanic area near to Olot. Its attractive old quarter that has been built around the town’s square shaped castle and the main square is quite unusual being surrounded by different sized arched arcades. There is an excellent restaurant just next to the main square called Cal Sastre, that serves traditional Catalonian fayre.
Near Santa Pau is the small hamlet of Sa Cot with a gorgeous medieval church and the volcanic crater Santa Margarida with its renowned 13th century chapel built in the centre of the crater.
A fair sized town with a population of 15,000, Santa Pau has plenty of bars and restaurants, shops and supermarkets.
Santa Pau’s festa Major is held in the middle of August.
There is a RENFE train station in the town as well as bus services. Santa Pau is situated on a minor road that runs between Olot and Banyoles, 8km from Olot and 30km from Girona.

Les Preses
Dating from the 10th century, Les Preses, located at the bottom of forested mountain slopes in fertile countryside is a village of red-rooved white-washed houses in Garrotxa’s volcano country. An area of outstanding natural beauty, it is popular with walkers and campers.
A village of 1400 people, Les Preses has a restaurant and some small shops.
The village is 4km south of Olot on the C-63 road.

Sant Feliu de Pallerols 1000
A striking village with an old rectangular church tower rising up above a rustic cluster of houses. Sant Feliu’s narrow streets wind their way around this tranquil, tree-lined place.
A village of 1000 people, Sant Feliu has some restaurants and small shops.
The village is 8km south of Olot.
Just south of Sant Feliu is Les Planes d’Hostoles a village of 1800 people which has several restaurants and a weekly market each Friday.

To the south west of Olot, La Vall d’en Bas is a tranquil, rural area formed by 7 small hamlets and some scattered farmhouses. The hamlets with their charming narrow, cobbled streets are a pleasure to explore. There are several restaurants in the area.

Riudaura
A small village of 400 people, located in a pretty valley in the Pyrenees, Riudaura is surrounded by pristine countryside and woodland. The forests around the village are crossed with tracks for hiking, horse-riding and mountain-biking.
Riudaura is 8km west of Olot.