Figueres
Figueres is the capital of the region of Alt Empordà. It extends over a river plain located inside the province of Girona. The city is known as the birthplace of Salvador Dalí, which is why you can visit the Dalí Theatre-Museum, dedicated to the surrealist painter.
It has an important monumental heritage in which old medieval walls and the Castle of Sant Ferran, located on the outskirts on a hill, stands out. La Rambla is the main promenade and backbone of the city where you can find a great profusion of modernist buildings with ambitious projects of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
On your visit at Figueres you cannot miss the Toy Museum, where you can learn about the history of the industrial toys in Catalonia.
Costa Brava beaches
Travelling to Figueres is also a beach synonymous. The best beaches of the Costa Brava are just 30 minutes by away bay car.
In Llançà you will find the magnificent beaches of Cap de Creus. The Port Beach and Grifeu Beach are the main ones, both with blue flag. In Roses, a little further south of Cap de Creus we can also find a variety of urban beaches, as well as Cala Rostella, Cala Montjoi or Cala Jòncols further away from the urban centre.
Other options to go to the beach are to go to L’Escala, with more than 7 kilometres of coastline and countless beaches, or to Cadaqués.
Cap de Creus
The Cap de Creus Natural Park is one of the essential places to visit on the Costa Brava. Thanks to its location and the winds of tramontane, over the years it has created a unique landscape of rock formations.
The park consist of two protected areas: land and sea land, among them, we can find several nature reserves such as Cap de Creus to the north and Cap Norfeu to the south, els Farallons or the istel s’Encalladora.
Inside the park we can find several points of interest and leisure, such as the lighthouse, from you can see the entire cape and some beaches. There are also two restaurants nearby. You can also explore the Paratge de Tudela, a simple walk of about 2, 5 kilometres in which to admire the fabulous rock formations on the area.
On the other side, towards the south, you can also walk along Cap Norfeu, a land tongue of about 2 km that goes into the sea. In this area you can also visit the Norfeu Tower, a ruined tower that offers beautiful views.
Natural Park of the Marshes of the Ampurd
This park, which is the second most important in Catalonia, forms a set of ponds, closed and floodable meadows that meet the rivers Muga and Fluvià, being a privileged habitat for fauna.
The park has two visiting areas: the itinerary that begins in the Cortalet or the one of Villaüt. In both tours you can appreciate a great diversity of fauna, especially birds. Also with the CARFA (Centre for Attention and Reproduction of Native Fauna) and 17 observatories from which to see birds.
Besalú
The town of Besalú is located at an important crossroad and, in medieval times, was a fortress between two rivers: the Fluvià and the Capellades.
Besalú was the seat of an important independent county. It has a medieval historic-artistic complex considered one of the best preserved in Catalonia. Highlights include the church of San Pere, the church of Sant Vicenç, the Jewish quarter of Miqvé, also known as the ritual baths of Besalú and the majestic Romanesque bridge over the river Fluvià.