On this tour we are going to visit the Girona coast, named 100 years ago as the Costa Brava. The name is due to its unique rocky, rugged and cut shape coastline, composed of small coves surrounded by pine forests and lapped by crystal water. We will arrive in Calella de Palafrugell, a small fisherman’s village that still retains today the traditional appearance of the past. The town, splashed with small bays, becomes a fusion of land and sea that is an incomparable setting. We will have free time to explore the village, enjoy the scenery and for sure, take great photographs.
We will walk along Camino de Ronda which borders all the Costa Brava and was used to control the maritime smuggling. We will hike about 30 minutes which is suitable for all ages, easy terrain for everyone which will lead us to Llafranc, a small, elegant and captivating seaside town, with all the delightfulness of the towns on this coast. Afterwards, we will travel to Pals, a town located inland and on the top of a hill. The village is built entirely in an integrated medieval site. At the top there is a cylindrical tower from the XII century, which is visible from far away. It has an excellent terrace that offers stunning views of the Costa Brava and surroundings. Walking through the cobbled streets you will feel like you have gone back in time. Take time to appreciate the round arches, facades with pointed windows arches, stone balconies, all perfectly restored. Our next visit is to l’Estartit, seaside village with an important port famous worldwide as being an important diving center because the Medes Islands archipelago lies only one kilometer from the coast. Medes islands are of great interest for the wide variety of flora and fauna that inhabit in the whole marine area, with more than 1200 species classified. The ecosystem has been identified as the best marine reserve in the occidental Mediterranean. It was declared as a National Natural Park and ZEPIM. (Special protected area of importance in the Mediterranean).
You will have free time to have lunch and take a small stroll around town. We will the go on board of Nautilus, a boat with submarine vision. The views are spectacular, but also, through submerged cabins with large windows, you can enjoy an exceptional view of a sea floor full of life, as if you were diving! The itinerary continues to the stunning cliffs of Sierra de Montgrí only accessible by boat and one of the most preserved, unspoiled areas of Costa Brava. Our last stop is at the extensive Greek and Roman ruins of Empúries, where we will start a guided tour around the whole site. It is the only site in Spain where both Greek and later a Roman city existed together. Empúries is also located in a privileged surrounding, just in front of the sea. In the Greek city we can admire the remains of city walls, the acropolis, the market square and numerous buildings. Outside the archaeological site we can see the Greek port of the first century Before Christ, where in 1992 arrived the Olympic torch for the Olympic Games in Barcelona. In the roman city the highlights are a mosaic floor in excellent condition, the forum, remains of an amphitheater, several statues and vestiges of street frameworks. We go back to Barcelona, where we will arrive at about 20:00h.