Girona Province Guide
| fast facts |
Population:
659,481 (2005)
Provincial Capital:
Girona
Airports:
Girona
Area:
5910km²
Official languages:
Catalan & Spanish (Castellano)
Government:
Generalitat de Catalunya - an autonomous community within Spain
Comarcas (Regions):
l’Alt Empordà, el Baix Empordà, el Cerdanya, la Garrotxa, el Gironès, el Pla de l'Estany, el Ripollès, la Selva
Orientation:
The most northerly of the ‘Spanish’ Catalan provinces with Barcelona province to the south, French Catalunya further north and Andorra to the north-west.
Hotels in Girona province
General Overview
Girona, along with Barcelona, are the wealthiest provinces in Catalunya - a wealth built on trade, industry and tourism, all of which still thrive today. Some of the resorts of the famous (or infamous) Costa Brava have become a little tired and suffer from past over development. But Girona province and the Costa Brava are so much more than mass tourism and a short drive out of one of these resorts will soon find you in the real Catalunya. There are numerous beautiful seaside towns to choose from and the stunning, craggy (Costa Brava means ‘rugged coast’), cove dotted, pine covered coast is a great place to base yourself. But there is so much more to the province than the Costa and a trip here without exploring further inland is a missed opportunity to discover some of the most beautiful villages and some of the most spectacular scenery in Catalunya. The Pyrenees is a huge influence both on the weather and the landscape and worth visiting any time of year.
Girona province highlights
Girona
The capital of the province is an elegant and prosperous city, the medieval old town neatly divided from the modern new by the River Onyar. While it’s easy to fill a long weekend in the city, because it’s small and compact, it’s just as easy to get out into the beautiful countryside that surrounds it. For more information on Girona take a look at our City guides.
Figueres
Most visitors are drawn to this town purely for the reason that this was the birthplace of the eccentric surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and the location of his museum, Museu Dalí. But it’s also a pleasant, if not exceptional town, and worth a bit more exploration with a stroll down the rambla or a visit to the Castell de Sant Ferran, the last stronghold of the Republicans during the Civil War.
Pals
Though busy with day trippers, especially during the summer, this beautiful medieval village is well worth seeing. Amazingly it wasn’t until fairly recently that investment started coming in and the wonderful stone buildings began to be restored. Along with a few tacky tourist shops there are some ceramic gems to be found.
Zona volcànica de la Garrotxa
This Natural Park covers an area of 15,000 hectares and has over forty dormant, (though not extinct) volcanoes. Although not extinct they have been dormant for 12,000 years and most are covered in Oak and Beech forests. Although declared a Natural Park and a protected area there are many small towns and villages within its boundaries so plenty of opportunity to find a place to stay.
Cadaqués
Born in nearby Figueres, this is where Salvador Dalí spent much of his life, living in a typically eccentric house in nearby Port Lligat. The house is now a museum and a twenty minute walk along the coast from Cadaqués. Access to the town is along a long winding road which gets busy in peak summer periods as does the accommodation, so if you’re planning to stay during these periods book well in advance.
Cap de Begur
This coastal area is a real antidote to some of the built up resorts further south. It has both small pine covered coves and longer beaches and beautiful towns and villages such as Begur, Palafrugell, Calella de Palafrugell, Llafranc and Tamariu. The only negative is that the area and the main beaches get very busy during peak season.
Cities and Towns of interest
Girona, Figueres, Besalú, Palafrugell
Natural parks
Illes Medes, Aiguamolls de l'Empordà, Cap de Creus, L'Albera, Zona volcànica de la Garrotxa
Climate
To generalise with the climate in Girona province would be impossible. With the influence of the Pyrenees it simply depends where you are and what time of year though even in the height of summer with the coast baking it can get to zero or lower in some areas of el Cerdanya comarca at night. Rainfall is more prevalent in Autumn and Spring but again, with the Pyrenees, you can be certain of nothing in the comarcas that include the mountains.
