Costa Brava Guide

Torroella de Montgri and l'Estartit are two centres of population of the same town with the most variety on the Costa Brava. On the coast you can enjoy the endless sandy beach, and miles and miles of totally unspoilt rocky coastline, with beautiful little corners and coves, with pine groves that reach down to the sea. Just a mile away from the port, where you can find every nautical facility, the Medes Islands emerge from the sea, a natural reserve populated by birds, with one of the most beautiful and populous undersea landscapes to be found in the Mediterranean.

The typical quality of the local markets, a carefully selected cultural programme, with a Festival of Music that takes its place beside the best in Europe, and the wealth of the historical patrimony -the medieval castle, the gothic church, the museum... -presents you with the opportunity to combine time spent relaxing and enjoying yourself in the midst of the natural surroundings with contact with the local culture.

Sant Genis Church - Parish church from the 14th and 15th centuries. Very spacious and akin to a small cathedral, this is a gem of Gothic art. The facade and bell tower date from the 18th century. The church has a single aisle, side chapels, polygonal chevet (five-sided apse) and windows and rose windows, notable among ...

Augustinian Monastery - Founded in 1396, it was home to the Augustinian monks down to the year 1835, when their estates were expropriated and they had to flee the monastery. The community was made up of seven or eight monks. Their belongings were auctioned and the building was donated to the municipality. The monastery ...

Carrer Major - There are four successive houses from the 16th-17th Centuries: at nº 22, the Mir i Sanan house; at nº 24, the Tor-Begur house; at nº 26-28, the Metge house, and at nº 30, the Tor house. To the left, at nº 31, the Pastors house (now the home of the Museum of the ...

Carrer de l'Esglesia - The 16th Century Satreganer house stands at the corner of the square; at nº 9, the colonial-style Galibern house from the 19th Century. Opposite is the Palau Solterra mansion, with a façade in Gothic and Renaissance style, the Bataller house at nº 19 and the Seguer house at nº ...

Passeig de l'Esglesia - From its left side we see the Palau Lo Mirador mansion, from the 9th-14th centuries, restored in 1930, the place of residence of feudal lords and of the Catalan monarchs. Further up, a square where we can admire a section of the old town wall, recently restored, and the Gothic Church of Sant ...

Plaça de la Vila - The porticoed archways of the Plaça de la Vila, although a bit irregularly distributed, are very well-proportioned in design. On the western side, house nｺ 6 displays a window in Gothic-Renaissance style; to the east stands the chapel of Sant Antoni, from the 12th century with a facade ...

Torroella Ancient Wall and Towers - The tower of the Santa Caterina Gateway (14th century) is the only remaining tower of the six gateways of the old town wall. Next to them stands the Torre de les Bruixes or Witches tower (15 th. - 16 th. century), 12 metres high and in a cylinder shape, about which fantastic tales are ...

Can Quintana - Can Quintana house, one of the town’s notable historical buildings, has various parts which have been refurbished and are open to schools, cultural tourists, students, specialists and so forth. It will house a documentation centre with library and reference room; a large temporary exhibition ...

Museum Art-2000 - This museum has the painting collection of the Vila Casas Private Foundation on exhibition. The building which houses the permanent exhibition is one of Torroella’s most notable civil buildings. We do not know precisely the year it was built in, but it belonged to various noble families ...

Archaeology Museum - The Thalassa Foundation is promoting the creation of an interpretation centre for matters related with underwater archaeology, with headquarters in L’Estartit, in order to disseminate and research into the historical heritage to be found beneath the sea, the history of seafaring and the ...

River Ter - The largest river in the counties of Girona province. It rises in the Pyrenees and flows into the sea some three kilometres from L’Estartit, between the Cap de la Barra and Cap de Begur promontories. Today we see it channelled between hillocks and running directly, almost in a straight line, ...

Ter Vell and La Pletera Marshes - Ter Vell is a coastal lagoon with major inputs of fresh water situated close to the mouth of the river, and forming part of the marches of the Baix Empordà, together with the wet zones of La Pletera, Basses d’en Coll and La Gola del Ter. At the beginning of the 1990s work started on a ...

Montgri Mountain Range - Three mountains form the Montgrí range, which lends character to the town of Torroella de Montgrí and can be considered to lie at the epicentre of the two Empordà counties: the Ullà mountain (or Puig Anill), with an altitude of 309 metres, the Montgrí mountain, ...

Santa Caterina Church - Founded in the 18th century by three friars from Montserrat Abbey, it is situated in Santa Caterina valley, in the heart of the Montgrí mountains. On the ground floor we find the chapel, on the upper floor the rooms formerly occupied by the friar’s family and the basement in which ...

The Chapels - Founded in the 18th century by three friars from Montserrat Abbey, it is situated in Santa Caterina valley, in the heart of the Montgrí mountains. On the ground floor we find the chapel, on the upper floor the rooms formerly occupied by the friar’s family and the basement in which ...

Cau del Duc, L'Estartit - A cave on the southern face of the mountain range, 200 metres above sea level. It was formed by filtration of water, which dissolved the limestone. It takes its name from a bird of prey, the duc (eagle owl), which some years ago used to nest in the Montgrí. Due to its strategic location, ...

Montgri Castle - Symbol of the municipality. Started in 1294 at the orders of King James II, due to a confrontation with the earldom of Empúries, the works were interrupted in 1301 and the building left unfinished. The walls were raised, forming a square with the four towers built onto each of the corners. ...

Church of Santa Maria del Palau - Romanesque in style (13th century). In ruins. On the Gran mountain overlooking ...

Les Dunes - Sandy dune on the path to the summit of the Gran mountain, with grasses and pine groves planted at the beginning of the 20th century to secure the sands which used to be carried away by the north wind from the Gulf of ...

Caves and Aixarts - Some fifty caves are known to exist throughout the mountain range, notable among them being the Cau dels Ossos, where archaeological remains from the Neolithic period were found, the Avenc de l’Hostench, the La Carnisseria system, and so forth. We also come across dry-stone walls and huts ...

Sant Genis Church - Parish church from the 14th and 15th centuries. Very spacious and akin to a small cathedral, this is a gem of Gothic art. The façade and bell tower date from the 18th century. The church has a single aisle, side chapels, polygonal chevet (five-sided apse) and windows and rose windows, ...

Church of Santa Anna, L'Estartit - Parish church from the 14th and 15th centuries. Very spacious and akin to a small cathedral, this is a gem of Gothic art. The facade and bell tower date from the 18th century. The church has a single aisle, side chapels, polygonal chevet (five-sided apse) and windows and rose windows, notable among ...

Church of Sant Antoni - In Plaça de la Vila, this church was built in the 12th century and is Romanesque in style. The façade dates from the 18th century and the belltower was added later, when the public clock which used to be sounded by a bell ringer was replaced by a mechanical one, which is still ...

Torroella de Montgri Old Quarter - The layout of the old section of town reflects Roman design, with four streets. Carrer Ullà, Carrer Primitiu Artigas, Carrer Major and Carrer de l'Església converging to a hub in the Plaça de la Vila. Two of these streets, Carrer Major and Carrer de l'Església, are of ...

L'Estartit Old Quarter - The attraction of L'Estartit lies not so much in its historical or artistic value as in the beauty of its very interesting natural environment. Its principal focal points are the picturesque harbour and bay area and the Medes Islands. In the Tourism Office you will find information about excursions ...

Mediterranean Cultural Centre - The Mediterranean Museum, located in one of the town’s notable historical buildings, has various parts which have been refurbished and are open to schools, cultural tourists, students, specialists and so forth. It will house a documentation centre with library and reference room; a large ...

Capella de Sant Antoni Art Gallery - Temporary Exhibition Gallery Plaça de la Vila, 3 17257 Torroella de Montgrí Tel. Informació: 972 757 ...

Boto de Roda Art Gallery - Boto de Roda Art Gallery Primitiu Artigues, 22 17257 Torroella de Montgri Tel. 972 761 ...

Michael Dunev Art Projects - Michael Dunev Art Projects Contemporary Art Exhibitions C. Major, 28 17257 Torroella de Montgri Tel. 972 759 ...

Trac d'Art Gallerie - Trac d'Art Art Gallerie Santa Anna, 70 17258 L’Estartit Tel. 972 750 ...