I arrived in Peratallada by chance, looking for something else. I crossed the entrance arch and stopped dead: walls, a medieval moat, stone alleys covered in bougainvillea, and nobody. A whole village like a film set, empty on a Tuesday in May.
It is my secret and I almost ask you not to share it. Girona is my favourite province to escape to and I have tramped nearly all of them, so I tell you about them grouped by what you are after, because trying to see them all means ending up driving instead of enjoying.
The basics
Three worlds medieval Baix Empordà · volcanic La Garrotxa · seafaring Costa Brava
The rule group by area, never jump between them · Peratallada seen in under an hour
Each village falls into one of the three regions, so the first thing is knowing which goes with which.
| Village | Area | What you go for |
|---|---|---|
| Peratallada | Baix Empordà | Medieval stone, my secret |
| Pals | Baix Empordà | Medieval with rice-field views |
| Besalú | La Garrotxa | Romanesque bridge and Jewish quarter |
| Castellfollit de la Roca | La Garrotxa | The village on the cliff |
| Cadaqués | Costa Brava | Seafaring, Dalí and Cap de Creus |
| Santa Pau | La Garrotxa | Volcanoes and arcaded square |
The one I say to see first, Peratallada
One of the best-preserved medieval villages in all of Catalonia, and best of all, it is not yet as mobbed as others.
Its name comes from carved stone, because it is literally sculpted into the rock. You cross the arch and step into a stage set: walls, a medieval moat, the keep, cobbled alleys and stone houses with bougainvillea.
What I like most is its harmony. You wander aimlessly and there is a detail at every corner. It is small, seen in under an hour, but you will not stop taking photos.
And a treat: the Gelat Artesà de Peratallada ice cream shop, famous for its savoury ice creams, l’Escala anchovy or pickled mussel, and the Forn de Pa Tusset with its homemade madeleines. About 45 minutes from the city of Girona, and it pairs with the best artisan ice cream if you are that way inclined.
Girona’s golden rule is not to jump between regions, so it helps to be clear on the groupings that actually work.
Routes that work
- Peratallada with Pals, same day
- Besalú with Castellfollit and Santa Pau
- Cadaqués with the Cap de Creus
- The Baix Empordà with a beach thrown in
- La Garrotxa with its volcanoes
Route mistakes
- Costa Brava and Garrotxa the same day
- Cadaqués and Besalú in one go
- Crossing the province end to end
- Five villages in a single day
- Cadaqués in a day, without staying
The left column is well-rounded days. The right, hours of driving between regions to enjoy none of them.
Medieval and real history, Besalú
Besalú, straddling Girona and La Garrotxa. Its iconic image is the 12th-century Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià, one of the most photographed sights in Catalonia, with the core listed as a Historic-Artistic Site.
But what makes it unique is its Jewish legacy. It keeps a medieval miqvé, the ritual bath that was the only one found in Spain until the one in nearby Girona appeared in 2014, and one of only four preserved in all of Europe. It sits beside the remains of the synagogue, and wandering its arcaded streets is travelling centuries back.
My trick is to go down to the riverbank for the bridge reflected. And combine with Castellfollit de la Roca and Santa Pau, which are very close, same area and same day, in the spirit of a well-planned day trip.
That stone core was much more than a village: for a century it had its own county and coinage.
Crossing that bridge is entering a county that genuinely existed, not a stage set.
Medieval with views, Pals
Pals, minutes from Peratallada, sits on a hill with spectacular views over the rice fields of the Empordà and the Montgrí Natural Park.
Its old town, el Pedró, is a maze of impeccably kept alleys, with the Hours Tower and the church of Sant Pere. On arrival, drop by the tourist office, which gives out a leaflet with a route so you miss nothing.
And do not leave without trying the Pals rice, famous since the 15th century. The village splits into three parts, the medieval core, the Masos and the beach, so you can combine history and sea the same day. Before settling on a date it helps to check the season, because in Girona it changes everything.
May and October are the winning combination in Girona: good weather, clear villages and the Costa Brava without the August funnel.
To stay overnight, Cadaqués
Cadaqués, the most famous and international in Girona, recently voted the most beautiful on the Spanish coast in a Lonely Planet poll of over 60,000 voters.
It sits at the easternmost tip of the Peninsula, ringed by the Cap de Creus Natural Park and reachable only by a winding mountain road. That isolation gives it a character no other Costa Brava village matches, with white houses stepped over the bay, the church of Santa Maria on high and bougainvillea alleys, and a sunset that rivals the best viewpoints for sundown.
Dalí, who lived for decades in nearby Portlligat, called it the most beautiful village in the world. His house-museum is a must, and it must be booked weeks ahead. My recommendation is to stay overnight, because it is 170 km on a winding road and the village changes completely once the day trippers leave.
With the villages clear, the last piece is grasping how much each region weighs in driving time.
The Baix Empordà with Peratallada and Pals is doable in a day without pushing, but Cadaqués, with those curves, calls for staying over.
Which I skip in high season, and why
Cadaqués in August. That winding road that makes it special turns into a funnel, and the village, being small, cannot cope. Go in May or October.
Besalú on a Sunday at midday. The coaches arrive mid-morning. If a weekend is your only option, go at sunset, when the groups leave and the light is better.
Routes that jump between areas. Baix Empordà, Garrotxa and Costa Brava are three worlds with hours of driving between them. Pick one.
Peratallada on a summer weekend. It is still a secret precisely because few people go. In high season it loses part of the magic.
How to enjoy Girona properly
Group by area. It is the most important lesson. Peratallada with Pals the same day, Besalú with Castellfollit and Santa Pau another. Never mix regions.
Midweek. Peratallada is still a secret precisely because few people go. A Sunday in August is not.
Book whatever needs booking. The Dalí house in Portlligat sells out weeks ahead, so find out before turning up, and while you are at it look at the most beautiful villages in Catalonia for the interior.
Girona is not toured, it is chosen. One village properly seen is worth more than five from the car.
Have a favourite Girona village missing from this list? The province has dozens and I am bound to miss some gems. Message me on Instagram @barcelonainspira and I will note it for the next trip.
Keep exploring Barcelona with me
More corners and plans I write about here: villages near Barcelona for a day trip, the most beautiful villages in Catalonia, the secret gardens of Catalonia and Catalonia’s autumn forests.
What is the most beautiful village in Girona
Peratallada is my favourite and one of the best-preserved medieval villages in Catalonia, with the advantage of not being so mobbed. Its name comes from carved stone because it is sculpted into the rock. Cadaqués is the most famous and international, voted the most beautiful on the Spanish coast in a Lonely Planet poll.
Which villages in Girona can you combine in a day
The best approach is to group by area. In the Baix Empordà, Peratallada and Pals are minutes apart. In La Garrotxa, Besalú combines with Castellfollit de la Roca and Santa Pau. Trying to see them all in a day is impossible and you end up driving more than enjoying, because there are hours between regions.
What is special about Besalú
Its 12th-century Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià is one of the most photographed sights in Catalonia, but the most singular thing is its Jewish legacy. It keeps a medieval miqvé, the ritual bath that was the only one found in Spain until the one in Girona appeared in 2014, plus one of the best-preserved Jewish quarters in the country.
Is it worth staying overnight in Cadaqués
Yes, very much. It is 170 kilometres from Barcelona on a winding road, so doing it in a day is exhausting. But the village also changes completely once the day trippers leave and you are left with the white streets at sunset. It is one of the few places where staying overnight genuinely pays off.
