With a lovely city centre just a few miles from the shore, Pals is a popular destination in Catalonia, Spain. It's one of the many small medieval towns along the Costa Brava but it has a remarkably well-preserved historic village centre and a nice, large beach.

Understand

Arches over the narrow passage ways are common, like these along the old town walls.

Like many towns in this area, Pals is built on a hill top, a few miles from the sea. The town area does however cover the grounds all the way to the shore, and the town's beach (located in the bay between L'Estartit and Begur is one of the largest in the region. There are plenty of holiday houses around.

Get in

Pals is a fairly short trip from Girona. The main road in is the C31 (Palafrugell-L'Estartit).

Get around

The village centre is small and should be explored on foot. It's a pretty long walk to the beach, however, and a car is handy for that. In fact, a car is generally handy in these parts of Spain.

See

Pals has a delightful, picturesque old town. In high season it can get crowded here, but still, it's worth a visit and fairly quiet compared to the main destinations on the Costa Brava. Wander through the charming cobblestoned streets and note the pointed arched windows and stone balconies on the authentic buildings along them. The so-called Gothic Quarter is worth a look, as it has been nicely restored. The old town wall is a major attraction, including 4th century towers. Kick back for a coffee at the Plaça Major or visit the church of Sant Pere.

The Josep Pla viewpoint offers some great vistas over the Medes Islands.

Buy

Traditional pottery is sold in many small ceramics shops in town.