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 passageways are common, like these along the old town walls.

Like many towns in this area, Pals is built on a hilltop, 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, in the bay between L'Estartit and Begur, is one of the largest in the region. It has a population of about 2,500 permanent residents, and plenty of holiday houses around.

• 1 Tourist office, C. Hospital, 22, ☏ +34 972 637 380, info@pals.cat. (updated Sep 2023)
• 2 Roundabout Tourist office, C. Aniceta Figueras, 6. (updated Sep 2023)

Get in

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

• 3 Parking. Free parking but almost always full in high season. free. (updated Sep 2023)
• 4 Paid Parking, Carrer dels Horts,. parkimeter. (updated Sep 2023)
• 5 Paid parking, Avinguda de Paul Companyó. parkimeter. (updated Sep 2023)

Get around

The village centre is small and should be explored on foot. It's a pretty long walk to the beach. A car is helpful for getting to the beach; 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

• 1 Josep Pla viewpoint. offers some great vistas over the Medes Islands. (updated Sep 2023)

• 2 Church of Sant Pere. It is a Gothic church with a single nave and a polygonal apse, incorporating some scarce elements from the previous Romanesque temple. (updated Sep 2023)
• 3 Pals Castle (Castell de Pals) (in the Baix Empordà region). The castle of Pals is a fortified castle dating back to the 9th century. The main tower of the ancient castle, known as the Tower of the Hours due to the bell tower built in the 15th century, has been preserved. The castle is documented in the year 889 in a precept of the Carolingian king Odo, related to the monastery of Sant Pau de Fontclara, where it is mentioned under the name "Castle of Mont Aspre." (updated Sep 2023)
• 4 Tower of the Hours (torre de les hores). (updated Sep 2023)
• 5 Basses d'en Coll. A system of two ponds that constitute the mouth of the Molí stream, where the waters from the rice fields of Pals flow into, over an area of about 50 hectares. They are part of the partial nature reserve of the Aiguamolls del Baix Ter or Baix Empordà, within the Montgrí, Illes Medes, and Baix Ter Natural Park. There is a bike and hiking trail in the area, as well as a bird observatory. The vegetation in the area consists of patches of salt marsh, wetlands, brambles, reed beds, and rushes. (updated Sep 2023)

Do

Hiking

The GR 92 long-distance walking route crosses the city.

Cycling

The Pirinexus and the EuroVelo EV8 long distance bike routes cross just outside of the city.

Buy

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

Eat

• 1 La Vila, Carrer Abeurador, nº 18, ☏ +34 972 668 193. (updated Sep 2023)

Connect

As of Jan 2024, Pals and its approach highways have 4G from MasMovil, Orange and Vodafone, and 5G from Movistar.

Go next

visit the medieval village of Ullastret