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What to see in Catalonia

Can Torras is in the middle of an evergreen cork oak forest of the Gavarres. You can see the stripped oak trunks on the road leading to the farmhouse. It's a favourite place for hikers and cyclists, both mountain and road bikes. In the Autumn the mushroom hunters share the tracks with wild boar hunters, but later in the Spring the wild asparagus and snail hunters have the place to themselves. You can enjoy the gentle hour-long walk to the Els Angels Sanctuary, which overlooks the Bay of Roses and was where the infamous Catalan artist Salvador Dali was married to Gala!

We are surrounded by medieval villages which hug a central church or castle, such as Monells, Peratallada and Ullastret. Take a coffee in their squares on your way to explore the coast. On the Costa Brava, just thirty minutes away, are a host of seaside towns both large and small. Our favourites are the tiny fishing villages of Tamariu, Calella and S'Agaro where a fishy lunch within the sound of lapping waves makes the perfect early Summer trip before the sun seekers arrive. Alternatively, move into the mountains and the volcanic scenery of Vic, Olot or Santa Pau which are just over an hour away and where lunch should include rabbit, snails or fantastic local pork sausages. The freshwater lake of Banyoles is a favourite Olympic training ground for rowers from around the world, but a leisurely walk around or swim at the lido are more our scene.

France is only forty five minutes away and there is a wonderful Saturday market at Ceret worth getting up for on a weekend! It's full of local foods and craft stalls with lots to taste. The light and countryside inspired many artists, so you can spend an hour or two in the art museum which has some excellent exhibitions of Picasso, Durain, Duffy and more. The nearby coastal town of Collioure has a wonderful atmosphere, is a favourite haunt of artists up to the present day and a great place to enjoy moules & frites (mussels & chips).

For the shoppers there are the speciality stores of Girona's old town; lovely and cool on a hot day as you criss-cross the river up to the cathedral. The highlight must surely be Barcelona where there are shops to suit everyone, especially in the Rambles market or through the Gothic quarter. The sights of Barcelona are one and half hours by train from Girona (less when the new line is finished) and you'll need at least one day there to see the Gaudi buildings, the musuems, the marina or do some serious people watching in the cafés.

In the Summer we have a huge choice of beaches with sailing, skiing and diving and in the winter there's snowboarding and skiing in the Pyrenees. Of course, you can be active all the year round down the valleys, up the hills and on the waters of Catalonia. Ahhh, but...

...there are days, when the sun shines so gently and the views are so glorious, that all you really want to do is take a meandering journey, to a cosy little restaurant, and eat a very long lazy lunch.
Then, you must do absolutely nothing at all!

What more can we tell you? It's a great place to live!

Last updated 23/01/2012