Exploring in & Around Girona, Spain

Girona is a very proudly Catalonian city sitting in the north east of Spain, it's filled with bridges, history, and a rich culture. A somewhat hidden gem in the shadow of Barcelona, which is just a little over an hour away, it's a place which hasn't been commercialised into a Western city like so many others. The cobbled streets are full of character, filled with local shops selling clothes, pottery, food, and much more.

Our flight arrived into Girona at around mid-day, and with the airport being just 30 minutes away we were able to enjoy a lovely afternoon and evening exploring the city.

TIP 1: Get the local bus from the airport to the city bus station, it only costs €2.50 and takes you to very heart of the city, and for us just a 13 minute walk from our accommodations (a taxi will cost you around €30)!

On arriving in Girona we dropped our bags off at the apartment and went to wander around the city, discovering some of its many bridges and gothic architecture. We began to get a little hungry but then realised that many of the restaurants were closed from 4PM-8PM. As a result, we made the tactical desicion to have a little nap and chill time in the apartment after our busy day. We then headed out to eat at around 9PM, to Plaça de la Independència, an area filled with restaurants.

TIP 2: Plan when to eat, in Spanish culture it is typical for restaurants to serve a breakfast style meal until around 11am and then lunch being the largest meal of the day is served between 1:30-4PM, after 4PM the majority of restaurants are closed until 8PM when they re-open for dinner.

The next day we decided to get up early and make the most of the day, first off we went to the Museu Del Cinema, a museum dedicated to the history of film-making, a must visit attraction for anyone visiting Girona in my opinion. We then made the short walk to the bus station where we easily booked tickets to L'Escala, an hour bus ride from Girona. Once we arrived in L'Escala we took the coastal path to Ruïnes d'Empúries, taking us around 20-30 minutes. Ruïnes d'Empúries is an ancient archaeological site made up of a Greek city and a Roman city overlooking the sea. An adult ticket is only €5.50 and comes with an audio guide which acts as a guided tour around the two sites. The audio guide was great and made the whole experience for me, it was entertaining and yet informative!

TIP 3: If visiting Ruïnes d'Empúries via foot, the entrance can be easily missed but is just past the hotel on the beach and to the left, up through the car park.

After the tour round Ruïnes d'Empúries we walked back to L'Escala and ate at one of the many restaurants on the water front. The town is famous for it's Anchovies and although we didn't visit it, it has it's very own Anchovy Museum! We then made our way back to the bus stop and arrived in Girona at around 9PM.

Time to explore the old town of Girona, after a leisurely morning of a small lie in and coffee at a little cafe we set of to explore the old town. We chose to walk along the old city walls starting near the Pont De Pedra. From here we could see all the old town and Jewish Quarter from above, a great way to see the city. By walking along the wall we ended up entering the old town right by Catedral de Girona. For any Game Of Thrones fans, this area is where a lot of the filming for season six was done. After walking down the many many steps of the Cathedral, we walked around the corner to the Banys Àrabs, an ancient bath house which cost just €2 to enter. We then continued to wander around the Jewish quarters and marvel at the gorgeously maintained architecture.

TIP 4: Walk along the walls of the city before venturing into the old town, it allows you to take in a different perspective of the city and it's free!

We decided to spend our last day at the beach, by taking a one hour bus to Palafrugell and then a 15 minute bus to Calella de Palafrugell, a beautiful coastal town not over run by tourists. We strolled through the town under the bright blue sky and beating sun, and then lazed on the beach for a few hours. We then took the coastal path over to the next town of Llafranc to the small harbour before returning to Calella de Palafrugell for our final meal of the trip over looking the sunset on the Mediterranean sea.

TIP 5: Wear sunscreen!

Staying in Girona gives you the perfect opportunity to combine a city break with a beach break. It's a modern city which still maintains it's traditional Spanish culture and with great transport links, it's the ideal place to visit!