Ses Garites is in Pals

The Catalan writer Josep Pla said that, when passing by Pals, he felt that the village was served to him on a tray.

And he said because this small historic village located at top of a small hill, the Puig Aspre, appears from a distance like a promontory in the middle of the flatness of the Empordà.

The village, which has about ten thousand people is formed by three nuclei: the one we know as the historic center of Pals, another known as the Masos de Pals (between the sea and the first) and finally, Pals Beach (Platja de Pals). This variety of interior and coastal landscapes makes Pals one of the most curious village on the Costa Brava. His name is given from the latin Palus (Marsh), and refers to the large amount of wetlands you can find in Masos de Pals, now used for the cultivation of rice.

The old medieval town of Pals is one of the more well kept on the Costa Brava, if not the mor. A deep architectural restoration has made of this small center an authentic medieval walled air museum. Walking through its cobbled streets is a pleasure to be enjoyed also in family. The center is well known for its many excellent restaurants specializing in regional cuisine Ampurdan. In the center of Pals do not miss the known as Torre de les Hores (Hours Tower), originating in the XI and XII centuries, whose name comes from the fact that formerly it was the building that gave the hours to the habitants of the village. It features the Gothic Church of Sant Pere.

Next to this tower is the Mirador Josep Pla, whose literary name comes from the fact that this was the most beloved viewpoint of the Empordà’s writer, as he himself declared in different parts of his work. And in the historic center of Pals is the originally Romanesque church of Sant Pere (St. Peter), of 994. From then on, in subsequent restorations, Gothic and Baroque elements have been added.

Pals beach, surrounded by dunes along more than two miles, and covered with fine golden sand, is a vast land perfect for sunbathing or just relax in family. We found there nice facilities for volleyball, toilets, snack bar, showers and, in the right side, toward the south, through the local footpath around the coast, you reach Platja de l'Illa Roja (Illa Roja Beach), which allows the practice of nudism.The activities that take place in Playa de Pals are multiple: from the sailing courses, to windsurfing, renting paddleboats, and all facing the landscape mastered by the Medes Islands, which lie in the left horizon of the sea. In summer there is a bus line that leads from downtown to the beach Pals.

Pals is one of the towns on the Costa Brava that you can enjoy a greater number of outdoor activities. In addition to water-related, you should ride bikes or hike through the paddy fields of Masos de Pals, where the cultivation of Bomba rice variety is made. There is a tourist information center in the area that can report you on the important role of the Basses d'en Coll (the area you can explore) in the rice cultivation