Visit to Pals

Pals is a medieval town, full of vaults, horseshoe arches, doorways and Romanesque and Gothic windows, with vestiges with more than 1000 years old.
Walking through its walls will transport you to the very middle ages Pals is surrounded by rice fields, which generate an amazing landscape during its
flowering. Some historians defend that Cristobal Colon left the town of Pals in Girona, when he discovered America.

After discovering Pals, we will continue to The Greco-Roman site, from the year I BC, the most important in Catalonia, qualified by UNESCO as one of the most beautiful in the world, for its privileged location in front of the sea. During the visit we will visit the Greek and Roman city, see the decorated floors and request a wish from the Piarist God.

Girona tour

We will continue the route to the city of Girona, known as the city of the 4 rivers, with its own history, and a charming historical center.

We will enjoy a walking tour of the main tourist icons of the city of Girona, the Girona Cathedral, building that combines several artistic styles from different eras such as Gothic and Roman. Next we will visit the Arab baths of Girona, built in the 12th century and located inside the convent of the Capuchins. Then we go to the Walls of Girona, used as a defense of the city against possible invaders, today a privileged place where you can enjoy a unique view of Girona. Stop for lunch.

We will continue on our way back, in “Playa de Aro” which is 5 km from the Cruise Terminal, for some last purchases.

We will return to Palamos in the afternoon.

Pals and its History  

It is a gothic jewel of its province and, by extension of all Catalonia and the Peninsula. Equipped with a castle and walls, the writer Josep Pla left it written that “Pals does not deserve a visit, but a hundred visits, because its situation offers the possibility of seeing one of the most beautiful and unforgettable landscapes in the country.”  

Although there is no trace of Roman times, its name comes from that origin. Pals comes from the Latin Palus, means swampy place, and the castle was called Castellarum Montis Rough. The castle of Pals was documented for the first time in 889 with the name of Mont-Áspre castle since King Odón I of France made a donation to him. 

The first historical documents of the city come from the ninth century, although in reality the origins of the Gothic site are very old. The old town of this small town, with a Gothic style and declared a Historic Artistic Site, is located on the top of a small hill, the Puig Aspre, one of the most visited points in the Baix Empordá region. It became one of the precincts that were restored in the region first mind. 

In the Civil War, the Gothic precinct was very destroyed, although the efforts of Dr. Pi i Figueras and the Diputación de Girona promoted its restoration. Following a warlike confrontation only allowed the Tower of Tribute to survive. The population, surrounded by medieval walls built between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, perfectly keeps its primary aspect thanks to the restorative intervention of the last century. 

Girona and its History 

Its history comes from the settlements of the Iberians of the tribe of the destitute in the villages that surround and close the Plain of Girona. Around 77 BC Pompey made the construction of an oppidum on the Via Heráclea and the Romans founded the original Girona, named in Latin Gerunda. 

This city was repopulated with the inhabitants of the town of San Julián de Ramis so it became an important center of the region, with the articulation of a Roman ager that surrounded the city. Although Gerunda was inside, far from the coast, it had a good connection to the port of Ampurias. 

Empuries Greco-Roman site 

Arriving at the archaeological site, you can see a parking area under the pines and facing the sea. The entrance gives access to the Museum and all excavated areas. The remains of the first Greek buildings on the peninsula and the Roman settlement are here. 

In front of some coves of blue sea, a pine forest shows a protected path to travel the coast on foot or by bicycle and reach the sand area. This green environment protects the archaeological complex of Empuries where the ruins left by Greeks and Romans on their arrival in this part of the Mediterranean. 

Girona Cathedral 

It is a symbol of the city, the Cathedral is an imposing building, located in the highest point of the population and with a great unique feature: its only ship, this is the second largest in the world. But the temple has many jewels beyond its dimensions. At the top of an impressive staircase with 90 steps there is a summary of 5 centuries of history. 

Between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries the church, of great magnitude, dedicated to Santa Maria is built. His first stone of the cathedral is placed in 1606, it ends until the twentieth century. The expansion in time requires a structure between baroque and classicist. 

 In the Treasury of the Cathedral, two pieces of great artistic value stand out: the Tapestry of Creation (one of the few Romanesque textile testimonies) and the Blessed of Girona (a 10th century copy of the Apocalypse Commentary by Blessed of Liebana, with more than 100 full page thumbnails). 

The Girona Wall 

It is the best viewpoint in the city. From the wall you can see, not only the rooftops, but also the Cathedral, to the Pyrenees in the background. 

From the walls built in the 1st century BC, between the 70s and 80s, to the renovations that were made on the occasion of the War of Independence, the walls of Girona have been present in bloody struggles and fierce sieges. After the second half of the nineteenth century they no longer had their defensive importance and changed to be an obstacle to growth, also for the urban benefit of the city. 

In the first third of the twentieth century, the wall canvases that did not allow for urban expansion are laid down, and those that did not hinder the new construction of housing and communication roads remain standing, that is, the sections corresponding to the west side of the city . 

All year except Christmas, New Year and St. Stephen

Includes:

• Private vehicle transfer or Minibus

• Platja d’Aro tour
• Visit to Pals

• Guide throughout the tour
• Visit to the Greco-Roman Site
• Visit to Girona
• Visit Arab baths in Girona

• Maximum capacity: 15 people.
• Meeting point: Pick up at the Hotel of Hospedaje.
• It is essentialto have received the reservation confirmation.

CANCELLATION POLICY

1-day tours are cancelable up to 24 hours before.