Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Sant Feliu de Guíxols is an attractive tourist resort in the heart of the and located on the bay of the same name. The town has been populated for centuries and has witnessed the passing by of the Iberians and Romans, although the most visible and notable monuments in the area are from later periods.

The town is pleasant, with only low-rise hotels, a long beach, yacht marina and an attractive seafront promenade, Passeig de Mar, lined with bars and restaurants. The narrow streets of the old town house a wide variety of shops and cafés.

The Benedictine monastery dating from the 11th century, originally built in a pre-Romanesque style and finished in a Baroque style, is dominated by its impressive arched gateway, the Porta Ferrada, which has become the town’s symbol.

In addition to fishing, the predominant industry prior to the tourist boom in the 1960s, the main economic activity of Sant Feliu de Guíxols was the production of cork, an industry still thriving today.

More than 40 years ago Sant Feliu de Guíxols was connected to Girona by rail. The rail tracks are no longer in use and have now been made into a fabulous cycle and footpath forming part of the network of green ways (vies verdes).

A walk or cycle along the so-called Ruta del Carrilet offers beautiful landscapes and interesting places to visit. The old train stations are a legacy to the past and many of them have been converted into tourist information offices.

Towards the South, on the outskirts of Sant Feliu de Guíxols, lies the Sant Elm Chapel, with breathtaking views of Sant Feliu and the coast. It is actually said that, here, more than 100 years ago, the journalist Ferran Agulló gave the its name.

From Sant Feliu de Guíxols towards the North you can take the Camí de Ronda, or a more leisurely route by car, to the pretty resort of S’Agaró, with its lovely Sant Pol beach. S’Agaró is an unspoilt place with little coastal development and still retains some of its elegant modernist-style villas.

Especially recommended is a walk along the Camí de Ronda, with its magnificent Mediterranean seascape, to the Sa Conca beach, a beautiful, unspoilt cove, ideal for swimming. 

Top attractions in Sant Feliu de Guíxols:

- History museum in the Monastery, with its "Porta Ferrada", the symbol of Sant Feliu de Guíxols.

- The "Casino dels nois", modernist-style building

- Bourgeois houses, such as Casa Patxot.

- The seafront promenade

- Cava bottle top museum 

- Historical toy museum 

- Peralta, the largest swaying stone in Europe, located between Santa Cristina d’Aro and Sant Feliu de Guíxols.

- Ermita de Sant Elm (Sant Elm Chapel)

Special dates to consider when visiting Sant Feliu de Guíxols:

- "Festa Major"; from 1st to 4th August, with a spectacular fireworks display on the last night.

- International Porta Ferrada Festival; the oldest festival in Catalonia, with a wide range of concerts, theatre and dance in the summer months.

Local market; Every Sunday.