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Palafrugell dates back to the 10th C., and with a population of some 21,300 inhabitants it is the largest town in the Baix Empordà.

The town developed around the old medieval castle, of which little or nothing remains today. But the old centre still conserves its medieval structure, presided over by the church of St Martí and made up of streets and alleys that form a large shopping centre. The town’s boom period occurred at the end of the 18th C., with the start of production of corks, which is still reflected in the local architecture: the cork factories and the modernist buildings. The Cork Museum gives a full description of this industry.

The town of Palafrugell invites you to discover its surprising corners, from those that are as well known as the Cork Museum, the Fundació Josep Pla or Can Mario Contemporary Art Centre, to others that are not so well know, such as the Centre Fraternal, Can Mario Tower, the public wash house in Carrer Ample and the narrow streets in the town. During your stay in Palafrugell, we suggest you might like to wander around the market and have a drink in Plaça Nova.

Another part of the municipality is made up of the nuclei of Calella, Llafranc and Tamariu, on the coast. These former fishermen’s districts have become important tourist centres thanks to the beauty of their setting and their wide variety of accommodation, restaurants and activities. The old fishermen’s neighbourhoods grew up around the coves and they have conserved their nautical tradition; here, in the summertime, you can enjoy the concerts of havaneres (sailors’ songs), the most famous of which is held in Calella.

Another emblematic spot is the cape of Sant Sebastià, with its lighthouse, a chapel and the remains of an Iberian settlement. Nearby, in Calella, you can also visit the castle and botanical garden of Cap Roig, located in a stunningly beautiful setting.

Inland, the nucleus of Llofriu contains the family house of the writer Josep Pla. The Josep Pla Foundation, in the centre of Palafrugell, displays a permanent exhibition on his life and work.

Every Sunday the town holds its weekly market, where you will find everything you need, while the daily market provides fruit, vegetables, meat and fish. In June, don’t miss the Spring Festival celebrations, featuring the grand parade of floats.

Calella
In Calella, you should not miss out on strolling along the coastal path, the Passeig del Canadell, Les Voltes, going into Sa Perola (tourist information office), visiting Cap Roig Botanical Garden, contemplating the sea from Casa Rosa or from El Golfet, enjoying a hot rum drink of an evening on one of the terraces or listening to habaneras being sung in the local taverns.

Llofriu
Llofriu still preserves the character of a small inland Empordà village. The houses, grouped around the church, make up an interesting feature of popular architecture, dating from between the 17th and 19th centuries. The layout of the streets, as well as the door of the church dedicated to Sant Fruitós, remind us of the village´s mediaeval origins. You should not miss the Cork Stripping Festival (the Saturday before June 23rd) and the main Town Festival (3rd Saturday in August) when there are activities including the Farm Labourer´s Olympics and the Jazz Night.

Llafranc
Llafranc invites you to stroll around its small marina, to see a spectacular autumn storm or a sunset sitting on the beach. You can also visit the Roman wine press, the church of Santa Rosa de Lima or the Can Mina dels Torrents dolmen. Or you could go on a trip in kayak to the Formigues Isles, or climb El Pinell and on January 5th meet the Three Kings, who arrive by sea.

Tamariu
Tamariu breathes tranquillity. In Tamariu, you can stroll along the coastal path, along the Beach of Els Liris (where there is a hut from 1872 owned by a group of partners), go for a trip to the spring at the Font d’en Cruanyes or go out in a kayak as far as Cala Pedrosa and on the first Saturday in September, you can listen to a habaneras recital on the beach.

Ermedàs
Ermedàs is made up of a series of farmhouses, and has a church dedicated to Sant Ramon (16th century). Next to it, there is Mas Fina (17th-18th centuries) with earlier defence towers. It also has the tower of Mas Petit d´en Caixa from the 14th-15th centuries. About 300 metres south of this farmhouse, there is another one, Mas Sureda, also defended by a tower (16th-17th century), although the present farmhouse is a recent construction. You can get to Ermedàs by bicycle from Calella or Llafranc as well as from Palafrugell. The paths that take you there go through surprising rural places and it is not a difficult ride. It is an ideal route to do with children and to take a picnic tea to have in one of the nearby pine forests.

Sant Sebastià
Sant Sebastià is a place you "must" visit. The landscape, whether from the viewpoint of the hotel or from the Joaquim Turró viewpoint or the Romaboira waterfall is spectacular. After gaping at the view, you can go to the little chapel of the Divina Pastora (18th-19th century) along the path that goes from the sanctuary square. You can also visit the watchtower, the Iberian settlement or go to the chapel of Sant Baldiri (19th century) where, according to popular tradition, the bachelors who managed to throw a coin onto the plate will be married within the year.

Palafrugell has a very broad network of shops. Most of them are family establishments which have been open for many years and which prioritise personal service. They usually open from Tuesday to Saturday, mornings and afternoons, and Sunday morning (making the most of the weekly market) and they close on Mondays. In July and August they also open on Mondays. There is also a daily market where you can buy fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, and which is open Tuesday to Saturday mornings. The weekly market is held on Sundays.

The gastronomy of Palafrugell is very rich and varied. Traditional dishes as well as the most avant-garde creations can be found on restaurant menus and are prepared using first-class ingredients. We propose a gastronomic route through Palafrugell, tasting some of the more traditional recipes in restaurants in the town or buying the ingredients in the market and preparing them yourselves.

Garoinada
This was one of the original gastronomic campaigns in the Girona regions and is one of the best-known ones. It started in 1992, and the main product is sea urchins, also known in Catalan as eriçons de mar or garotes. The Garoinada is held in mid winter, in January when the sea is calm and sea urchins are at their best. Various restaurants in Palafrugell take part in this campaign offering a menu that includes a starter with sea urchins, a main course (different each year) and a dessert that is typical of Palafrugell´s cuisine.

Niu
El niu -or the nest- is a very old dish of Palafrugell origin, which originally had no meat as it was a dish that was made during Lent. It was made using cod tripe, hard-boiled egg, dried cod and potato. Over the years it was enriched; fishermen added cuttlefish and cork workers added poultry they had hunted and even sausages. It is a winter dish that the groups of cork workers in Palafrugell often eat on Mondays in huts in the country. The dish requires a lengthy preparation, it takes about five hours to make, one for making the sauce and four for cooking the other ingredients. This is why it is not often found on restaurant menus, or if so, it needs to be ordered in advance. One of the objects of this campaign, which started in 1998, is, first of all, to introduce those who are not familiar with "el niu" to it, and to make is more accessible to lovers of traditional cuisine.