Pals

With a lovely city centre just a few miles from the shore, Pals is a popular destination in Catalonia, Spain. It's one of the many small medieval towns along the Costa Brava but it has a remarkably well-preserved historic village centre and a nice, large beach.

Understand
Like many towns in this area, Pals is built on a hilltop, a few miles from the sea. The town area does, however, cover the grounds all the way to the shore, and the town's beach, in the bay between L'Estartit and Begur, is one of the largest in the region. It has a population of about 2,500 permanent residents, and plenty of holiday houses around.

Get in
Pals is a fairly short trip from Girona. The main road in is the C31 (Palafrugell-L'Estartit).



Get around
The village centre is small and should be explored on foot. It's a pretty long walk to the beach. A car is helpful for getting to the beach; a car is generally handy in these parts of Spain.

See
Pals has a delightful, picturesque old town. In high season it can get crowded here, but still, it's worth a visit and fairly quiet compared to the main destinations on the Costa Brava. Wander through the charming cobblestoned streets and note the pointed arched windows and stone balconies on the authentic buildings along them. The so-called Gothic Quarter is worth a look, as it has been nicely restored. The old town wall is a major attraction, including 4th century towers. Kick back for a coffee at the Plaça Major





Hiking
The GR 92 long-distance walking route crosses the city.

Cycling
The Pirinexus and the EuroVelo EV8 long distance bike routes cross just outside of the city.

Buy
Traditional pottery is sold in many small ceramics shops in town.

Connect
As of Jan 2024, Pals and its approach highways have 4G from MasMovil, Orange and Vodafone, and 5G from Movistar.

Go next
visit the medieval village of Ullastret