THE YOUNG TRAVELER'S FIELD GUIDE TO Top 5 Towns to Visit Outside Girona, Spain

A breathtaking aerial view of Girona, Spain, showcasing the historic cathedral and vibrant cityscape at dusk, with the Onyar River winding through the charming medieval architecture.

Why Leave Girona at All?

Girona is great. Medieval walls, Game of Thrones vibes, a cathedral that took 700 years to finish — it earns its hype. But if you stay inside the city the whole trip, you're leaving the best of Costa Brava day trips and Catalan countryside completely on the table. The surrounding province is one of the most geographically diverse corners of Europe: active volcanic zones, whitewashed fishing villages, mythic freshwater lakes, and stone bridges that predate most countries. This guide locks in five towns that are worth every kilometer.

Before you go, know the pain points most travelers hit:

• Renting a car is nearly essential — public buses are infrequent and skip many trailheads

• Peak summer (July–August) crowds hit hard, especially coastal towns like Cadaqués

• Most smaller restaurants close between 3–8 pm — eat on Spanish time or go hungry

• Card payments aren't universal in rural areas — carry cash

Rent a car in Girona (the airport is cheap for pickups), keep a full tank, and load offline maps. From there, you're set. Top 5 Towns to Visit Outside Girona, Spain gives you some information to plan your next trip.

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Top 5 Towns to Visit Outside Girona, Spain

1. Besalú — The Medieval Time Capsule

Distance from Girona: ~35 km | Road: C-66 | Drive: ~38 minutes

Elevation: ~186 m (610 ft) above sea level

If you only make one stop outside Girona, make it Besalú. Declared a National Historic-Artistic Site in 1966, this compact medieval town sits at the edge of the La Garrotxa region and feels genuinely untouched. The star of the show is its iconic 12th-century Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià River — an angular, seven-arched structure with a fortified gateway built into its midpoint. It's one of the most photographed structures in Catalonia, and the best shots come from the southern riverbank just opposite the tourist office, especially at golden hour.

What to Hit

• Pont de Besalú: The 12th–14th century bridge is the non-negotiable. Walk it, photograph it from both sides, stand in the gateway.

• Mikveh (Jewish Ritual Bath): One of only three surviving Romanesque mikvehs in Europe — discovered in 1964 despite dating to c. 1264. Get access through the tourist office.

• Sant Vicenç Church: 11th–12th century Romanesque with an exceptional flower-shaped stained glass window. Sits in a café-lined square — perfect rest stop.

• Photography: The Mirador de Besalú on the old town wall offers panoramic views of the medieval county's former territory and the full layout of the town.

Eat, Stay, Hike

Restaurant: Curia Reial on Plaça de la Llibertat serves 'volcanic cuisine' from the Garrotxa region on a large terrace overlooking the Fluvià River. Also try Pont Vell alongside the bridge — it has been open since the 1980s and is considered one of the town's most charming terraces. Both are solid bets for lunch.

Hiking: The trail to Puig Cornador and the Santuari de Sant Ferriol starts right from Besalú — it gains 1,545 ft (471 m) of elevation and passes a 12th-century sanctuary with sweeping views over the Pyrenean foothills. For a longer challenge, the Salt de Palera – El Castellot trail climbs 1,968 ft (600 m). Both listed on .

Farm nearby: The La Garrotxa region (adjacent to Besalú) hosts rural masies (farmhouses) offering agritourism stays and farm-to-table dining — the volcanic soil here produces exceptional beans, buckwheat, and farro unique to the region.

Amenities: Tourist office with free maps, public parking across the bridge, TEISA bus from Girona to Olot stops here, weekly Tuesday market for local produce.

Boats gently float in the tranquil waters of a picturesque harbor, surrounded by the charming white buildings of Cadaqués, Spain, with the warm glow of sunset highlighting the hillside.

2. Cadaqués — Dalí's Mystical Paradise

Distance from Girona: ~75–80 km | Road: C-31 to GI-614 | Drive: ~1h 15–30 min

Elevation: Sea level (town center) — surrounding Cap de Creus peaks reach ~680 m (2,230 ft)

Salvador Dalí called it a "mystical paradise" and once you arrive, you understand why the man never wanted to leave. Cadaqués sits inside the Cap de Creus peninsula — the easternmost point of the Iberian Peninsula — with whitewashed houses stacked along a pebbled bay, surrounded by metamorphic schist that turns golden in Mediterranean light. The road in is notoriously winding (keep eyes forward if you're prone to motion sickness), but arriving feels earned. Note: Picasso, Miró, and Marcel Duchamp all came here too. The Costa Brava day trips don't get better than this.

What to Hit

• Casa-Museu Salvador Dalí (Port Lligat): A 15-minute walk from town. Book tickets in advance — the small interior fills fast. Entry ~€18. The artist spent over 35 years here with his wife Gala.

• Photography: The bay from the Paseo de Cadaqués at dusk, the white chapel of Santa Maria de Cadaqués lit at night, and the Portlligat cove framed by ancient olive terraces.

• Coves: Cala sa Sabolla, south of the lighthouse, offers crystalline water perfect for a swim after a hike.

Eat, Stay, Hike

Restaurant: Can Rafa is a local institution — unpretentious, family-run, historically linked to the founding family of Bar Melitón, once frequented by Duchamp and Man Ray. For something more refined, Es Balconet is a local favorite with fresh seafood and Catalan white wine overlooking the old town.

Hiking: The Cadaqués to Cap de Creus lighthouse trail (Camí Antic) runs 8.3 miles (13.4 km) roundtrip through ancient terraced olive groves, hidden coves, and coastal schist outcrops — elevation gain is gradual and manageable, with the lighthouse at roughly 90 m (295 ft). Top trail on . The GR 92 long-distance coastal path also stages through Cadaqués linking Llançà to the north and Roses to the south.

Farm nearby: The Cap de Creus Natural Park supports small olive oil producers — look for high-quality local oils in the artisan boutiques near the town center, some infused with edible gold.

Amenities: Free outdoor parking on the outskirts (fill up early in summer), a Monday traveling market near the parking lot, ATMs in town, dive gear and kayak rentals.

Sunlit plaza in a charming European town, lined with historic stone buildings and shaded by lush green trees, creating a perfect setting for outdoor café seating.

3. Banyoles — The Olympic Lake Town

Distance from Girona: ~18–25 km | Road: N-II then C-150 or GI-5206 | Drive: ~25–30 minutes

Elevation: ~172 m (564 ft) above sea level; lake sits at roughly 170 m

Closest major town to Girona on this list and consistently underrated. Banyoles holds Catalonia's largest natural freshwater lake — a 1.12 km² karst formation fed by underground channels from the Alta Garrotxa mountains. The 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games held their rowing competition here. It's a quiet town with serious sporting infrastructure and access to some genuinely interesting archaeology.

What to Hit

• Estany de Banyoles (Lake Circuit): A 7 km flat trail around the lake takes about 2.5 hours. Flat, scenic, dog-friendly, and free.

• La Draga Neolithic Settlement: One of the only lakeside Neolithic sites on the Iberian Peninsula — inhabited around 5000 BC. Open-air museum with guided visits and workshops.

• Photography: The 19th-century blue-and-white rowing huts (pesqueres) along the southern shore are a classic shot. Climb Puig Clarà (accessible from Porqueres village) for an aerial view of the full lake with the Pyrenees behind it.

• Santa Maria de Porqueres: A beautifully preserved 12th-century Romanesque church on a small hill by the lake — declared a national heritage site.

Eat, Stay, Hike

Restaurant: Els Banys Vells sits directly on the lake and doubles as a swimming access point — order tapas, then jump in the water. Good selection of traditional Catalan dishes. The old town has a strong café scene around Plaça Major, a 40-arched medieval square protected as Cultural Property of National Interest since 1999.

Hiking: The Volta a l'Estany de Banyoles circuit (best-rated on AllTrails at 4.5 stars, 152 reviews) is 3.9 miles (6.3 km) with 226 ft of gentle elevation gain. For something steeper, head to Rocacorba hill — at 992 m (3,255 ft) it's the highest point in the Girona province and a legendary cycling challenge.

Farm visit: The broader Pla de l'Estany county around Banyoles is agricultural heartland — market gardens watered by the lake's natural channels have fed the region for centuries. Visit the Serinya Prehistoric Cave Park (~3 km away), where over 30,000 objects have been excavated from habitation layers up to 100,000 years old.

Amenities: Bus 612 from Girona (25 min). Free public parking at Parc de la Draga. Swimming club, kayak and boat rentals, triathlon training facilities, archaeology and Darder natural history museums.

A picturesque view of a charming town nestled in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and distant mountains under a cloudy sky. The town's rustic architecture contrasts beautifully with the lush greenery and open fields in the foreground.

4. Olot & La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone — Where the Earth Still Breathes

Distance from Girona: ~55 km | Road: C-66 via Besalú | Drive: ~50 minutes

Elevation: Olot sits at ~443 m (1,453 ft); volcanic peaks range to ~786 m (2,580 ft) at Volcà del Croscat

This is the most dramatic landscape within a day-trip of Girona — and one of the most underrated natural zones in all of Europe. La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park covers 15,309 hectares and contains 40 extinct volcanic cones and more than 20 basaltic lava flows. Olot, the main town, literally has a volcano (Montsacopa, 120 m diameter crater) sitting in its city center. The volcanic soil produces hyper-fertile farmland and lush beech forests unlike anything else at this latitude in Spain.

What to Hit

• Volcà del Croscat & Santa Margarida: The two most accessible cones. Croscat (786 m) has a quarried face that looks like a cut cake — awe-inspiring geology. Santa Margarida (769 m) has a Romanesque chapel built inside its crater.

• Fageda d'en Jordà: A beech forest growing on a flat ancient lava flow at ~550 m elevation — the canopy turns ochre and gold in October, making it one of the best photography spots in Catalonia.

• Photography: Fageda d'en Jordà in autumn, the Croscat quarried section from the trail, and the Santa Margarida crater with its chapel centered inside.

• Hot Air Balloon: Vol de Coloms offers balloon flights over the volcanic zone — you'll see all 40 cones from above. Around €185 per person. Ends with cava and a traditional breakfast.

Eat, Stay, Hike

Restaurant: In Olot, the town's gastronomy is tied directly to its volcanic soil. Local specialties include Santa Pau beans (grown on volcanic land), buckwheat, and farro — ingredients unavailable in the same form anywhere else in Spain. Ask for menus featuring Garrotxa volcanic cuisine.

Hiking: The signature circuit — Fageda d'en Jordà to Volcà de Santa Margarida to Volcà del Croscat — covers ~14 km with 560 m of elevation gain and takes 3–4 hours. Around 30 signposted routes total in the park. Connect with the Itinerannia trail network for longer multi-day options through the Pyrenean foothills.

Farm visit: The volcanic soil makes this region genuinely unique for agritourism. The park supports numerous rural masies where you can experience farm-to-table meals, horse-drawn carriage rides through the beech forest, and hands-on animal farm activities.

Amenities: Olot has a full tourism office, the Museu de la Garrotxa (Catalan Modernisme art), and free park access. TEISA buses run from Girona to Olot. Inside the park, vehicles are prohibited — park in Olot or Santa Pau and take the Rumbus volcanic zone shuttle.

A charming café setting under large umbrellas, with people enjoying their meals amidst the historic architecture of a cathedral's stone tower and walls, surrounded by lush greenery, on an overcast day.

5. Figueres — Dalí's Surreal Home Base

Distance from Girona: ~37 km | Road: AP-7 (or slower N-II) | Drive: ~35–40 min | Train: ~45 minutes direct

Elevation: ~30 m (98 ft) above sea level

Figueres is the most straightforward day trip from Girona and delivers one of the highest-impact experiences in Spain for the time invested. The birthplace of Salvador Dalí is home to the Teatre-Museu Dalí — designed by Dalí himself, it's the largest surrealist object in the world, and the second most visited museum in Spain after the Prado. It's bonkers, overwhelming, and completely unlike any other museum you've been to. The town around it is genuinely charming: cobblestoned, café-lined, and easy to walk.

What to Hit

• Teatre-Museu Dalí: The non-negotiable. Book tickets in advance — €18 standard, €28 with night access. The building itself, crowned with giant eggs and golden mannequins, is part of the experience.

• Gala Dalí Castle (Púbol): On the route between Girona and Figueres, Púbol holds the Gothic-Renaissance castle Dalí built for Gala, now her final resting place. Entry ~€12. Part of the Dalí Triangle sites.

• Photography: The museum exterior on Plaça de Gala i Salvador Dalí at golden hour, and the Rambla de Figueres lined with plane trees for atmospheric street shots.

• Castell de Sant Ferran: One of the largest 18th-century fortresses in Europe, just outside the city center. Military history buffs will find it exceptional.

Eat, Stay, Hike

Restaurant: The tapas cafés along the Rambla de Figueres are solid and affordable. Look for locally-made Empordà wine — the region produces distinctive whites and reds from Alt Empordà designation. The Cap de Creus Natural Park and surrounding area offer world-class Tramuntana olive oils.

Hiking nearby: Figueres itself is flat, but the Serra de Rodes — accessible 20 km east via the GI-614 — climbs to Sant Pere de Rodes Monastery at 513 m (1,683 ft) with sea views stretching to the Pyrenees. A 6 km return trail from Port de la Selva is highly rated.

Farm visit: The Alt Empordà plain surrounding Figueres is prime agricultural country — anchor crops include olive oil, wine grapes, and wheat. Several wineries in the Empordà DO offer tastings with advance booking.

Amenities: Direct train from Girona (~45 min) makes this the only town on this list fully accessible without a car. Figueres has a full city infrastructure: supermarkets, pharmacies, ATMs, a central covered market, and budget accommodation options for longer stays.

Maybe you can catch a soccer match on the way back if Girona has a home game.

A player from Girona FC advances with the ball during a thrilling football match, displaying focus and determination on the field.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOOJFuT6Nek

5 Gold Nuggets

🏆 Gold Nugget 1: Rent the Car, Don't Skip It

Public transport covers Figueres and Banyoles well, but for Besalú, Cadaqués, and La Garrotxa, a rental car is the difference between a great trip and a frustrating one. Book through your airline or at Girona-Costa Brava Airport for the best rates.

🏆 Gold Nugget 2: Stack Two Towns in One Day

Besalú and La Garrotxa / Olot sit on the same road (C-66) and work perfectly as a combo — medieval bridge in the morning, volcanic craters after lunch. Similarly, Banyoles and Besalú can be paired since they're less than 20 km apart.

🏆 Gold Nugget 3: Book Dalí in Advance or Get Burned

Both the Casa-Museu Salvador Dalí in Port Lligat (near Cadaqués) and the Teatre-Museu Dalí in Figueres have strict entry limits. Show up without a ticket in summer and you're watching other people go in. Book both at www.salvador-dali.org.

🏆 Gold Nugget 4: Go in Spring or Fall — Not August

The Costa Brava in August is a logistical battle: parking is full by 9am, restaurants are booked, and the road to Cadaqués is a crawl. April–June and September–October give you good weather, lower crowds, and the best hiking conditions, especially for La Garrotxa's autumn colors.

🏆 Gold Nugget 5: The Best Photo Light Is at 7am and 6pm

Besalú's bridge, Cadaqués' bay, and the Fageda d'en Jordà beech forest all shoot best in the golden hour. The bonus: you'll be alone. Most tourists don't move until 10am in Spain, which means those early hours belong entirely to you.

References & Clickable Links

All sources are verified and linked for direct access:

1. Besalú — Wikipedia (historical data, bridge, mikveh) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Besal%C3%BA

2. Besalú Tourism — Catalunya Turisme Official — https://catalunyaturisme.cat/en/besalu/

3. AllTrails — Besalú Hiking Trails — https://www.alltrails.com/spain/girona/besalu

4. Besalú Restaurants — The Culture Trip (Pont Vell, Curia Reial) — https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/discover-the-medieval-town-of-besalu-in-catalonia

5. Cadaqués — Wikipedia (Cap de Creus, GR 92, Dalí history) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadaqu%C3%A9s

6. Local Guide to Cadaqués — Unexpected Catalonia — https://unexpectedcatalonia.com/cadaques/

7. AllTrails — Cadaqués Hiking Trails (Cap de Creus to Lighthouse) — https://www.alltrails.com/spain/girona/cadaques

8. Lake Banyoles Official Tourism — Costa Brava Girona — https://costabrava.org/en/blog/six-ways-to-enjoy-lake-banyoles/

9. AllTrails — Volta a l'Estany de Banyoles — https://www.alltrails.com/poi/spain/girona/banyoles/estany-de-banyoles

10. Lake Banyoles International Lake Environment Committee (ILEC) — scientific data — https://wldb.ilec.or.jp/Display/html/3517

11. La Garrotxa Guide — Independent Travel Cats — https://independenttravelcats.com/la-garrotxa-travel-guide-volcanic-catalonia-spain/

12. AllTrails — Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Hiking — https://www.alltrails.com/parks/spain/girona/parque-natural-de-la-zona-volcanica-de-la-garrotxa

13. La Garrotxa Natural Park Official Site (routes, activities) — https://en.turismegarrotxa.com/la-garrotxa-volcanic-zone-natural-park/

14. Vol de Coloms Hot Air Balloon — La Garrotxa — https://en.turismegarrotxa.com/companies/tourist-trains-and-carriages/santa-pau/activitats-garrotxa/

15. Figueres & Dalí Theatre-Museum Official Site — https://www.salvador-dali.org

16. Figueres Day Trip from Girona — Winalist — https://www.winalist.com/blog/spain/catalonia/girona-things-to-do

17. Go Ask A Local — Girona City & Day Trips Guide — https://goaskalocal.com/blog/girona-city-guide