Empuriabrava is a luxurious city situated on the Costa Brava in the municipality of Castello d’Empúries-Empuriabrava, a region that boasts medieval villages, beaches and a historical heritage of global importance. The city has about 25 kilometres of sailable waters which make it the largest residential marina in Europe.
Below, we list some must-do activities which you can try while staying at a luxurious holiday home in Empuriabrava, the perfect place to start exploring.
Navigate the canals of Empuriabrava
Empuriabrava is widely known as the city of the ''wind games'', which is a competition during which anyone can showcase their flying skills. It's also an interesting city with sailable canals reminiscent of Venice. The history of the now modern and luxurious area started in 1968 with a group of visionaries who saw an opportunity in the originally swampy area for development. They fulfilled their dream of building large, comfortable, luxurious houses throughout the city with boats in front of every home. They also rebuilt the local factory. Every summer, Empuriabrava hosts close to 80,000 visitors who rent their dream holiday home on the water.
By renting a boat at one of the companies in town, you can explore the 25 kilometres of canals in an area of 500 hectares and navigate through the town. It's almost as if the pavement has been replaced by canals!
The marina of Empuriabrava is another perfect location for tourists as it has a number of award winning beaches such as Platja de Empuriabrava and Rubina Beach. It's closely located to other great natural areas such as the swamps of Aiguamolls de l’Emporda and the Natural Park Cabo de Creus.
Visit the mysterious lakes of Aiguamolls de l’Emporda
There is an enormous choice of festivities taking place in Spain this year. But, if you want to disconnect from everything, spending a day within the nature of Aiguamolls de l’Emporda is a good choice. It's one of the biggest collection of lakes and swamps in Catalonia and was declared a protected natural park in 1986.
You can visit the park and explore its trails throughout the whole year. It's the perfect location for adults and children to spend a day in a natural environment and is home to more than 300 bird species such as the red-naped ibis, the cormorant, the common blackbird or the iconic great egret.
We recommend that you stick to the fixed routes so as to avoid damaging the fragile ecosystem. There are viewpoints and small wooden cabins scattered around the park, from these lookouts you can observe the birds with binoculars without disturbing them in their natural habitat.
On entering the park, you'll come across a building where the reception area El Cortalet is situated. It has maps and information guides which provide helpful guidelines on recognising some typical features of the park such as flooded fields, canals, beaches and small lagoons.
Rent a bicycle and discover the Camino Natural de la Muga
The Camino Natural de la Muga is a trail of 40km alongside the river La Muga which you can do by bike. The route starts at the beach of Empuriabrava and guides you through diverse landscapes such as the Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l’Emporda, the Salinas region and ends at Sant Llorenç de la Murga.
Cycling is one of the best ways to get to know the environment here. There are a lot of places where you can rent a mountain bike for the whole day such as Ampuria Car or the Bike Shop (both in Carrer Requesens, 98) starting from 12 euros.
Participate in the Festival Medieval Tierra de Trovadores
This festival is one of the region's most iconic, and here you'll see how people used to live in Villa Castilione, the medieval capital of Empúries county. Today you can find this former capital in Castelló d’Empúries. You'll learn a lot about some medieval traditions and they organise medieval tournaments, music shows and street markets.
Fill up your cup with mead, put on your knight's helmet and enjoy yourself at the Festival Medieval Tierra de Trovadores.
Experience the best of Gothic
Religious tourism is more than Semana Santa. At Plaça Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer in Castelló d'Empúries close to Empuriabrava, you'll find the majestic Gothic church Basílica de Santa Maria. They started building this basilica in the 13th century and a visit to the church will prove to be a mysterious and religious journey.
The basilica has been experiencing expansion over the last two centuries. Construction works were carried out during the 14th century which were eventually finished in the 15th century with the construction of an iconic marble facade. Inside, you'll find various features typical of a religious building which once served as a religious centre, such as a roman baptismal font, a beautiful alabaster altar from the 15th century, two sarcophagi of local counts, coloured Gothic stained glass windows and other fascinating elements.
Inside the Parroquial Museum in the basilica you can find important liturgical pieces including icons, ceremonial golden or silver artifacts and other ornaments and archaeological pieces which will tell you more about the story of the basilica.
Other points of interest
Historical heritage
- One of the main archaeological sites is La Gran Casa in Portal Nou, where you can see the structures of noble houses from the late Middle Ages. It's another great example of Gothic Catalan architecture from the 14th and the 15th centuries.
Castles
- Don't miss out on La Torre Carlina at Carrer Calciners, a 19th century fortress which was built by the “Regimiento de Toledo” to protect the city against attacks from the outside. It was of particular importance during the “Fogo de Castelló”, a historical invasion which took place in 1874.
Medieval structures
- Close to the Basilica Santa Maria de Castelló you'll encounter a medieval bridge called Pont Vell. Dating back to the 14th century, it was originally called Ponta Nova. The bridge played an important role in the region's history as it drastically improved accessibility around the area. Throughout history the bridge was damaged by nature and wars and therefore needed constant renovation.
Empuriabrava is a remarkable town with a lot of luxury, but don't overlook the other interesting towns in the area. Take a look at our holiday homes in Girona and be amazed.