Banyoles (Pla de l'Estany), August 15th.

On the initiative of naturalist FrancescDarder, in commemoration of the restocking of the Lake of Banyoles, the city's (and the country's) first Fishing Contest was held in the summer of 1910. The contest now takes place every year at a pond known as l'estanyoldelVilar near the main lake. The contestants set off in procession from the town hall at daybreak accompanied by a band which plays the popular tune L'airet de la matinada (Early Morning Airs).

 

FAST PAINTING CONTEST

Tossa de Mar (Selva), last Sunday in August.

For the past thirty-five years, once a year the town of Tossa becomes, for a day, the painting capital of Catalonia. The Fast Painting Contest, which has the longest tradition in our country, gathers the best brushes for a period of twelve hours. Professionals and amateurs, beginners and experts alike set up their easels in the most suitable sites to capture, within this limited period of time, the best image of the Vila Vella and its surroundings.

 

GATHERINGS OF FLUTISTS AND <<MUSICIANS WITHOUT SOLFEGGIO>>

Camprodon (Ripollès), first fortnight of August.

Camprodon is the site of the?Gathering of Musicians without Solfeggio?, entertainers at gatherings and events who play entirely by ear, since they have no musical learning whatsoever.

 

THE MAYOR'S SARDANA

Amer (Selva), August 16th.

The?Mayor's Sardana?, which takes place once a year in the town square of Amer, has its origin in the contrapàs, a dance which in many towns of old was led by a distinguished townsperson. It is not danced, as other Sardanes, in a closed circle, but rather in an open, spiral pattern, so as to include all who wish to take part in the dance. When the band music begins to gather speed, the dancers make their entry in the square. The first place, reserved in theory for the Mayor, is often offered to a distinguished authority.

 

September

 

SHEPHERDS' FESTIVAL

Queralbs-Núria (Ripollès), September 1s t.

According to the legend, in the 8th century, Sant Gil, a Benedictine abbot from a French monastery, crossed the Pyrenees and settled in the Valley of Núria, where he attempted to convert the local shepherds to Christianity. He summoned them with a bell and fed them from a large pot, images now linked permanently with this Sanctuary of the Virgin Mary. Every year on St. Gil's Day, shepherds from both sides of this Pyrenees mountain crest gather to celebrate the feast of their patron saint.

 

SHEEPDOG CONTEST

Ribes de Freser (Ripollès), first Sunday in September.

Sheep are kept under control by the barking of a generally small, shaggy-haired dog called the gosd'atura, a local breed, under the guidance of the shepherd's voice and gestures'. In Ribes de Freser, once a year the shepherds bring their specially-trained animals to the Sheepdog Contest, where they give their orders from a closed-off enclosure. The first test consists of stopping the dog instantly upon a signal by the jury. In the second test, the dog must lead the sheep to the shepherd. To pass the third test, the dog must make all of the sheep enter and leave a fenced enclosure, all within a maximum time of six minutes.

 

VINTAGE CAR CARAVAN

Girona-Costa Brava (Gironès, Selva, Alt iBaixEmpordà), September.

Dozens of antique automobiles from near and far go for a drive through the highways and byways of Girona over a period of four days every year. In order to participate in the Girona-Costa Brava Vintage Car Caravan, the cars have to have been registered before December 1930. During the event, the drivers have time to visit monuments, enjoy good meals and satisfy, with their expert knowledge, the curiosity of uninitiated spectators.

 

THE PEDAL FESTIVAL

Girona (Gironès), second fortnight of September.

The idea of this race was hatched thirty years ago by the GrupExcursionistaiEsportiuGironí or GEiEG, and since then it has been held every year, with a spirit halfway between sport and entertainment. The number of participants has increased gradually since 1979, and now over 6,000 cyclists take part in the festival.

 

DANCE OF THE PABORDES AND GALA

Sant Joan de les Abadesses (Ripollès), September 10th.

Campdevànol, September 17th and 18th.

The Dance of the Pabordes in Sant Joan de les Abadesses begins when the procession of four male pabordes -fund raisers for the upkeep of holy places- leaves the town hall, led by the town constable to visit the homes of the four female pabordeses and have them join the cortege. They return together to the square and, during the course of the dance, give each other gifts of basil branches and splash spectators with perfumed water from vases.

The Gala of Campdevànol evokes feudal times. The leader of the dance, who wears a cape and high top hat, represents the feudal lord and dances with the female partners of all six couples in symbolic remembrance of the droit du seigneur.

 

DANCE OF THE GIANTS

Olot (Garrotxa), September 8th.

One of the most important Festival is the Dance of the Giants, preceded by the dances performed by figures with huge heads and dancers wearing hobbyhorses. The figures form in two lines and kneel then they rise and turn around three times. The "horsemen" - one captain and eight soldiers - hop on one foot, face each other and strike their opponents with the swords. The giant and giantess are those of most artistic merit in all of Catalonia. When their turn arrives, they solemnly follow a tune with the air of a waltz. Their spectacular spins in the centre of the square are emphasized by the festive whirl of their capes.

 

THE CANDLE AND TORTELL DANCES

Viladrau (Osona), September 8th.

For the Candle Dance, held in the town square of Viladrau, the boys wear capes, top hats and a rod decorated with flowers representing an ancient candle, symbol of the investiture of the pabordes. The girls, in typical Catalan dress, are wrapped in mantillas and carry vases decorated with ribbons and freshly-cut flowers.

 

October

 

TRIA DE MULATS

Espinavell-Molló (Ripollès), second fortnight of October.

Every year, following a tradition which dates back to the 17th century, Espinavell witnesses the descent of mares and young horses from the nearby mountains. This takes place before the cold weather season sets in the Pyrenees, when the mild autumn allows the gathering of thousands of people for the Tria de Mulats (literally, the choosing of young horses). Livestock dealers gather several days before to look over the horses, generally of Hispanic-Breton breed.

 

November

 

SHRINE FESTIVALS (Romeries)

Torroella de Montgrí (BaixEmpordà), second fortnight of November.

As gatherings which fulfil the double purpose of devotion and entertainment, the romerías or aplecs are always held in hermitages and require a certain amount of travel on the part of the participants.

The festival of Santa Caterina, in Torroella, takes place in autumn on a hillside by the castle of Montgrí.

 

December

 

CHRISTMAS TREE FAIR

Espinelves (Osona), first fortnight of December.

The inhabitants of Espinelves have consolidated a modern fair which nevertheless preserves all the essence of traditional celebrations. Thousands of outsiders visit the town over a single weekend to buy Christmas trees. The fair is the only one of its kind in all Catalonia.

 

LIVE NATIVITY SCENES

Castell-Platjad'Aro (BaixEmpordà), second fortnight of December.

Riudaura (Garrotxa), second fortnight of December.

Bàscara (Alt Empordà), second fortnight of December.

Live nativity scenes are relatively modern manifestations which reflect the iconographic tradition of these scenes and the spirit with which the representation of the Good Shepherds is imbued. They began in 1959 with the Live Nativity Scene at Castell d'Aro, which is still acted out with the valley of the same name as an idyllic backdrop. The one at Riudaura, with its constant motion, is at variance with the static nature of the majority of similar dramatisations. In Bàscara, it takes place in two different sites: in the town's old quarter and on the right bank of the Fluviàriver, where the scenes are played out in a natural setting of springs, cliffs and gardens in a highly evocative backdrop.

 

3.15.2. КостаДорада

La Costa Dorada (Daurada in Catalan) The 20 towns that make up the Costa Dorada cover a marine littoral 216 kilometers long, 786 hectares of spacious beaches with clean fine sand and transparent shallow water.

 

In between the sea and the mountain range there are wide areas filled with peaceful towns and farmlands, where vineyards, olive groves, carobs, hazel trees and almond trees grow, and occasionally even vegetable gardens. The whole area, between; hotels, camping sites and apartments, has capacity for over 500,000 tourists, and receives an average 3,500,000 visitors per year.

 

 

The large tourist centers along the beaches of the Costa Dorada have developed in recent times upon the old fisherman's quarters in old towns mainly dedicated to agriculture, and sometimes located atop the hills near the sea in order to protect themselves from attacks by corsairs and pirates in earlier centuries.

The proximity of these towns, many of them built around the silhouette of an ancient castle, contributes to balancing and humanizing the surroundings, and increases the possibilities of amusement and the use of all sorts of complimentary services for tourists.

This bucolic atmosphere contrasts with the urban dimension of the historical city of Tarragona, which deploys its splendid monumental collection that summarizes it millenary cultural evolution.

 

Inland one can easily reach places and towns with a great personality and historical interest (such as Reus, Valls, Montblanc, Tortosa) and great medieval monasteries: Poble, SantesCreus and Scala Dei, as well as picturesque landscapes (Prades, Siurana), rugged mountain ranges with big game reserves (Tivissa, Cardo and Ports de Tortosa), and the unique delta of the Ebro river, with its labyrinth of ditches and lagoons and the facilities it offers for wild fowl hunting.

 

Several areas with common features can be distinguished along the Costa Dorada. First of all there is the northern area, from Cunit to Mont-roig, with the widest beaches of all; then Vandellos, L'Ametlla de Mar and L'Ampolla, with narrower, steeper beaches, influenced by the nearby mountains; the Ebro delta, with long wide beaches and very fine sand typical of alluvial lands; and finally, from the delta to Les Cases d'Alcanar, long beaches of average width and clean heavy sand.

 

Tarragona

Tarragona is the capital of the county of Tarragonés.
This city was declared "World Heritage City" by UNESCO on the 30 of November of 2000, and from that point the city has made an intense effort to be more and more perfect to everyone!
In the year 45 BC and after constructing its walls and a port Julio Cesar designate this colony with the name of "Colonia UrbsTriumphalisTarraconensis".

It is a splendid millenary city with a population of 109,557 in habitants. It presides, due to its importance and beauty, the entire area of the Costa Dorada. It was the origin of the Romanization of the Iberian Peninsula and afterwards of its Christianization. It boasts a unique Roman and medieval monumental collection. The Gothic Cathedral, the Roman walls and towers - with cyclopean bases - and other historical buildings and remains can be visited following the exceptional PaseoArqueologico (Archaeological Avenue), atop which one can overlook a magnificent panorama of the interior district. There are plenty and excellent beaches: El Miracle, under the mirador of Rambla Nova, known as the "Balcony of the Mediterranean", La Arrabassada,2 km away, La Savinosa and Playa Llarga, a huge beach, one of the best on the Catalonian coast.

Sitges

Sitges is one most important tourist resorts on the Catalan Coast. It has managed to preserve its scenic ambience and its artistic and cultural heritage. This is why Sitges enjoys a year-round tourist trade that makes more than one believe that Sitges is a non-stop party. To a certain extent this is true, since the town has a calendar dense with cultural activities and festivals.
Its Carnival has achieved world renown (visit our Gay guide of Sitges), its old-car rallies have drawn throngs, as have the floral street carpeting during Corpus Christi, the International Festival of Fantastic and Horror Cinema, the Theatre...

In addition, Sitges is a city of museums, with such important museums as the Maricel, halfway between "Modernist" and "Historicist", the CauFerrat, which used to be a meeting place for artists, with its exhibition of forged iron and paintings by Santiago Rusiñol and El Greco. Other recommended visits include the Church of SantBartomeu and Santa Tecla, or the Vinyet Sanctuary.
The benign climate, the beaches, the picturesque streets and a bustling commercial area make Sitges one of the best places to visit year-round.

 

Don't leave Sitges without having tasted the 'xato' a local specialty.

Visit the Delta del Ebro

Visit the Ebro Delta

 

The Ebro Delta covers 320 square kilometres and is the second largest wetland area in the western Mediterranean, after the French Camargue.

 

It has many natural habitats not common to the rest of Catalonia: large lakes of salt water (such as La Tancada) or fresh water (such as L'Encanyissada), kilometres of beaches with sand dunes (El Fangar) and salt wastelands (Erms de la Tancada, Punta de la Banya), places where underground fresh water comes to the surface (ElsUllals), shallow bays (El Fangar or ElsAlfacs), riverbank woods and fluvial islands that, together with the ecosystems created by man - rice fields and salt pans - constitute a unique landscape of great natural wealth.

 

This diversity of ecosystems and flora and fauna has led to the protection of a large part of the Delta and in 1983 it was declared a "natural park". It is in fact an ornithological paradise where you can see more than 300 species of birds.

 

The Cost Dorada Climate

The Costa Dorada enjoys a temperate Mediterranean climate characterized by a clear, sharp atmosphere and skies of intense blue, in winter, thanks to the mestral winds that blow from the north-east and in summer, to the garbí, or south-easterly winds. They keep the humidity low and blow away any mist or fog.

 

Average temperatures are around 7 to 10º C in winter and 20 to 26º in summer, bearing in mind that the average temperatures inland from the coast in the mountains are two to four degrees lower.

Most of the rainfall is concentrated in spring and autumn, although short, heavy showers are not uncommon in summer. The rainfall on the Costa Daurada averages between 375 and 700 mm a year. However, the rains in this area can be unpredictable and in some cases have reached 400 mm over a couple of days, or even in a few hours. This can cause a disproportionate rise in the level of rivers.

 

In summer the humidity is from 66 to 69%.