EMPURIES CASTLE COSTA BRAVA

So often when travelling in the Costa Brava you come across an attractive town of cobbled lanes, Gothic mansions and backstreet cafes set back just a few kilometers from the sea. Castel d'Empuries was the seat of the Counts of Empuries during the middle ages and many of its buildings date from that time. Its greatest glory is the basilica of Santa Maria, an early Gothic church built on the site of a Romanesque cathedral and considered the second church of Girona province, after Girona Cathedral itself. It is worth visiting just to see the magnificently sculpted portal; inside there is a Romanesque double font and a fine alabaster altarpiece by Vicen, Borras. Other buildings of note are a 14th century prison and the EI Rentador wash-house, with a porticoed atrium, a fountain and a view of the basilica through its arches.

The nearby resort of Empuriabrava was built in 1967 on the Muga river delta. It consists of a large marina and an extensive network (30km) of canals, plus hundreds of near identical whitewashed holiday villas, each with their own private mooring. There is a long beach and facilities for every kind of waters port, as well as boat trips on the canals and around the coast. There is even a small aerodrome offering parachuting and pleasure flights. The resort is well laid out and undeniably attractive, but lacks any authentic Catalan feel.

The decision to build Empuriabrava on former marshland led indirectly to the creation of the Aiguamolls de l'Emporda nature reserve.