Besalú
A medieval town built around a fortified Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià river — one of the best-preserved medieval centres in Catalunya, and quieter than the coast.
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Catalunya
Girona
Where the Pyrenees meet the Costa Brava, and a medieval river city sits quietly between the two.
- Days of sun~240
- Winter8 °C
- Summer24 °C
- Area5,910 km²
- Coastline214 km
Its story
Ranges from the Pyrenean peaks of the Ripollès and La Cerdanya in the north, through the volcanic hills of La Garrotxa, to the rocky coves of the Costa Brava and the flat Empordà plain.
Girona's Jewish Quarter (El Call), the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, medieval city walls, Temps de Flors flower festival, the volcanic villages of La Garrotxa
Empordanese cuisine, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona city (three Michelin stars), suquet de peix, botifarra amb mongetes, calçots in season
Girona city is compact and walkable; the coast shifts from lively resort towns in summer to near-empty out of season; inland valleys are genuinely rural and quiet
What almost nobody knowsThe Empordà, right behind the Costa Brava's beaches, is a serious wine region in its own right, with its own Denominació d'Origen.
Hidden gems
Santa Pau and La Garrotxa
Volcanic countryside dotted with beech forests and stone villages, a short drive from the coast but a completely different, greener Girona.
Places to know: Costa Brava · La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park · Cadaqués and Cap de Creus · Girona old town and cathedral · Aiguamolls de l'Empordà wetlands
Living here
- Airports
- Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO)
- Getting around
- High-speed train (AVE) — Girona and Figueres-Vilafant stations, on the Barcelona-Figueres-France high-speed line
- Main roads
- AP-7, C-25, C-66, C-260
- Healthcare
- Hospital Universitari Dr. Josep Trueta (Girona) is the province's main reference hospital.
- Schools
- British curriculum available
- International community
- Real and long-established, especially along the Costa Brava — British, French, Dutch and German second-home owners have been present in towns like Begur, Pals and Cadaqués for decades.
- Language
- Low in Girona city and the main coastal towns, moderate inland and in the Pyrenean valleys
- Popular areas
- Girona city, Begur, Pals, Cadaqués, Sant Feliu de Guíxols
The Dream Nest view
Who it suits
French, British, Dutch and German buyers purchasing second homes or retirement properties on the coast; a smaller but growing group choosing Girona city itself for its size, connectivity and lower cost than Barcelona.
Mortgage notes
Non-resident lending is well established here given the long history of foreign buyers on the Costa Brava. Prices in the most sought-after coastal villages (Begur, Cadaqués, Aiguablava) sit well above the provincial picture, so cases often involve significant equity alongside financing. Girona city itself is comparatively accessible.
Worth knowing before you commit
The most desirable Costa Brava villages command a real premium and inventory is limited, so cases can move fast. Water availability has been a genuine concern in parts of Catalunya in recent years — worth checking for any specific property.
Indicative information, pending verification by Dream Nest. Sources consulted: INE, AEMET, Registradores de España
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