# Peratallada

Stone streets inside a moat dug into the living rock, a castle-palace and an arcaded square. It can be explored in two hours and is the best base for seeing the inland Baix Empordà.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/peratallada · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## Where do I park?

You can't drive into the medieval old town. There are three big car parks around it, with about 440 spaces in all: de Dalt, to the west, de l'Església, opposite Sant Esteve, and de Baix, to the east, which also has an area for coaches and caravans. Dalt and Baix have toilets.

In 2026, the car park is a blue zone from 2 to 6 April, from 14 June to 14 September and on the weekend of the Medieval Fair (3 and 4 October), from 9:00 to 22:30: the first half hour is free, one hour €1.50, two hours €2.50 and the whole day €6. Those who sleep in the old town don't pay.

## How much time and when to go?

The old town takes two or three hours at an easy pace, meals aside. From Girona it is about 50 minutes by car, from Barcelona a little under 2 hours, from Tarragona about 2 h 45 and from Lleida over 3. On summer Sundays and long weekends the Plaça de les Voltes fills up at midday: arrive before eleven or come for dinner.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Empordà
- Cerca: Pals (a 4.8 km), Peralada (a 37.3 km), Besalú (a 40.5 km), Rupit (a 51.9 km)

## Qué hacer
- **The medieval centre, from the castle to the Plaça de les Voltes** (1 h 30 · All ages, better without a pushchair · Self-guided · free): What it is
Peratallada is one of the most important ensembles of medieval architecture in Catalonia, declared a historic-artistic site and a cultural asset of national interest. The village has barely grown beyond its walls and keeps its medieval layout: narrow, cobbled streets full of twists and turns, stone houses and a castle-palace in the centre. All of it sits on a sandstone rock, worked in many ways, which gives the village its name: Petra scissa, carved stone, documented since the 10th century.
You walk it in an hour or two, depending on stops. It is free and self-guided.
A walk through the centre

Plaça del Castell and the castle-palace. Start here, where the tourist office also is. The castle is documented in 1065, although there was an earlier fortress. It was the centre of the barony of the Peratallada lineage. It stands on a rock mound of 4 or 5 metres, carved to make it vertical. On top, the keep stands out, rectangular in plan and crowned with square battlements, the village’s trademark. The palace, from the 11th to the 14th centuries, faces east, towards the square.
The inner streets. Go down the alleys and look at the houses: many are from the 16th century, on top of older walls. The traditional house has stone-vaulted ground floors, which served as storerooms and cellars; above, the living quarters, and sometimes an attic or granary and a courtyard behind.
Plaça de les Voltes. The arcaded square, with its arches. Many of the village’s restaurants are concentrated on these streets.
The Torre de les Hores. One of the towers of the wall, with the village clock. You can climb to its viewpoint.
The moat and walls. Walk around the outside of the village to see the moat cut into the rock and the wall, 7 to 8 metres deep where visible.
Portal de la Verge and Sant Esteve. Leave by the north gate. About 200 m away is the church of Sant Esteve, Romanesque from the early 13th century, with two aisles and a semi-cylindrical tower over the north apse that gives it an unusual silhouette. The interior is not open to visitors today.

One fact to remember: Berenguer de Cruïlles, bishop of Girona and first president of the Generalitat de Catalunya, was born in Peratallada in 1310.
Where to park
Leave the car in one of the three car parks on the outskirts and walk in:

Upper car park (Aparcament de Dalt), to the west, with about 200 spaces and toilets.
Lower car park (Aparcament de Baix), to the east, with 200 spaces, room for coaches, vans and motorhomes, and toilets.
Church car park (Aparcament de l’Església), opposite Sant Esteve, with 40 spaces.

In high season the blue zone applies. In 2026 it was in force from 2 to 6 April, from 14 June to 14 September and on 3 and 4 October, from 9:00 to 22:30: the first half hour is free and the maximum, for 13 hours, costs €6.
When to go
On weekdays and outside summer the village is quiet. On summer weekends and long weekends it fills up, especially at lunch and dinner time. First thing in the morning and the end of the afternoon are the best times to stroll and for the light on the stone. On the first weekend of October the Fira Medieval is held, with a market and tournaments in the streets.
With children and with a dog
With children it is a short and entertaining walk: towers, a moat, a castle and stairs. The cobbles and slopes make a pushchair heavy going; a baby carrier is better. Dogs can walk with you, on a lead.
Information
The tourist office is at Plaça del Castell, 3 (872 987 030, turisme@forallac.cat). They give you the village map and the heritage leaflet there.
- **The moat cut into the rock and the walls** (30 min · All ages · Self-guided · free): What it is
Peratallada was one of the best-fortified towns in Catalonia, and what is most impressive about its defences is the moat: a great ditch cut into the living rock that surrounds the village and which, according to tradition, gives it its name, Petra tallada, carved stone. Where it can be seen today, it is about 7 or 8 metres deep. Its date is unknown and disputed. In the village it is called les Valls.
On top of the moat rise the walls, from the 12th and 13th centuries, with the upper part rebuilt between the 16th and 18th centuries. The system had three enclosures: the main one, with the castle in the centre, and two outer walls protecting the north and east. Stretches of wall, moats and three square towers remain; one of them is the Torre de les Hores, the clock tower.
It is a short walk, of about half an hour, free and self-guided. You can do it on its own or as part of the walk around the medieval centre.
What to see

The moat cut into the rock. It is best seen from outside the walled area, following the outline of the village. Look at the vertical sandstone walls and the bridges that cross it to enter the core.
The stretches of wall, with stone from different periods: the medieval work below and the early modern additions above.
The Torre de les Hores, from the 13th to 15th centuries, one of the best-preserved towers of the defensive system. Originally the moat surrounded it on three sides. Restored between 2017 and 2021, you can climb to its viewpoint free of charge.
The Portal de la Verge, to the north, opened in the outer wall. It is the way out towards the church of Sant Esteve, about 200 m away.
The remains of the entrance to Carrer Major.

How to do the walk
Start in Plaça del Castell, where the tourist office is, and ask there for the map. Leave the core towards the moat and follow it on the outside, looking at the wall from below. Re-enter through the Portal de la Verge or the Torre de les Hores, and climb the tower if you want to see the whole ensemble from above. If you arrive by car, the upper car park (Dalt) and the lower one (Baix) are on the outskirts, a few minutes’ walk from the walled area; in high season they are blue zone, with a maximum of €6 a day.
When to go
First thing in the morning or at the end of the afternoon, when the low light draws the rock walls of the moat better and there are fewer people. In summer, avoid midday. During the Fira Medieval, on the first weekend of October, the walls are the backdrop to the festival, but the village is full.
With children and with a dog
Children like it: a real moat, towers and gateways. Keep an eye on them at the edges of the moat, which has a drop of several metres. The ground is uneven and cobbled; with a baby, a baby carrier is better. Dogs can come, on a lead.
- **The Iberian town of Ullastret, on the Puig de Sant Andreu** (1 h 45 · Families and teenagers · General entry €7 · reduced €5 · free for under-16s): What it is
On the Puig de Sant Andreu, a small hill on the outskirts of Ullastret, about 4 km from Peratallada, is the largest Iberian urban settlement discovered in Catalonia. Between the 6th and 2nd centuries BC it was the capital of the Indiketes and one of the largest pre-Roman population centres on the peninsula. It was a double town: the Puig de Sant Andreu and the Illa d’en Reixac, surrounded by a navigable lake that was drained in the second half of the 19th century to gain farmland. Today only the Puig de Sant Andreu can be visited, which houses one of the sites of the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya (MAC).
The site was discovered in the early 1930s, but excavations did not begin until 1947. The Iberian town began to be built in the second half of the 6th century BC, was walled at the end of that century and was extended with a new enclosure in the first half of the 4th century BC.
What you see
The visit starts below, at the reception centre, and climbs the hill to the museum at the top. On the way:

The wall, among the best-preserved of the Iron Age in Catalonia, with towers and gates. The town had at least four wide entrances for carts, and other secondary ones for pedestrians only.
The streets, with main and secondary axes: a planned urban layout.
A cistern cut into the rock, the best preserved of the three found, and bottle-shaped silos for grain. 200 have been found.
An aristocratic house of more than 800 m², the only one with its own gate through the wall, and ordinary houses of 30 to 40 m².
The temples, at the top of the hill, and the view over the Illa d’en Reixac and the Empordà plain.
The remains of a Carolingian castle, the castellum Uellosos, one of the oldest in the Empordà, built on the Iberian ruins.
The monographic museum, with the finds from the site.

The MAC recommends an hour and a half for the visit.
Opening hours

1 October to 31 May: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00.
1 June to 30 September: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 20:00.

The last entry is 30 minutes before closing. It is closed every Monday except Easter Monday, on 25 and 26 December and on 1 and 6 January. On 24 and 31 December it closes at 14:30.
Tickets

General: €7. Reduced: €5, for over-65s and pensioners, large and single-parent families and other cards.
Free: under-16s, unemployed people and people with disabilities, with their companion if they need one.
Open days, free for everyone: the first Sunday of every month and other special dates, such as 18 May or 11 September.

The ticket includes the site and the permanent exhibition. It is bought online or at the ticket office. Guided tours are for groups, in Catalan, Spanish, French or English, and are paid separately: for example, the 90-minute guided visit costs €80 for a group of fewer than 20. They are booked at macullastret.cultura@gencat.cat.
Getting there and parking
The museum is on Carrer Afores, s/n, in Ullastret. From Peratallada it is about 4 km by car. It has free parking with 50 spaces for cars and 4 for coaches, and three spaces for people with reduced mobility. By bus, the Moventis line between La Bisbal d’Empordà and Torroella de Montgrí.
Accessibility, dogs and children
The route round the site is partly adapted; ask at the ticket office for someone to accompany you and for the map. The museum is adapted and has an accessible toilet. There are rest areas along the way. Dogs can enter the site on a lead, but not the museum. Food and drink may not be taken into the museum; there are drinks machines.
It works well with children: it is outdoors, entry is free up to age 16 and the audio guide, when it is working, has a children’s version. In summer, some rooms in the museum are hot and it is best to go first thing.
- **Visiting the Torre de les Hores** (30 min · Free · open access, no booking): What it is
The Torre de les Hores is one of the most representative and best-preserved towers of Peratallada’s medieval defensive system. It dates from the 13th to 15th centuries and forms part of the walled enclosure that surrounds the village, above the moat cut into the rock. It takes its name from the clock installed in it. Between 2017 and 2021 Forallac Town Council and the Diputació de Girona, with the Generalitat, restored it so that it could be visited.
What you see

The interior of a medieval bestorre, a wall tower open towards the inside of the enclosure.
The walls and arrow slits recovered: long narrow slits, spread over three combat levels.
The reconstruction of the central floor, which had disappeared.
The monumental mechanical clock, from the early 20th century.
The rooftop viewpoint, from where you see the medieval ensemble, its surroundings and a good part of the Empordanet.

The tower’s history
Originally, the moat surrounded it on three sides and the fourth opened onto the inside of the fortification. It had three combat levels: one at ground level, an intermediate one over an arcade and a timber frame, and a terrace on a large pointed arch, probably with battlements. At the end of the Middle Ages a large voussoired doorway was opened in the west façade, which can still be seen. As it sits well above the present street, it is known that the floor was lowered later, perhaps when the street was opened and the house next door was built.
It was later adapted for the clock: the upper terrace was removed and an enclosed hut was built for the machinery, with a small bell tower. In the mid-20th century, when a large doorway was opened in the adjoining house, the base was weakened and cracks appeared, which were repaired in the latest restoration.
The clock
It was made in the early 20th century in Morez, a village in the French Jura with a great clockmaking tradition, the work of L. Terraillon and J. Petitjean, who became partners in 1914. It has three gear trains, hence its triangular shape, and strikes the hours and repeats hours and quarters on two older bells, reused. The large one, 67 cm in diameter, dates from 1800 and weighs about 180 kg: it strikes the hours. The small one, 46 cm, dates from 1798 and weighs about 55 kg: it strikes the quarters. It runs for a week on a winding and is wound by hand.
Opening hours and price
According to the Town Council’s agenda, the visit is open every day from 10:00 to 20:00, until 31 December 2026. It is free and open access, with no booking. For 2027, check the Visit Forallac agenda or ask at the tourist office, at Plaça del Castell, 3 (872 987 030).
Getting there
The tower is in the centre of Peratallada itself. Leave the car in the upper car park (Dalt) or the lower one (Baix) and walk in. The visit lasts about 20 to 30 minutes.
With children and accessibility
The viewpoint is reached by stairs, so it is not practical with a pushchair or wheelchair; ask at the tourist office if you have any doubts. Children usually like seeing the clock’s machinery and looking out of the arrow slits; hold on to little ones at the top.
- **Short Fitor dolmens walk, in the Gavarres** (45 min · 1.6 km · Small children; not suitable for wheelchairs at the end · Self-guided · free): What it is
It is E-Route 1 of the Gavarres megalithic routes: a circular walk of 1.62 km, about 45 minutes and 72 m of ascent around Santa Coloma de Fitor. The Consorci de les Gavarres presents it as very easy, designed for small children and people with reduced mobility, although the last stretch is not suitable for wheelchairs. It was promoted by the GRAMPO research group of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Consorci, with the collaboration of the owners of the Finca Fitor.
Fitor is a corner of woodland in the heart of the Gavarres massif, among cork oaks and pine woods, in the municipality of Forallac, the same one as Peratallada. Within its boundaries are fifteen known dolmens, a menhir and several sacrificial stones: it is the densest dolmen cluster in the Gavarres.
The route

The church of Santa Coloma de Fitor. This is the starting point. Romanesque, on a small plain, with a large bell tower with Lombard decoration, with a frieze of small arches on the upper-floor windows, visible from much of the massif. Together with the rectory and the cemetery it forms a small ensemble. The name Fitor first appears in writing in 948, with the consecration of the parish.
The Camí Ral. The first stretch follows the old royal road that linked Palamós with Girona, along which cork, timber and charcoal came down by cart to the port.
El Mas Puig.
The Llobinar dolmen and engravings, the megalithic monument on the route, with its inscultures, the engravings in the rock.

Along the way you get good views of the Fitor bell tower with the Montgrí in the background.
How to follow it
It is an electronic route: don’t expect posts at every junction. Download the GPX track or the PDF sheet beforehand from the Consorci de les Gavarres website and follow it with a maps app on your phone, such as Wikiloc or OruxMaps. Each monument has a sign with a QR code that opens its information sheet. Up there coverage is not guaranteed: bring the track already downloaded.
Getting there
Fitor is reached by forest tracks. The most commonly used ways are those that climb from Fonteta, from Sant Climent de Peralta, which links with the Girona to Palamós road, from Mont-ras and from the Coll de la Ganga. Fonteta also belongs to Forallac, like Peratallada. Drive slowly: they are dirt tracks shared by walkers and cyclists. Park without blocking the way next to the church.
Rules
The route passes for the most part through the land of Mas Joanola, a private estate. Respect paths and fences, don’t touch the dolmen stones or the engravings and take your litter with you. With a dog, keep it on a lead.
When to go
It can be done all year. In spring and autumn the woods are most pleasant. In summer, go early and check the fire risk level on the Generalitat’s Pla Alfa beforehand: when risk is high, access to forest massifs is restricted. After heavy rain, ask about the state of the tracks.
With children
It is the short route for them: 45 minutes, little climbing and a dolmen at the end that looks like a stone house. With a pushchair you can do a good part of it, but not the final stretch. Bring water and something to eat.
If you want more, the Serra d’en Cals route starts from the same place and visits ten megalithic monuments in one morning.
- **The Serra d’en Cals dolmens route** (4 h · 10.4 km · Teenagers and adults · Self-guided · free): What it is
It is E-Route 2 of the Gavarres megalithic routes: a 10.38 km circular walk along the Serra d’en Cals and the Serra Mitjana, starting and finishing at the church of Santa Coloma de Fitor. The Consorci de les Gavarres rates it moderate in difficulty and estimates about 4 hours, stopping to see each monument. It can be done in a leisurely morning. It visits ten megalithic monuments and shows the variety of megalithic culture in the north of the Gavarres, the massif with the most dolmens in the Girona region.
The route also goes back in time: from the Camí Ral along which cork, timber and charcoal came down to Palamós, past farmhouses and medieval villages, to the prehistoric necropolises of the ridges.
The route step by step

From Fitor to Can Marines. You leave the church of Santa Coloma de Fitor heading east.
To Mas Cals. From Can Marines you follow the yellow and white marks of the short-distance trail (PR). You reach the ice well of Mas Cals and Mas Cals itself, on the Camí Ral.
Roques del Duc and charcoal-burning sites. You pass the Roques del Duc and the charcoal-burning area of Mas d’Anguila.
Dr. Pericot dolmen. You climb to this dolmen, with good views south over the Gavarres and a group of rock engravings.
Clot del Llorer and medieval settlement. You see the cist at the Clot del Llorer and the medieval settlement of the Serra d’en Cals.
The cluster of dolmens on the Serra d’en Cals. This is the central stretch: the Tres Peus dolmen, the Serra d’en Cals dolmen, the Tres Caires dolmen, the dolmen of les Maries and the Pedra Dreta de les Tres Finques, a menhir. Those of Tres Peus, Tres Caires and the Serra d’en Cals are among the best preserved.
Serra Mitjana and Roca de l’Aglà. You finish with the Serra Mitjana dolmen and the dolmen and engravings of the Roca de l’Aglà.
Back to Fitor, passing the teuleria of Mas Plaja, the old tile kiln.

How to follow it
It is an electronic route. Download the GPX track or the PDF from the Consorci de les Gavarres website and follow it on your phone with Wikiloc, OruxMaps or another app. Part of it follows the PR waymarked in yellow and white; each monument has a sign with a QR code that opens its information sheet. Coverage in the woods is patchy: bring it downloaded and with plenty of battery.
Getting there
Fitor is reached by forest tracks from Fonteta, from Sant Climent de Peralta, from Mont-ras or from the Coll de la Ganga. Drive slowly and park next to the church without blocking the way.
Rules
The route passes mostly through the lands of the estate of Joan Botey i Serra, private property. Respect paths and fences, don’t climb on the dolmens or touch the engravings, keep your dog on a lead and take your litter with you.
When to go and what to bring
Spring and autumn are the best times. In summer, start early and check the fire risk on the Generalitat’s Pla Alfa before setting out. Bring hiking footwear, at least a litre and a half of water per person and food. In winter it gets dark early: don’t start it after lunch.
Who it is for
For teenagers and adults who walk regularly. Four hours along forest tracks and trails is too much for small children; for them there is the 45-minute short Fitor dolmens route.
- **Sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the Empordà from Colomers** (2 h 30 · From age 5 · Desde 160 € per person): The balloon goes where the wind takes it, so the route changes every day: what doesn’t change is the time, at sunrise, when the air is stillest.
What it is and why it is worth it
A one-hour flight in the basket of a hot-air balloon, at between 500 and 1,200 metres up depending on the day, over the Baix Empordà plain. From above you understand the landscape: the fields in a mosaic, the River Ter winding towards the sea, the medieval villages such as Peratallada or Pals clustered on top of their hills and, on the coast, the Medes Islands and the Gulf of Roses. On clear days you can see Cap de Creus and the Pyrenees.
The shared flight carries up to 12 passengers in a large basket, with the same pilot, the same duration and the same views as the private one. The sensation is much calmer than you would expect: as the balloon travels with the wind, you barely feel any air on your face.
Who it is for
For almost everyone, from age 5. Children aged 5 to 12 fly accompanied by an adult. Pregnant women cannot fly, and the company asks for normal fitness to climb in and out of the basket and for landing in a field. If you are afraid of heights, think about it: the movement is gentle, but you are hundreds of metres off the ground.
Getting there
The meeting point is the Parc del Ter flying field, in Colomers, about 20 minutes from Peratallada. With a sunrise departure, the sensible thing is to sleep in the Empordà that night: from Barcelona you would have to leave in the small hours. The company does not publish transport from hotels, so count on having a car.
When to go
From May to August it flies every day, departing at 6:30. In March and April it goes on Saturdays and Sundays at 7:00, and from September to February at weekends at 7:45. In summer you get up earlier, but it is less cold and there are flights any day of the week. Bring a layer at any time of year: it is cool at sunrise.
What it costs and what is included
The shared flight costs €170 per adult and €105 per child aged 5 to 12; for groups of four or more, from €160 per person. The private flight, from €870. It includes the pilot, the hour of flight, a toast with cava, juice and almond sponge cake on landing, a photo report, the GPS-recorded route, a certificate and insurance. A 25% deposit is paid when booking, and the rest on the day of the flight.
If the weather doesn’t allow flying
The balloon depends on wind and rain, and the company confirms the flight 48 hours beforehand. If it can’t fly, they change the date at no cost or refund your money. That is why it is wise to have a spare day in your trip. If you don’t end up flying, the ground plan for the area includes the Iberian settlement of Ullastret and the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà.
- **Peratallada Medieval Fair** (Free entry · paid parking): What it is and what you see
The Peratallada Medieval Fair turns the village’s streets and squares into the setting of a 13th-century town. It is organised by Forallac Town Council and in 2026 celebrated its thirtieth edition. There is no enclosure: the festival fills the medieval centre, from Plaça del Castell to Plaça de les Voltes, inside the moat carved in the rock that gives the village its name.
Over the two days there is a craftspeople’s market and demonstrations of trades throughout the centre, a medieval camp of men-at-arms, archery, wooden games for young and old, donkey rides beside the stream and a tavern in Plaça del Castell. On top of that, a programme of parades, knights’ combats, mounted tournaments, dances and court music that repeats several times a day, so that you see it even if you arrive late.
When
It is held on the first weekend of October. The 2026 edition was on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October. The 2027 edition does not yet have dates on the Forallac tourism website, which is where they are announced; if it follows custom, it will fall in early October.
In 2026 Saturday began at 10:30 with the opening parade from Plaça del Castell and ended at 20:30 with a drum ritual in the same square. Sunday started at 11:00 and closed at 19:00 with the farewell parade. The camp opened from 11:00 to 19:00 and the wooden games from 10:30 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00.
The programme essentials
Using the 2026 programme as a guide, this is what not to miss:

Cavalry tournament, at L’Arbreda: Saturday at 18:30 and Sunday at 12:30.
Knights’ combat, in Plaça del Castell: both days at 18:00.
The beam-draggers (arrastradores de la viga), a comic street show that goes through the village several times a day.
How a knight got dressed, an explanation of the armour before the combat, in Plaça del Castell.
Guided visit “Descobrint la història de Peratallada”, on Saturday at 17:00 from the tourist office, 90 minutes and €5, with prior registration at turisme@forallac.cat.

The programme changes every year and is published as a PDF on the Forallac tourism website a few weeks beforehand.
Getting there and where to park
Peratallada is in the Baix Empordà, next to the GI-651. You can’t park inside the village: there are three car parks on the outskirts, with about 440 spaces between them. The upper one (de Dalt), to the west, has about 200 spaces and toilets; the lower one (de Baix), to the east, next to the Sant Feliu de Boada path, has 200 spaces and an area for coaches, vans and caravans; the church one (de l’Església), opposite Sant Esteve, only 40.
On fair days the blue zone is in force, from 9:00 to 22:30: in 2026 the first half hour was free, two hours cost €2.50 and the 13-hour maximum, €6. If you sleep in a hotel, guesthouse or tourist accommodation in the village, you park for free.
Tickets and price
Entry to the fair is free. You only pay for the guided visit, the tavern and whatever you buy at the market. Bring some cash for the small stalls.
Practical tips
Arrive before 10:30 on Saturday if you want to see the opening parade and park nearby. The alleys of the centre are narrow and fill up early: when there is no room to move, head out to the camp or the stream. The streets are stone and uneven, so a pushchair suffers; a baby carrier is better. With children, the wooden games, archery and donkey rides work without waiting for the next show. The organisers invite you to go dressed in period costume, and in Plaça del Castell there are stalls to hire or buy medieval clothes and hairstyles. With a dog, think about the crowds in the alleys.
If it rains, check for changes at the tourist office in Plaça del Castell, on 872 987 030.

## Dónde comer
- **D.O. Candelaria** (Restaurant, Peratallada, €€€). Qué pedir: sharing plates made with local produce; the menu changes with the market.
- **Restaurant La Roca** (Restaurant, Peratallada, €€). Qué pedir: seasonal Catalan cooking with local produce.
- **L’Eixida** (Restaurant, Peratallada, €€). Qué pedir: local produce with flavours from elsewhere, according to the menu of the day.
- **Restaurant El Pati** (Restaurant, Peratallada, €€). Qué pedir: lunch or dinner in the courtyard, between rock and walnut trees, inside the centre.
- **Pati Pizza** (Restaurant, Peratallada, €). Qué pedir: Neapolitan wood-fired pizza, on the courtyard terrace.

## By car: A base for the inland Empordà
With a car, Peratallada is the centre of a half-hour circle: Ullastret, the Gavarres, Pals and the coves of the Costa Brava.
Presupuesto orientativo: 90–150 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hostal Blau** (Small hotel): A 16th-century house on Carrer del Forn
Hostal Blau is a small hotel on Carrer del Forn, one of the narrow rock streets of Peratallada’s centre. It occupies a 16th-century house restored for its present use without erasing the passage of time. The décor plays with light and dark blues and with the golden ochres of the Empordà fields in summer. It has changed hands and is now run by Toña Aysa. It has capacity for about fourteen people.
The rooms
There are four types: double, superior double, double with terrace and triple. All have their own bathroom with shower and toiletries, hairdryer, air conditioning with heat pump, heating, fridge, television and wifi. The double with terrace has a large window from which you can see the village skyline and the morning light comes in. The triple occupies the house’s former kitchen, where the hearth was, with a double bed and a single, a small sitting area at the entrance and a fireplace with firewood included: useful in winter or if there are three of you.
Breakfast
Breakfast is included, with local produce: homemade jams, artisan cured meats, seasonal fruit, oats, bread and croissants. The website says nothing about lunches or dinners; there are several restaurants in the village a few steps away, on Carrer del Forn itself and around the square.
Getting there and parking
The address is Carrer del Forn, 2. The centre is pedestrianised, but parking is free for guests during their stay: hotels in the core are exempt from the blue zone that applies in high season. Girona is about 30 minutes away and Púbol about 15. From the door you have the medieval centre as far as Plaça de les Voltes and the moat cut into the rock; if it coincides with the first weekend of October, you will be sleeping inside the grounds of the Fira Medieval.
- **Ca l’Aliu** (Country house): A village house in the heart of the centre
Ca l’Aliu is a rural guesthouse in the pedestrian core of Peratallada, on Carrer de la Roca, a cobbled street that still bears the marks of cart wheels. It is run by David and Anahí, a couple who have lived in the Baix Empordà for almost thirty years and who come from more than twenty years in catering. They want you to feel at home and take particular care over breakfast, with local produce.
The rooms
It has seven rooms, for about twenty people in total: a triple, several doubles (standard, with terrace, superior and deluxe), a studio and a “double plus one” of 20 m², with a 150 cm bed and a 70 cm sofa bed for a child up to 8 years old. All have a full bathroom, air conditioning, heating, television, hairdryer and wifi.
For relaxing there is a dining room with several tables, a fully equipped kitchen that guests can use and a terrace with a porch and a large garden, with flowers, tables and chairs.
Breakfast
Breakfast is always included. The website does not offer dinners, but you can use the kitchen, and the restaurants in the centre are a few steps away. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out is at 11:00 at the latest, punctually.
Getting there and parking
You arrive by car: the house is inside the centre, where cars can’t go, and guests park free all year in the municipal car park. The nearest bus stop is about 2 km away, according to the house. From the door you have the medieval centre as far as Plaça de les Voltes, the moat cut into the rock and, a few kilometres away, the Iberian town of Ullastret and the Gavarres dolmen routes. The coves of Calella de Palafrugell, Llafranc or Tamariu and the beach at Pals are a short drive away.
- **Hotel Aatu** (Small hotel): A garden hotel on the edge of the village
Hotel Aatu is about 400 metres from the centre of Peratallada, surrounded by farmland and woodland, with three hectares of its own gardens. It is a four-star hotel designed for relaxing: outdoor terraces, spacious lounges with fireplaces, a bar and café, and two saltwater pools with sun loungers. It only admits adults and over-14s, so it works mainly for couples or groups of friends. It also has two meeting rooms and organises private celebrations.
The rooms
There are fourteen, in two settings. Seven are on the ground floor, next to the garden, with a private terrace and direct access to the pool; one of them is a suite with a garden. The other seven are on the first floor of the main building, in a more contemporary style, with walk-in showers; one is a triple. All have a minibar, Smart TV, air conditioning, safe, bathrobe, slippers, hairdryer and toiletries.
Breakfast and dinners
Breakfast is included and is a buffet served on the terraces: fruit, bread and pastries from its own oven, cheeses, cured meats, salmon, yoghurt, cereals and eggs or omelettes made to order. In the afternoon there is a bar service with drinks and snacks, also by the pools, and the hotel mentions light dinners. For a full dinner there are the restaurants in the centre a short walk away.
Getting there and what to do nearby
You arrive by car; the hotel has free parking and wifi, and from there you walk to the village without worrying about the blue zone. It offers bicycle hire, massages, yoga, guided routes, taxi and car hire. The coves of the Costa Brava are about 15 minutes away by car. Nearby you have the medieval centre of Peratallada, the Iberian town of Ullastret, the Serra d’en Cals dolmens and the sunrise balloon flight over the Empordà.
- **Hotel El Pati** (Small hotel): An 18th-century Catalan house in the centre
Hotel El Pati is a two-star hotel on Carrer Hospital, in the centre of Peratallada, surrounded by the natural stone wall, the bell tower, the Torre de les Hores and the castle. It occupies an 18th-century Catalan house carefully restored and decorated in traditional Catalan style. It is small: it has capacity for ten or twelve people, so the service is personal and it is best to book well ahead in high season.
Eating in-house
In the same building is the El Pati restaurant, with a large courtyard between natural rock, walnut trees and plants, and indoor dining rooms. It opens at lunchtime, from 12:30 to 15:15, and in the evening, from 19:30 to 22:15, and closes on Wednesdays: if you are staying that day, look for dinner at another restaurant in the village. The hotel’s website does not detail the rooms or breakfast, so ask when you book.
Getting there and parking
You can’t drive into the centre. Park in one of the three car parks around it (Dalt, to the west; l’Església, opposite Sant Esteve, or Baix, to the east) and walk up with your luggage. From 2 to 6 April, from 14 June to 14 September and on the weekend of the Fira Medieval they are blue zone, but guests of the hotels in the core don’t pay: ask the hotel how to prove it.
What to do nearby
From the door you have the medieval centre as far as Plaça de les Voltes and the moat cut into the rock and the wall. By car, a few minutes away, the Iberian town of Ullastret and the Fitor dolmens, in the Gavarres. At sunrise the balloon flight over the Empordà takes off from Colomers.
- **Hotel Mas Generós** (Small hotel): A hotel born from a garden
Mas Generós is a small, sustainable rural hotel in Fonteta, a few kilometres from Peratallada, in a landscape of holm oaks and pines in the first foothills of the Gavarres, with the Montgrí in the background and the fields of the lower Ter around. The house explains that the project began with the garden: a naturalistic garden adapted to the Empordà landscape, with a vegetable garden, aromatic herbs and a “secret garden”. It is inspired by the so-called blue zones, the places where people live longest, and translates this into a Mediterranean diet, a calm life and outdoor activity.
The rooms
There are four types: double, deluxe double (larger, with a whirlpool bath), superior with private terrace and the Mas Generós Pavilion, a separate, recently built building, made with local materials and with its own entrance, for up to eight people. On the first floor, next to the library, there is a historic piano.
Breakfast and restaurant
Breakfast is a buffet, in the garden or inside with classical music, with eggs from its hens, honey from its bees, jams and lemon curd made from the garden’s fruit, curd cheese from Fonteta and herbal teas picked each morning; there are vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free options. The restaurant, also open to non-guests, serves Mediterranean “garden” cooking with vegetables and flowers from its organic vegetable garden and recipes by its gastronomic director, Iolanda Bustos, author of Cuinar amb flors. It has an open kitchen, a stone fireplace, large windows onto the garden and a terrace in good weather, with vegetarian and vegan options. It presents itself as a restaurant for adults.
Getting there and what to do
You need a car. The address is Sant Generós, 21, in Fonteta. The house organises yoga in the garden, botanical walks, music nights, workshops and bike getaways. Peratallada, with its medieval centre and the moat cut into the rock, is a short distance away, and in the Gavarres you have the short Fitor dolmens route.
### Servicios
- **Dalt car park**: West · about 200 spaces · toilets · blue zone in season (€6 a day)
- **Baix car park**: East, next to the Sant Feliu de Boada path · 200 spaces · coaches, vans and caravans · toilets
- **L’Església car park**: Opposite Sant Esteve, from the GI-651 · 40 spaces

## With young children: A castle and fairy-tale dolmens

For small children, Peratallada is a real castle with a moat, in a village that can be walked in a short time.

### What works best
The moat and the wall, seen from outside

The centre and Plaça de les Voltes, in an hour

The short Fitor dolmens route: 1.6 km and 45 minutes

### Where to sleep
A house with a garden and a triple room in the centre

Avoid the adults-only hotel

### Where to eat
Takeaway pizza

Terraces on the square outside peak hours

### Worth knowing
Uneven cobbles: a baby carrier is better than a pushchair

In August, walk early: the stone streets hold the heat

### Qué hacer with young children
- The medieval centre, from the castle to the Plaça de les Voltes
- The moat cut into the rock and the walls
- Short Fitor dolmens walk, in the Gavarres

## As a family: Iberians, dolmens and a balloon

With children of different ages, Peratallada can fill a weekend if you add what is around it.

### What works best
The Iberian town of Ullastret, 4 km away

The balloon flight from Colomers, from age 5

The Fira Medieval, in early October

### Where to sleep
A rural guesthouse with a triple room in the centre

A rural hotel with a vegetable garden in Fonteta

### Where to eat
Pizza and Catalan restaurants

Always book at weekends

### Worth knowing
The balloon sets off at sunrise: sleep nearby

The Torre de les Hores, hours at the tourist office

### Qué hacer as a family
- The medieval centre, from the castle to the Plaça de les Voltes
- The moat cut into the rock and the walls
- The Iberian town of Ullastret, on the Puig de Sant Andreu
- Visiting the Torre de les Hores
- Short Fitor dolmens walk, in the Gavarres
- Sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the Empordà from Colomers
- Peratallada Medieval Fair

## With teenagers: More than just stones

A medieval village bores a teenager quickly. It works if there is height, a real route or history you can walk on.

### What works best
The balloon flight at sunrise

The Serra d’en Cals dolmens route: 10 km and 4 hours

The Iberian town of Ullastret, with its wall

### Where to sleep
Guesthouses in the centre: they can go out on their own around the village at night

The adults-only hotel accepts from age 14

### Where to eat
Pizza in the village

Sandwiches for the Gavarres route

### Worth knowing
Visiting the Torre de les Hores: ask for the hours at the tourist office

There is little phone coverage in the Gavarres

### Qué hacer with teenagers
- The Iberian town of Ullastret, on the Puig de Sant Andreu
- Visiting the Torre de les Hores
- The Serra d’en Cals dolmens route
- Sunrise hot-air balloon flight over the Empordà from Colomers

## Consejos

### Walk around the moat on the outside
From outside the wall you understand the name: the rock is cut sheer.

### Book for lunch
The restaurants in the old town are small and fill up on Sundays.

### Check the calendar
The Medieval Fair, in early October, changes the village: more atmosphere and more people.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Why is it called Peratallada?
From the Latin petra taiata, cut stone, documented since the 10th century: the moat that surrounds the village is dug into sandstone rock.

### How much does parking cost?
In high season, €1.50 an hour and €6 a day, with the first half hour free. Outside those periods, the council does not publish a tariff.

### Can I go with a pushchair?
The streets are stone and uneven. A baby carrier is better; the pushchair is fine in the car parks and on the road.

### What is there nearby?
The Iberian city of Ullastret, about 4 km away, the Fitor dolmens in the Gavarres and the Costa Brava beaches, a quarter of an hour away.

### Where is the tourist office?
At Plaça del Castell 3. It is open from 10:30 to 13:30 and from 16:00 to 20:00; telephone 872 987 030.

### Is it a good plan in the rain?
Half and half: the old town can be seen in a short while and the restaurants are small. Combine it with a visit to the covered museum at Ullastret.