Pals Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Pals. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• Girona & Costa Brava Small-Group Tour With Pickup From Barcelona

• Girona & Costa Brava Private Tour and Hotel Pickup From Barcelona

• Costa Brava and Medieval Villages Small Group From Girona

• Three Medieval Gems & Local Lunch Private Tour From Barcelona

• Medieval Costa Brava Day Trip From Girona

Pals is free to visit. But many travelers opt for the convenience of discovering it on a tour of the medieval towns around the Costa Brava and Girona. Prices for these start at around US$155 per person for a small-group tour, with private tours from roughly US$195 per person.

Yes, Pals is worth visiting. Perched on a hilltop and surrounded by an ancient wall, this tiny place is one of Catalonia's prettiest medieval villages and a must for photographers and history buffs alike. Viewpoints offer spectacular vistas of plains, massif, and islands out to sea. Joining a tour is an easy way to see not just Pals but other medieval gems, including the historic city of Girona, without any of the stress of navigating, research, or finding parking.

Per one customer who booked the Girona & Costa Brava Small-Group Tour With Pickup From Barcelona, "Thank you, Chema, for an amazing day exploring the northeast of Barcelona! Your enthusiasm, insights, and attention to detail turned the tour into something far beyond a simple visit. I'm grateful for the time you spent and for showing me places I would have never found on my own. The places you chose, the stories you shared as you had grown up in the area enhanced the beauty of storytelling and the relaxed, friendly way you guided the day made it truly special. Thank you for dedicating your time and for helping me discover such beautiful corners of Catalonia/[Girona]/Costa Brava."

The mountaintop town of Pals is renowned for its remarkably preserved medieval center, with its atmospheric cobbled lanes, old city walls, and historic fortress. Pals is also an important gastronomic center, known for its rice production, lively weekly food market, and annual summer food and wine festival.

The hilltop medieval town of Pals, along Spain’s Costa Brava, hosts a popular weekly market held each Tuesday morning (9am–2pm) along Avenida Europa de Pals. The lively market is best known for its fresh produce, including Catalan cheeses, oils, wines, and locally produced rice products.

The exact date Pals was founded is unknown, but documentary evidence indicates a castle stood there in AD 889. Most of the town’s medieval architecture dates from the 12th to 16th centuries, but the name “Pals” comes from “Palus,” which means "swampy place" in Latin, hinting at possible Roman roots.

The medieval town of Pals sits along the Costa Brava, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northeast of Barcelona. It’s about a 90-minute drive to Pals from Barcelona, or you can take the train to Girona (1 hour, 14 minutes) followed by a bus to Pals (1 hour, 5 minutes).

Pals is small enough to visit on a day trip, and you can stroll around the medieval town, admire the views from the Tower of Hours, and browse the local market before enjoying some traditional Catalan cuisine at one of the many restaurants or heading down to the beach.

There are tons of fun things to do when you're done visiting Pals. According to travelers, these are some of the top attractions in and around Girona:

• Girona Cathedral

• Onyar River

• Girona Jewish Quarter

• Palamós

• Girona Arab Baths

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in Girona.