What to visit
The weight of history. Empúries and the archeological sites.
Alt Empordà Route
A trail which takes us along wide agricultural roads with compact gravel paving. From Sant Martí d’Empúries we find a walkway for pedestrians and cyclists which is separated from other traffic and paved with asphalt.
L’ARMENTERA I CINCLAUS
Once we distance ourselves from the River Muga, we then pass through the village of L’Armentera, which is dominated by a Neoclassic church and a very well preserved mill. Passing through apple orchards, we then go through the small hamlet of Cinclaus with a chapel dating back to the 10th century.
SANT MARTÍ D’EMPÚRIES
A small medieval settlement that was the first capital of the county and that preserves the original street outline and the shields and symbols of the nobles who still figure on the stone façades of many houses. In the village square, dominated by the parish church, we can choose from the numerous restaurants that have gained a good reputation thanks to their high quality and the uniqueness of the place where they are located.
Behind the church we find one of the best viewpoints of the Alt Empordà of the Costa Brava. From here we can catch a glimpse of the peaks of the Pyrenees, often covered in snow, of the entire Golf de Roses and, to the south, L’Escala and Montgrí.
- The greek port and the archeological remains of Empúries. It is at this precise spot where the Greeks decided to land their ships and take up settlement. The magnificent Greek port that can be observed from this viewpoint, and that represents one of the most monumental works of engineering of ancientIt is at this precise spot where the Greeks decided to land their ships and take up settlement. The magnificent Greek port that can be observed from this viewpoint, and that represents one of the most monumental works of engineering of ancienttimes on the Iberian peninsula, bears testimony to this. As a result of the site’s history as the point of entry to the peninsula for the Greeks, Empúries was chosen as the ideal location to receive the Olympic flame during the Olympic Games held in Barcelona in 1992. If we continue our route southwards, after a few hundred meters we will find an outdoor array of magnificent archeological remains on our right. To access the ruins we need to find the entrance by following the perimeter towards the south east. This is the only place where we can find a Greek city and working site, alongside a settlement of the Indigetes and a Roman city. The entire area can be covered in around two hours to discover what the houses, temples, markets and shops of the different settlements were like.
