Question 1

Palamós on Your Own

Accepted Answer

A simple independent day in Palamós takes in the fishing port, the town and a beach. Platja Gran, the town beach, is the closest to the port, and a coastal path links the others. Museu de la Pesca: The fishing museum, in a former port shed on the fishing quay, covers the fishing life and maritime heritage of the Costa Brava. Its hours change with the season and include a midday closing; check before you go. The fishing boats: The museum offers visits to the fish auction and to fishing boats. In town: Look for the parish church of Santa Maria del Mar and the viewpoint at the Plaça Murada. The lighthouse: The Palamós lighthouse has been in service since 1 September 1865. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.

Question 2

Food in Palamós

Accepted Answer

Palamós is known for its deep-red prawns, caught by the town's trawlers and sold under the Gamba de Palamós guarantee mark. Fish landed in the port is auctioned and sold fresh every afternoon. The prawn is the deep-red species Aristeus antennatus. It is caught by trawling, and more and larger prawns are usually landed in summer. The fishermen's guild holds two auctions a day, and the catch is sold every afternoon at the Mercat de la Llotja. Since 2013 the prawn fishery has run under a management plan drawn up by the local fishermen with scientists and the authorities, the first co-management plan for a trawl fishery and a pioneer in the western Mediterranean. At the museum's Espai del Peix you can join a cooking class or try local fish dishes.

Question 3

Tipping in Spain

Accepted Answer

Tipping is not mandatory in Spain, and service charges are not added to the bill. In mid-range and upscale restaurants, you can leave a little more if the service was exemplary. Some taxi drivers ask foreign passengers for a tip, but it is in no way mandatory.

Question 4

A Brief History

Accepted Answer

Palamós was created as a royal port, when the king bought a castle and its land on this bay to give the Crown a harbor of its own on the Girona coast. Raids, wars and trade with the Americas all left their mark in the centuries that followed. 3rd or 2nd millennium BC: The Dolmen de Montagut, on the hill of Montagut, is the earliest evidence of people here. 6th century BC to 1st century AD: The Iberian Indigetes lived in a stone settlement, the Castell de la Fosca, on a rocky point at the north end of Platja de Castell. 1277 and 1279: Peter the Great bought the castle of Sant Esteve de Mar in 1277 and granted the town its founding charter in 1279. 1285: The Catalan fleet defeated the French in the Battle of Les Formigues, near the islets just offshore. 1543: The town was destroyed in a raid by Barbarossa. 1673: Palamós was fortified with new walls. 1726: The Duke of Sessa rebuilt and enlarged the port with a new quay, opening trade with the Americas and the export of cork stoppers to France. Early 20th century: The port enjoyed its greatest prosperity with the cork-stopper industry. 1887 to 1956: A narrow-gauge railway ran from Palamós, reaching Flaçà by 1887 and Girona by 1921. About 1930 to the mid-20th century: Around 1930 motorized trawlers in Catalonia began to reach the deep prawn grounds, more than 400 meters down, and prawns have been fished off Palamós since the middle of the 20th century. 2002: The Museu de la Pesca opened in the port. To learn more ashore: The Museu de la Pesca, at Calle del Muelle in the port, tells the story of the Costa Brava's fishing life from inside the working fishing quay.

Question 5

Palamós with Children

Accepted Answer

Palamós suits families who want a beach day with something to look at between swims, from fishing boats in the port to beaches with play areas. A coastal path gives older children a longer walk. Younger children: Platja d'es Monestrí slopes gently into the water and has lifeguards, pedal boats and a children's play area. Sant Antoni beach, sheltered by breakwaters, also has a play area. School age: At the fishing museum, join a visit to the fishing boats, or watch the auction from the gallery of the Espai del Peix. Teenagers: Walk the coastal path from La Fosca to Platja de Castell, one of the last undeveloped beaches on the Costa Brava, among the pines. Castle ruins: The ruins of the castle of Sant Esteve stand on a cliff between La Fosca beach and the cove of S'Alguer, and only some tower bases and walls survive.

Question 6

Accessibility

Accepted Answer

Several Palamós beaches have ramps for people with reduced mobility, and some also have amphibious chairs for getting into the water. Ask at the tourist office about the beach nearest the port. Sant Antoni and Platja d'es Monestrí have ramps and amphibious chairs. Platja Gran is adapted for wheelchair users, though its entry into the water is very steep. La Fosca has access ramps, and Platja de Castell has ramps and walkways.

Question 7

Beaches and Coves

Accepted Answer

Palamós has long sandy beaches and small rocky coves, and a coastal path through the pines links them. Platja Gran is 990 meters of fine sand, with lifeguards, showers and parasol rental, and a steep entry into the water. Sant Antoni beach, which runs on almost without a break from Platja Gran, is 1,700 meters long, protected by breakwaters and has a gentle slope into the water. La Fosca is split in two by the Roca Fosca, a large black rock, and is backed by summer houses from the early 20th century. Platja de Castell, reached by the coastal path from La Fosca, lies within the Castell-Cap Roig natural area, 100 hectares of protected land, and has a bar, lounger rental and lifeguards. Cala Margarida is a cove of coarse sand and stones, with a row of old fishermen's huts behind it, now used as summer houses.

Palamos

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Arriving in Palamós