Pals

The name Pals most likely comes from the Latin *palus*, meaning marshy ground, though some link it to Pallas Athena, as with Palau or Palencia. The castle was first recorded in 889, when the French king Odo I made a donation referencing it as the castle of Mont-Àspre. A second document from 994 records the Counts of Barcelona, Ramon Borrell and Ermessenda, handing the tower of Pals and the church of Sant Pere to the Bishop of Girona. By the late medieval period it had passed through several noble hands before returning to the Counts of Barcelona in 1065.

Between 1380 and 1482 a series of peasant uprisings known as the Guerra dels Remences escalated into the Catalan Civil War against King John II. The castle was badly damaged in the conflict, and the king allowed its stone to be reused for rebuilding the church of Sant Pere and the town walls. Only the circular tower survived, now known as the Torre de les Hores. In 1501, under Ferdinand the Catholic, Pals was formally organised as an independent municipality with the status of a town and the power to levy taxes.

The old town centres on the Torre de les Hores, a Romanesque tower built between the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The Gothic quarter around it has cobbled streets, rounded arches, ogival windows, and stone balconies. Four square towers from the fourteenth century remain standing in the town walls.

Other points of interest include the Mirador de Josep Pla — with views over the Empordà plains and the Medes Islands — the Plaça Major, medieval tombs along the Carrer Major, the church of Sant Pere, and a Museum of Archaeology.

The nearest airports are Girona–Costa Brava and Barcelona El Prat; both connect by shuttle to Girona city centre and the main coastal resorts. There is no railway in Pals — the closest station is Flaçà. By road, the AP-7 motorway runs north–south between France and Barcelona: from the north, take exit 9 (Vidreres/Lloret) and follow the road via Torrent to Pals; from the south, head towards Palamós and then on via Torrent.

The village centre is small and best explored on foot, but a car is useful for reaching the beach and getting around this part of Spain generally. Pals is known for high-quality artisanal rice production, and traditional pottery is sold in several ceramics shops in town. As of January 2024, the town and its approach roads have 4G coverage from MasMovil, Orange, and Vodafone, and 5G from Movistar.