Girona · Cataluña
Santa Pau
- Province
- Girona
- Status
- Conjunto Histórico
- Population
- 1589
- Elevation
- 496 m
Santa Pau is a heritage town in the province of Girona, Cataluña, Spain. Population 1589 (2013), elevation 496m.
A well-preserved medieval village in Girona's volcanic landscape, its porticoed square and castle at the heart of a town declared a Historic Artistic Monument.
Key facts
- Province
- Girona
- Heritage status
- Conjunto Histórico
- Population
- 1589 (2013)
- Elevation
- 496 m
History of Santa Pau
Santa Pau was the centre of the Barony of Santa Pau, a medieval lordship whose influence shaped this compact stone town. The settlement has survived largely intact, earning it official status as a Historic Artistic Monument. The castle of Santa Pau stands directly on the town's porticoed main square, its façade forming part of the everyday life of the place rather than sitting apart from it.
Heritage & Monuments
The town has three churches worth seeking out: Santa María, San Vicente, and Sant Honorat, which holds a 1340 alabaster altarpiece. Nearby, the Monastery of Sant Julià del Mont and two Romanesque sanctuaries add to the picture — the Sanctuary of the Virgen dels Arcs, with its Romanesque apse and espadaña bell tower, and the Sanctuary of Santa Margarita de la Cot, which sits inside the crater of the Santa Margarita volcano. The surrounding landscape includes the Croscat volcano and the Jordà beech forest, which grows on a flat lava flow from Croscat.
The comedy film El pregón, starring Andreu Buenafuente and Berto Romero and directed by Dani de la Orden, was shot here.
Where to eat in Santa Pau
Ratings & restaurant data from Google.
Traditional food & drink in Cataluña
- Pa amb tomàquet
- — Bread rubbed with ripe tomato, olive oil and salt — the foundation of Catalan eating.
- Escalivada
- — Smoky char-roasted aubergine and peppers dressed in olive oil.
- Calçots
- — Sweet grilled spring onions dipped in romesco sauce, the centre of winter calçotada feasts.
- Botifarra
- — A Catalan pork sausage, typically grilled and served with white beans.
- Crema catalana
- — A citrus-and-cinnamon custard under a brittle caramelised sugar crust.
- Cava
- — Spain's traditional-method sparkling wine, centred on the Penedès.
Watch: Cava
Gallery
Location
Quick answers
Is Santa Pau worth visiting?▾
A well-preserved medieval village in Girona's volcanic landscape, its porticoed square and castle at the heart of a town declared a Historic Artistic Monument.
Why is Santa Pau a heritage town?▾
Santa Pau is officially designated a Conjunto Histórico — Spain's national protection for historic town ensembles (Conjuntos Históricos).
What is the traditional food in Cataluña?▾
Cataluña is known for Pa amb tomàquet, Escalivada, Calçots and Botifarra. You'll find these regional specialities in and around Santa Pau.
Where is Santa Pau?▾
Santa Pau lies in the La Garrocha comarca, in the province of Girona, Cataluña, Spain.
How big is Santa Pau?▾
Santa Pau has a population of about 1589 (2013), and sits at 496 m above sea level.
What is there to see in Santa Pau?▾
The town has three churches worth seeking out: Santa María, San Vicente, and Sant Honorat, which holds a 1340 alabaster altarpiece. Nearby, the Monastery of Sant Julià del Mont and two Romanesque sanctuaries add to the picture — the Sanctuary of the Virgen dels Arcs, with its Romanesque apse and espadaña bell tower, and the Sanctuary of Santa Margarita de la Cot, which sits inside the crater of the Santa Margarita volcano.
Nearby heritage towns
Perched on a basalt cliff above two rivers in Girona province, Castellfollit de la Roca is a medieval village whose volcanic rock streets and Renaissance church tower over one of Cataluña's most dramatic natural platforms.
A former independent county capital in Girona, its medieval bridges, Jewish baths, Romanesque monastery, and Gothic palace forming one of Catalonia's most coherent surviving medieval ensembles.
A medieval stone village in Barcelona's inland hills, its Romanesque churches, cobbled streets, and houses of noble origin rooted in nearly eleven centuries of continuous settlement.
Home to a monastery founded in the ninth century above the River Ter, Sant Joan de les Abadesses stands on the Catalan stretch of the Camino de Santiago in the province of Girona.
Visiting from a nearby city?
Santa Pau makes a great day trip from:
Last updated 14 July 2026.