L'Estartit a small town and seaside resort of about 3,000 permanent residents (in 2019) on the Costa Brava in Catalonia. Due to its beachfront location and sunny weather in the summer, L'Estartit is quite popular with tourists from all over Europe. It has a nice beach and easy access to diving sites just off the coast, and to the Illes Medes.
Understand
[edit]
The abundance of "for sale" and "vacation rental" signs in half a dozen languages might make the town look a bit artificial.
There are a bunch of campsites of varying price and quality catering to travellers from all over Europe, but particularly France, Germany, the Netherlands and the British Isles.
The town sits between the foothills of the Montgrí Massif and the Mediterranean Sea. L'Estartit stretches north–south from Cala Montgó, at the southern tip of the Bay of Roses (Badía de Roses) to the Ter River estuary in the Bay of Pals (Badía de Pals). East-west it extends 3 km inland from the shoreline, and includes the hills of Roca Maura and Torre Moratxa.
The advent of tourism in the Costa Brava from the 1960s onwards brought a large influx of visitors to what was then a fishing village during the summer months. The community grew exponentially for the next two decades, with houses and villas built up the hills that surround the harbour, and later with hotels, apartment blocks and campsites extending along the beach and the flood plain of the Ter estuary.
Tourism has been dwindling since the 1990s. However the underwater beauty of the Illes Medes, the large and well-equipped sports marina and the abundance of nearby golf courses keep divers, sailors and golfers coming back year after year and has seen a revival in the area's fortunes.
Get in
[edit]It's closest to Torroella de Montgrí.
By plane
[edit]Most visitors that don't arrive by car fly into Girona Airport (GRO IATA), which is served by Ryanair, among others. The airport is some 50 km from L'Estartit and there are shuttles if you don't want the cost and hassle of a rental car or changing buses. From the airport there is an hourly bus service to Girona city centre bus/train station, from where you can change for buses to l'Estartit. You can also fly into Barcelona El Prat Airport (BCN IATA) though that is more than 100 km away and the journey will involve multiple connections if you aren't hiring a car.
By bus
[edit]There is a direct bus from Girona intermodal station (bus/train) operated by Ampsa. The service operates hourly Monday-Friday, but only a few times a day at weekends and on public holidays (of which there are many, so check in advance). A single trip takes about 1 hr 15 min and costs about €6. There is a luggage hold for bulky items. Within l'Estartit the buses come in and out along Av. Grécia (stops along here in both directions) then runs along Pg. Maritim, where they start/terminate at the roundabout where the beach meets the marina.
By boat
[edit]There is a marina where private boats can land.
- 1 Port of Estartit, Passeig Marítim s/n, ☏ +34 972 751 402, [email protected]. 643 moorings for boats from 2 to 45 m, 78,000 m2 (840,000 ft²) of facilities, with travelift, parking, fuel station, mini-market, professional staff, 24 hours surveillance, selective waste collection. Canal VHF 9 - 24/7 . From €30.
Get around
[edit]
The village is rather flat and small, so walking and biking are good ways to get around. Do watch out for one way streets. Parking in peak season can be a bit of a nightmare.
See
[edit]Natural places
[edit]- 1 Cap Castell viewpoint and "la Foradada" water tunnel. Is a cape of the Montgrí Massif. It is between Cala Ferriol and Golf de la Morisca practically halfway between l'Escala and l'Estartit. Its shape is curious, in plan it slightly resembles the head of a seahorse. Its maximum height is on the isthmus that connects it to the mainland (76.1 m) and descends to the curve that turns south/southeast that rises at its end to 51.3 m. The paths that lead to it come from Alt de la Pedrosa or from the forest track between l'Escala and l'Estartit before passing the summit of Puig Torró. The isthmus/summit coincides with the presence of a cave that today crosses it from north to south at sea level, Roca Foradada or simply la Foradada. A tumular necropolis of cinerary urns similar to others found in Aquitaine or Lleida, generally dated between the 7th or 6th centuries BC, was excavated at this point.
- 2 Cala Pedrosa beach. is one of the coves and natural refuges of the Montgrí massif located in Torroella de Montgrí, about 9 km from the center of L'Estartit. It is 12 m long and 51 m wide, formed by pebbles. The cove lives up to its name, it is full of stones of all sizes and shapes and is surrounded by pine trees and rocks. It can be reached on foot from L'Estartit through the forest track that leads to L'Escala. Once you find the signposted detour, the path leads to a path that goes into a stream of blocks, pebbles and fine gravel. It is a beach without services and shallow. The submerged part of the cove forms a corridor about 100 meters long and just over 50 meters wide facing east that is protected from the onslaught of the waves by the island of La Pedrosa.
- 3 Les Salines cape (Punta de les Salines) (follow Cami de Ronda). is a cape on the coast of the Montgrí Massif to the south of the Golfet del Falaguer and to the north of Cala Calella. It is Y-shaped with one arm pointing south and the other to the east with two peaks (11.6 and 8.9 meters above sea level respectively). It is the easternmost point of the municipality of Torroella de Montgrí.
- 4 Cap de la Barra viewpoint (from the end of carrer del cap de la barra in L'Estartit, take the Cami de Ronda, after 150m there the path to the viewpoint.). On the cliffs of Cap de la Barra, at an altitude of approximately 85 m, there is a viewpoint with a beautiful view of the Medes Islands, with views of Meda Gran and Medallot, as well as the El Molinet rock. You can see the port of L'Estartit and the castle of Montgrí. The path is rugged and can be dangerous when there is a lot of wind.
- 5 Rocamaura mountain and Viewpoint. is a 225.4 m mountain that dominates the town of L'Estartit. At the top there is a geodesic vertex (and is crowned by radio communication antennas. According to historical references between 1708 and the 12th century, at the top there would have been the castle of Rocamaura, property of the Counts of Empúries, but there are no remains left.
- 6 Torre Moratxa. is an old watchtower of Torroella de Montgrí declared a cultural asset of national interest on the top of the Torre Moratxa hill. The remains of a tower, of a room partly excavated in the rock. The tower is about 4 meters high and inside it preserves a dome in the lower part. The permanent is of roughly hewn stones. This tower, dated towards the end of the medieval period, seems to have been built after the other remaining walls, which could correspond to the old Rocamaura castle.
Do
[edit]Diving
[edit]The beach is quite nice, but the big attraction here is the excellent scuba diving around the Illes Medes, composed of two uninhabited islands and numerous rocks 1–2 km offshore. The area has been protected by Natural Park status and is home to many different species of flora and fauna, both above and below the waterline. The diving here is noted for the rich fish and coral life around the islands. Groupers, various rays, barracuda and tuna all hunt here. The visibility can be excellent, and the islands have rich gardens of gorgonia and red corals. Be aware that this stretch of coast is windy, and the crossing to the islands can be rough. Be sure to take seasickness medication if you are susceptible, and expect some "interesting" exits onto a pitching lift or ladder. Operators choose the particular site to dive depending on which side of the islands is most sheltered at any given time, so don't expect to be able to choose a particular site off a menu in advance.
Dive infrastructure in l'Estartit is excellent, and there are a wealth of companies offering boat diving (guided or unguided), fills, kit hire, sales and training. Boats tend to be hard boats and some also have diver lifts to make getting out a breeze. As is the case elsewhere in Europe, diving here is pretty much exclusively done with steel 12L or 15L tanks, with full body wetsuits. Operators are unsurprisingly concentrated around the marina, so if you are here to dive, consider accommodation in that area as boats often leave quite early in the morning and it just saves time and effort to be nearby.
Autorised snorkel and diving centers
- 1 Calypso Diving, Carrer de la Cala Pedrosa 1, L'Estartit, ☏ +34 609 302 201, toll-free: +34 972 751 488, [email protected]. Long-running dive centre with multi-lingual guides and instructors (PADI). British run so very good English and popular with Brits. One hard boat with O2 and first aid, zodiac and RIB, deck shower and WC, but no lift. Ute to take kit to the marina, lockers to leave kit at the shop with rinsing tanks. About 10 min walk to the marina.
- 2 El rei del mar, Avinguda de Grècia, 5, L'Estartit, ☏ +34 972 75 13 92, [email protected].
- 3 Aquàtica Illes Medes, Paratge Camp de l´Arbre s/n, L´ Estartit, ☏ +34 972 750 656, [email protected]. The dive center is located in the campsite "Les Medes" and offers all the services. classroom equipped with all the teaching elements of SSI for theory sessions, TV, DVD and internet connection . Pool for the first practices with the team during your diving course.20 complete equipment Mares Diving Center of all sizes renewed every 2 years. Space to sweeten the equipment and save them for stays of several days. from €37.
- 4 Diving Center La Sirena, Passeig Marítim, 2, Local 2 , L´ Estartit, ☏ +34 972 750 954, [email protected]. Long-established dive centre, established since the 1960s. Multi-lingual guides and instructors (SSI and PADI), based right next to the marina with kit lockers for your own gear, and a room for hanging out your wetsuit for an automatic rinse and dry (pretty neat!), and a ute to stash your kit on to get it taken to the boats. Fleet of four hard boats with O2, first aid, zodiac and RIB, diver lifts, a deck shower and WC. Note that they do operate a camp site but this isn't near to their dive operation, so unless you have your own transport, it's better to get something closer to the marina. Mainly Spanish and French clientele, but guides happy to have English speakers along and you're never out of the loop
- 5 Hotel Les Illes & Diving, C/ Illes nº 55, L'Estartit, ☏ +34 972 75 12 39, [email protected].
- 6 Unisub, C/ Platja, 8 , L'Estartit, ☏ +34 972 75 17 68, [email protected].
- Costa Brava Divers, Passeig Marítim, 7,L'Estartit, ☏ +34 972 75 20 34, [email protected].
- 7 Xaloc diving centre, Eivissa, 1 , L'Estartit, ☏ +34 972 752 071.
- 8 Oceansub - Estartit, C/ les Salines, 23, ☏ +34 607 436 077, [email protected].
- 9 Medaqua, Passeig Marítim, 13, L'Estartit, ☏ +34 972 752 043, [email protected].
Karting
[edit]Hiking
[edit]- The long range hiking trail GR92 passes near the city
- Hike the Cami de Ronda which follows the coast to the north.
Cycling
[edit]- The Pirinexus , The Eurovelo 8 , and the Ruta del Ter routes pass by Torroella de Montgrí . You can get there by the Cami vell route, it's around 5 km (3.1 mi)
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]There's a bunch of restaurants of varying authenticity and quality along the beachfront catering to all manner of European tastes.
- 1 Il Gelatone. A pizza place.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]Campsites, hotels and vacation rentals of all kinds dot the landscape from the beach to the mountains in the hinterland. It's hard to imagine they all get booked out even in high season, but parking can indeed become rather scarce quite quickly.
- 1 Camping Castell Montgri, ☏ +34 972 751 630, [email protected]. A campsite with two pools nestled into the mountain. Get one of the upper accommodations for the views, get one of the lower ones if you don't like schlepping up the mountain. There's music on the upper pool until midnight every day, which is audible in quite some parts of the campsite.
Connect
[edit]As of Jan 2024, L'Estartit and its approach highways have 4G from Vodafone, and 5G from MasMovil, Movistar and Orange.