Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Sant Feliu de Guíxols
Municipality

Flag

Coat of arms
Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Location in Catalonia

Coordinates: 41°47′N 3°02′E / 41.783°N 3.033°E / 41.783; 3.033Coordinates: 41°47′N 3°02′E / 41.783°N 3.033°E / 41.783; 3.033
Country  Spain
Community  Catalonia
Province Girona
Comarca Baix Empordà
Government
  Mayor Carles Motas López (2015)[1]
Area[2]
  Total 16.2 km2 (6.3 sq mi)
Elevation 4 m (13 ft)
Population (2014)[1]
  Total 21,810
  Density 1,300/km2 (3,500/sq mi)
Demonym(s) guixolenc, guixolense, feliuense,"ganxó"
Website guixols.cat

Sant Feliu de Guíxols (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈsam fəˈɫiw ðə ˈɣiʃuɫs]) is a municipality in the comarca of the Baix Empordà in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated on the Costa Brava and is an important port and tourist centre. The district abuts to the north, the upmarket s'Agaró resort built round the Sant Pol Beach. In addition to tourism and the port the cork industry is a traditionally local industry. The town contains a large monastery which now houses the town museum and is a protected historico-artistic monument. The C-253 road runs north along the coast to Platja d'Aro and Palamós, while the C-65 road runs inland from the town. The GI-682 provides a dramatic cliff top drive to Tossa de Mar to the south.

Geography and climate

View of the old port of Sant Feliu de Guíxols.

Located on the Mediterranean, Sant Feliu de Guíxols has idylic weather almost all year long. The coastline of Sant Feliu de Guíxols spreads over ten kilometes (6.2 miles). It also includes many little bays with coves surrounded by pines with rocky or fine sand beaches. The beaches are cleaned daily and a modern water treatment system prevents wastewater from entering the sea. The town is engulfed by small mountains, with forests of pine, oak, and cork trees.

Etymology

The name Sant Feliu goes back to the martyred saint, Feliu, who came from Africa. Guíxols is a word derived from the former word Iecsalis, of a document the 10th century that mentions to the monastery and that seems to mean "Rope-maker"

History

Sant Feliu de Guíxols in 1894.
Women in the old market.

The Original Nucleus of the Town A township started to grow up on the basis of the various activities surrounding the Monestir de Sant Feliu de Guíxols. The settlement grew, and soon dwellings started to spring up on the other side of the watercourse, which would become the nucleus of the medieval town, centered on the market.

Monuments

Sant Feliu de Guíxols Monastery
Inside Sant Feliu de Guíxols' monastery

. el corsari, a bar built in a cave

Events

Sant Feliu de Guíxols is located in an area known for its parties, festivals and especially its carnivals. It has one of the best carnivals in the Costa Brava, as do the towns Platja d'Aro and Palamós.

The Porta Ferrada International Festival, instituted in 1958, is celebrated in the town's monastery, and has become internationally popular with time. It involves theatre, music, and dance, and is usually celebrated in the summer.

The Festa Major is a traditional, Catalan festival, celebrated on August 1. It is dedicated to the town's patron saint, St. Feliu.

Twin cities

Sant Feliu de Guíxols is twinned with:

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Monday, January 25, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.