The Riera d’Anyet crosses Sant Climent Sescebes from north to south, giving the town a clear landscape axis. The foothills of the Albera, megalithic remains and recurring festivals add to its character. If you’re weighing up nature, cultural heritage, cycling and regional wine, you’ll find several distinct points of interest. Choose your destination according to whether you’d like to focus on landscapes and trails, archaeological sites or a cultural event.
Landscape between the river and the Albera
The municipality covers a large part of the middle valley of the Riera d’Anyet. Together with the surrounding hills at the foothills of the Albera, the landscape can be understood in terms of the river’s course and its elevations: the hills reach around 300 metres. In addition to the Serra de Mirapols, Corral d’en Comas stands at 413 metres. These figures show two different scales: the approximate height of the surrounding hills and a specific elevation point near the Serra.
Water features also form part of the landscape, although they have different characteristics. The municipality’s wetlands include Estany d’en Pous, which appears during the rainy season. Font Pudosa is on the banks of the Riera d’Anyet, about 300 metres beyond the bridge on the road from Capmany to Roses. Its water emerges at 28.5°C and has a pronounced hydrogen sulfide smell. In 2009, it was officially recognised as mineral-medicinal and thermal water.
Megalithic sites and cultural heritage
The megalithic route passes below the Sepulcre de Corredor de la Gutina and also runs by the Menhir de la Murtra. This menhir is 3.45 metres high; a smaller menhir, measuring 1.70 metres, stands beside it. The measurements give a clear impression of the two related monuments, whose significance is not limited to a single attraction.
Santa Fe dels Solers is considered one of the most interesting pre-Romanesque buildings in the EmpordĂ . Near VilartolĂ, the trenches known as Les Trinxeres are also still visible, including those at Serra d’en Cintet and Collet de les Feixetes. Megalithic remains, pre-Romanesque architecture and visible remnants of the trenches therefore represent different historical points of reference.
Festivals throughout the year
La PassiĂł de Sant Climent has been performed every Holy Week without interruption since its first staging on Good Friday in 1976. The performances take place outdoors in a natural setting at Horta d’en CusĂ. They use an original script that is changed every year. This makes the tradition not only a regular fixture in the annual calendar, but also a performance with a changing script.
The town also celebrates two major annual festivals: the winter festival on 23 November and the summer festival on 29 August. Both include Sardana performances and dancing. The festival days mark different seasons; if you’d like to plan your trip around one of these events, you can use the respective dates as a guide.
Trails, cycling and wine
Numerous hiking and cycling routes lead from Sant Climent Sescebes into the protected natural area of l’Albera. The megalithic route combines outdoor activity with visits to specific megalithic sites. For mountain biking and gravel cycling, the local tourism website recommends the Vinyes dels Aspres route, including the notable climb to Castell de Requesens. For road cycling, secondary roads lead to destinations such as Coll de Banyuls and Sant Pere de Rodes. The cycling options therefore vary by focus: mountain biking and gravel on the recommended route, or road cycling to the destinations mentioned.
Wine and vineyard tourism can also involve more than a wine tasting: experiences in the vineyards are suggested alongside tastings. If you’re weighing up culture, outdoor activity and wine, you’ll find different themes to consider when planning your trip, without having to combine them into a single excursion.
Getting there and finding accommodation
Sant Climent Sescebes is six kilometres from the N-II. A road running parallel to the Albera leads from this main road towards Roses. Both AP-7 exits, Figueres (exit 4) and La Jonquera (exit 2), are 18 kilometres away. These road connections provide a guide for planning your journey. When looking for a hotel or other accommodation, you can first decide whether cultural heritage and festivals, hiking and cycling routes, or wine and vineyard tourism will shape your stay.
Discover more destinations: Selva, Marzà , Porqueres, La Bisbal D'empordà , Sant Mori, Maçanet De La Selva, Regencós, Ordis.
For the broader travel overview: Girona.
