The tall bell tower of Santa Maria can be seen from anywhere in Vilanant and from the neighbouring municipalities too. Another, quite different feature of the area is La Garriga d’Empordà, a landscape shaped by dry-stone structures. The themes described here therefore bring together a building visible from far away and a cultural landscape whose distinctive forms are made of stone.

Church architecture and traces of the past

The chapel of Sant Jaume dels Verders, also known as Sant Jaume dels Solers, is an 18th-century building. Older remains dating from the 11th century are also present there. Just a few metres from the chapel is Castell dels Moros. The short distance between them gives you a concrete sense of the geographical connection between these two historic names.

Another glimpse of the architecture is offered by the parish church of Sant Martí de Taravaus. It is late Romanesque and dates from the 13th century. Its single-nave layout and semicircular apse define the building. “Single-nave” describes a church with one main nave; the apse forms the rounded end of the choir. These features make the description vivid without reducing the church to a date or architectural style.

Dry-stone landscape and viewpoints

La Garriga d’Empordà is a landscape shaped by dry-stone structures. These include dry-stone walls, stone piles, paths and huts. Their origins are also part of the landscape: stones were cleared from the plots during cultivation and then used to build these structures. Walls, piles, paths and huts illustrate different forms of the same traditional use of stone.

At the Mirador de La Garriga, there are two viewpoints with different purposes: one is intended for birdwatching, while the other is for interpreting the landscape. If you are interested in observing nature, the first is the one to visit; the second focuses your attention on the landscape. This distinction can help you decide what to focus on during your visit, without treating the two viewpoints as the same experience.

Mountain biking routes with different points of reference

Mountain biking route 15, La Garriga d’Empordà, passes through Vilanant and follows the Rissec between woods and meadows. For mountain biking route 24, Vilanant, the geographical description focuses on the area around Vilanant, Avinyonet de Puigventós and Taravaus. The routes therefore offer different points of reference: route 15 names the Rissec and the landscape along its course, while route 24 identifies the places in whose surroundings it runs. These details give you two concrete starting points if you are interested in a mountain biking route.

Festivals in May and August

The Fira de la Flor i el Jardí takes place in May as Vilanant’s Sant Isidre festival. It includes sardanes, a fair in honour of Saint Isidre and a flower fair. The event thus combines traditional religious and cultural elements with its floral focus.

Another seasonal event is Vilanant’s Mostra Gastronòmica. It takes place at venues in the village during the second week of August; dates and programmes may vary from year to year. May and the second week of August therefore offer different time windows for a visit centred on an event. If you would like to plan your trip around one of the festivals, check the dates for the relevant edition in advance.

Discover more destinations: Castelló D’empúries, Castell-Platja d’Aro, Sant Jaume De Llierca, Vilanova de la Muga, Cistella, Planoles, Ordis, Sant Julià del Llor

For the regional travel overview: Girona.