Palamós

Palamós (Catalan pronunciation: [pələˈmos]) is a town and municipality in the Mediterranean Costa Brava, located in the comarca of Baix Empordà, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Palamós is located at the northern end of a large bay. The town is by-passed by the C31 which connects the coastal towns of the central Costa Brava with Girona. Palafrugell lies 8.5 kilometres (5.3 mi) to the north and Castell-Platja d'Aro 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) to the south.[4]

Palamós
Municipality
View of Palamós from the beach of Sant Antoni de Calonge
View of Palamós from the beach of Sant Antoni de Calonge
Coat of arms of Palamós
Coat of arms
Palamós is located in Province of Girona
Palamós
Palamós
Palamós is located in Catalonia
Palamós
Palamós
Palamós is located in Spain
Palamós
Palamós
Coordinates: 41°51′00″N 3°07′45″E
Country Spain
Community Catalonia
ProvinceGirona
ComarcaBaix Empordà
Government
 • MayorLluis Puig Martorell (2015)[1]
Area
[2]
 • Total14.0 km2 (5.4 sq mi)
Elevation
30 m (100 ft)
Population
 (2018)[3]
 • Total17,898
 • Density1,300/km2 (3,300/sq mi)
DemonymCatalan: Palamosí (m) Palamosina (f)
Websitewww.palamos.cat

Palamós is a staging point on the GR 92 long distance footpath, which runs the length of the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Stage 8, to the north, follows the cliffs to the beach at La Fosca before taking an inland route to Calella de Palafrugell and then following the coast again through Llafranc, Tamariu and Fornells de Mar to the next staging point at Begur, a distance of 23.0 kilometres (14.3 mi). Stage 9, to the south, follows the beachfront promenade to Sant Antoni de Calonge and then the coast through Platja d'Aro and S'Agaró to the next staging point at Sant Feliu de Guíxols, a distance of 16.8 kilometres (10.4 mi).[4][5]

History

The first evidence of human settlement in the Palamós area is the Dolmen de Montagut, on the top of Montagut hill between Palamós and Vall-llobrega. Dating from the 3rd or 2nd millennium BC, this has 3 slabs in their original state and the remains of a tomb that these once covered.[6][7]

Evidence exists of an early settlement lies around 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) north-east of the town, on a rocky promontory at the north end of Platja de Castell beach. The Castell de la Fosca is a stone settlement of the Iberian Indigetes people which seems to have been inhabited from the 6th century BC to the 1st century AD.[8]

Further south than the Castell de la Fosca, but still north of the current town and port, is the Castell de Sant Esteve de Mar. Archaeological evidence suggests that this site was occupied from the Roman period, and that the site was fortified in the twelfth century AD. By the thirteenth century, Peter II of Barcelona (also known as Peter III of Aragon) was looking to found a new port on the coast as the previous royal port in the region at Torroella de Montgrí on the River Ter had silted up. In 1277, he bought the castle and its estate, which included the site of the current port, with that in mind. As a consequence of the purchase, Palamos was founded and recognised as a village on 3 December 1279.[9][10]

The site of the current port was used during the Roman period and before, but it was then disused until it was rebuilt after Peter's purchase of 1277. In 1285, the Battle of Les Formigues was fought near the Formigues Islands, just offshore from Palamós, resulting in a victory for the Catalan fleet over the French.[11][12]

Palamós was the birthplace of Frederic Pujulà i Vallès (1877-1962), a journalist and dramatist who was a pioneer of Esperanto literature.[13]

Palamós was served by the 750 mm (2 ft 5+1⁄2 in) gauge Palamós–Girona–Banyoles railway, which reached a junction with the Barcelona–Cerbère railway at Flaçà by 1887 and was extended to Girona by 1921. Service on the line continued until 1956.[14][15]

Economy

The town is a major port (with the closure of Sant Feliu de Guíxols the only commercial harbour in the Province of Girona) with one of the last remaining fishing fleets on this part of the Mediterranean coast. It is famous for the locally caught prawns from Palamós (Catalan: gambes).[16]

The town's major economic activities until the second half of the 20th century were fishing and cork manufacturing. In the sixties, however, the town saw a rapid growth of tourism. The architecture of Palamos itself remained relatively unchanged with most development focused to the south at Sant Antoni de Calonge which now merges with Palamos. The bay between the two is popular for sailing, swimming and windsurfing. The town's nightlife is focused on the old port which is surrounded by bars and restaurants.[8]

Sport

The town is home to Palamós CF the local football club. They share their ground, the Estadi Palamós Costa Brava with the small, but over-achieving club UE Llagostera, as the club's stadium, Estadi Municipal de Llagostera, didn't meet the LFP criteria.

  • Palamós
    Palamós
  • The port; in the background a forest fire near Platja d’Aro
    The port; in the background a forest fire near Platja d’Aro
  • The church Santa Maria del Mar
    The church Santa Maria del Mar
  • Cala S'Alguer, Palamós
    Cala S'Alguer, Palamós

References
  1. "Ajuntament de Palamós". Generalitat of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-13.
  2. "El municipi en xifres: Palamós". Statistical Institute of Catalonia. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
  3. Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
  4. Empordà Costa Brava - Sud (Map). 1:30,000. Editorial PIOLET i Consell Comarcal del Baix Empordà. March 2012.
  5. "GR 92: Sender de la Mediterrània" [GR 92: Mediterranian Path]. www.catalunya.com (in Catalan). Archived from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
  6. "Vestigis prehistòrics" [Prehistoric remains] (in Catalan). Ajuntament de Vall-llobrega. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  7. Sabater i Selrà, Daniel (2017). Les Gavarres: 50 indrets amb encant [Les Gavarres: 50 charming places] (in Catalan) (1st ed.). Sant Vicenç de Castellet, Barcelona: Farell. ISBN 978-84-92811-89-2. OCLC 1018111991.
  8. "Història" [History] (in Catalan). Ajuntament de Palamós. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  9. "Castell de Sant Esteve de Mar" (in Catalan). Generalitat de Catalunya. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  10. "Sant Esteve de Mar castle". Generalitat de Catalunya. Archived from the original on 14 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  11. Orvietani Busch, Silvia (2001). Medieval mediterranean ports: the Catalan and Tuscan coasts, 1100 to 1235. p. 35. ISBN 9004120696.
  12. Crònica de Ramon Muntaner/Capítol CXXXV, in the Catalan Wikisource (Vikitexts)
  13. "Frederic Pujulà i Vallès". Gran enciclopèdia catalana (in Catalan). Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  14. "Railways in Catalunya". callCarlos. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  15. "Petit Train Greenway". viasverdes.com. Archived from the original on 23 November 2022. Retrieved 23 November 2022.
  16. "Palamos Gambas : Catalunya Lifestyle Magazine". www.catalanlife.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2004. Retrieved 17 January 2022.

Bibliography
  • Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona: Caixa de Catalunya. ISBN 84-87135-01-3 (Spanish). ISBN 84-87135-02-1 (Catalan).
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