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Costa Brava The Costa Brava is one of the most famous Spanish coasts, stretching for 160 kilometers between the French border and Spain's ruggedly beautiful "wild coast" is undoubtedly one of the most scenic coastal strips in the whole of mainland Spain, boasting endless miles of sandy beaches and countless rocky coves backed by pine-clad cliffs. Mercifully the Costa Brava has somehow managed to meet the demands of tourism whilst at the same time retaining a special beauty, character and charm which have been delighting visitors for decades. L'Escala
Empúries Throughout the 7th century BC, the indigenous inhabitants of this area of the Empordà coast lived in different places on the headlands and hills within a large marshland. One of these settlements from the Iron Age was on a small isthmus, where the village of Sant Martà d'Empúries is found today. This settlement dates back to the end of the Bronze Age (9th century BC and had trade contacts with the Etruscans, the Phoenicians and the Greek. In the first half of the 6th century BC Greek traders from Phocaea founded a first settlement (the Palaià Pólis) and years later created the new sector of the city (the Néa Pólis), the remains of which can be seen at the archaeological site. The colony was called Emporion, which in Greek means market. The city developed thanks to the commercial activity of the Greeks with the indigenous peoples of the Peninsula. In fact, their influence and culture were the features that conditioned the development of the indigenous people, giving rise to the birth of the Iberian culture. The Iberian peoples of the Empordà belonged to the indiketes tribe.
As Gerunda (Girona), Barcino (Barcelona), Tarraco (Tarragona) and other Roman cities on the Peninsula became increasingly more important, so Emporiae gradually lost its importance. In the second half of the 3rd century AD, the whole of the Roman city and the area of the Neapolis were abandoned, and the people settled in Sant Martà d'Empúries. After the invasion of the Moors and its recovery by the Franks (8th century) Empúries was the capital of the Carolingian county of Empúries and was later the capital of the mediaeval county of Empúries until the 11th century, when the capital was moved to Castelló. From that time Empúries was inhabited by a small group of fishermen who in the 16th century founded the town of L'Escala. Excavation of Empúries started in 1908 and has continued almost without interruption to the present, yet only 25% of the site has been unearthed. Empúries occupies a beautiful location on the Costa Brava and is a must see for visitors to Catalonia who have an interest in roman history. You’ll need a couple of hours to see the excavations and to enjoy the audio visual show which tells the full history of the site. Girona (Gerona) The ancient and beautiful city of Girona is located about 60 miles north of Barcelona. A beautiful historic city with the old The Arabian Baths are located in a Romanesque building inspired by the Roman thermal or public baths. The most outstanding of the three rooms, each with a different temperature of the water, is the cold water room. The Archeological Museum which was originally the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants contains an important collection of prehistoric objects together with others from Greek and Roman periods, as well as a unique collection of Hebrew tombstones. Girona’s Cathedral is the result of various superimposed styles. The interior contains numerous works of art such as the reredos and silver altar canopy, Gothic tombs and baroque altar paintings. The renowned Tapestry of the Creation, the Beatus, and a rich collection of medieval gold and silver works are exhibited in the Capitular Museum. The Palace of the Agullana Family is one of the most relevant baroque areas of the ancient quarter, the arch is one of the foremost features of the city often depicted in paintings, iconography and photographs, not forgetting the Rambla de la Llibertat; containing characteristic porches and various items of architectural interest in the interior of shops and business premises which are testimony of continuous use of this area throughout the ages. The people of Girona are demonstrably proud of their archeological treasures and vibrant culture and eagerly share its riches with scholars and tourists alike. Visit one of the many attractions around the province of Girona such as the valley of Sant Daniel; a great natural reserve that has been praised by poets and painted by artists, also in the valley is the Monastery of Sant Daniel, or visit the Convent of Sant Domènec; this single-nave church which was one of the first Gothic buildings constructed in Catalunya. Barcelona Catalonia's capital, located at the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona is quite simply one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in the world. It is both medieval, with an outstanding Gothic Quarter and thoroughly modern. It is one of the trendiest places on the planet whilst steadfastly clinging to its age-old traditions. The credit for much of Barcelona’s extraordinary beauty lies with Antoni Gaudi who must surely rank as one of the greatest architects of all time. His influence can be seen all over the city in works of the most awesome architecture which attract visitors from across the globe. The Gaudi magic alone would be enough to make Barcelona one of the great cities of Europe. But there’s so much more to this capital of Catalonia which offers everything from fun fairs and famous fountains to priceless Picasso collections and streets streaming with living theater.
Picasso never set foot on Spanish soil again after the dictator Franco took power in the aftermath of the bloody Spanish Civil War (1936-39). During Franco’s repressive regime, both the language of Cataluña and its famous dance, the Sardana, were banned. Both were reinstated with a vengeance after the dictator’s death in 1975 and are much in evidence throughout Barcelona and wider Cataluña. Catalan is the official language of the region and one of the most famous picture postcard images of Barcelona depicts the Sardana dance statue, on Montjuic hill which overlooks the city center. The statue consists of a group of people dancing in a circle with their hands joined. You can see the real thing on summer evenings in and around the city’s Gothic Quarter (Barri Gotic) when locals perform the dance to the strains of a flute like instrument – the circular movements represent unity and brotherhood and anyone is allowed to join in regardless of nationality or expertise. Montjuic is also home to the city’s much loved “Magic Fountain”, originally created for the 1929 Universal Exhibition and restored to world acclaim during the 1992 Olympic Games. The spectacular displays of water, music and light here on summer evenings have become one of the city’s top tourist attractions. Montjuic can be reached by cable car and funicular railway and there’s also a cable car up to the castle which crowns the hill and gives magnificent views of the city and the Mediterranean Sea. A stroll along La Rambla, one of the world’s most famous walkways, is an absolute must for first time visitors to Barcelona. A network of five streets connecting Placa Cataluña and the Christopher Columbus monument, this largely pedestrianised area buzzes with life by day and night – a colourful concoction of street cafes, flower stalls, and live entertainers. The city’s other countless attractions include the Olympic Village and Olympic Harbour, Barcelona Aquarium and Barcelona Zoo, the Sagrada Familiar, Gaudi’s unfinished cathedral, Parc Guell, another Gaudi masterpiece, and Camp Nou, the legendary home of FC Barcelona. |
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a Kenna Diving SL company (B17894080) Head Office: Passatge Clavell 9, N0 8. L’Escala 17130, Girona, Spain Phone/Fax: +34972772746 For holidays: active@activecat.net For advertising: advert@activecat.net |
Barcelona. It is of great natural beauty, with steep cliffs and romantic small coves.
L'Escala on the south of the impressive, sweeping Bay of Roses is one of the smaller more relaxed holiday destinations in the Cataluña region and is perfect for families and independent holiday-makers wanting to avoid the larger holiday resorts. You will soon discover that L'Escala is an excellent and central base from which to discover the unspoiled northern Costa Brava, beautiful beaches, art, culture, historic monuments, and well protected nature parks of the Baix Empordà and Alt Empordà regions. 
The older center of the town still retains the character of a typical Spanish working town with its bustling narrow streets and good selection of shops, bars, cafe's and restaurants. There are two small, popular beaches in the old town that add to the overall charm and atmosphere of the area, and several blue flag beaches each side of the town. L'Escala is renowned for its anchovies and the ancient ruins of Empúries, and it is host to several festivals throughout the year. 
In 218 BC on the occasion of the Second Punic War, a Roman army under Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio landed at the port of Empúries with the aim of blocking land access to the Carthaginian troops. This started the romanisation of the Iberian Peninsula. In 195 BC Marcus Porcius Cato established a military camp at Empúries that was the start of the new Roman city. During the reign of Emperor Augustus, the Greek and Roman cities became one under the name of Municipium Emporiae in the last quarter of the 1st century BC.
Jewish Quarter among its major sights, one can not avoid appreciating the magnificence of the houses located at the very edge of the river. They are no doubt one of the most authentic and spectacular sights of Girona. These buildings were attached to the walls which enclosed the ancient quarter and the borough of the Mercadal. The towers protecting both sides of the bridges also succumbed to modern times and were converted into dwellings.
Barcelona is a major cultural center which boasts more than 50 museums devoted to every conceivable subject - from the history of funeral carriages to the works of Pablo Picasso who spent his formative years in the city studying at La Llotja School of Fine Arts. The Picasso Museum’s permanent exhibition consists of more than 3,500 works including lithographs, prints and ceramics.