A Romanesque church, the RodrĂguez-Amat art foundation and a morning hiking route to Puig Segalar give Garrigoles a diverse character. Culture and rolling hills sit side by side here: the small village centre clusters around the parish church, while the municipality stretches across rounded hills between the Ter and FluviĂ river basins.
Romanesque architecture and local history
The Church of Sant Sadurnà de Garrigoles dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. Its single-nave layout and lower, semicircular apse define its architectural form. The church’s history is also precisely dated: in 1185, the Bishop of Girona transferred it to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. Its architecture and historical records thus introduce two distinct aspects of the village: the visible form of its Romanesque church and its documented medieval history.
South of the church stands Mas Garrigoles, a building dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. Its round-arched portal with large wedge-shaped stones is particularly striking. Compared with the older church, the building reflects a different historical period; together, the two structures give the village centre a clear architectural focus, without requiring an extensive sightseeing itinerary.
Art and cultural venues
The cultural scene includes the RodrĂguez-Amat Foundation, with a retrospective of more than 400 works by the contemporary artist across 850 square metres. The Foundation’s auditorium hosts a range of cultural events: concerts, poetry readings, panel discussions, and gatherings of artists and cultural professionals. The Foundation’s Casa-Taller is located in Les Olives village square.
Les Olives also has its own architectural landmarks. Sant Vicenç de Les Olives is a small, late-Romanesque church of the Cistercian type. Can Ros de les Olives dates from the 18th century and was the ancestral home of one of the comarca’s prominent landowning families. Together with Sant Sadurnà and Mas Garrigoles, these buildings illustrate different architectural periods, from a Romanesque church to a manor house.
Rolling hills, agriculture and hiking
The landscape around Garrigoles is neither entirely forested nor exclusively agricultural. It includes stands of Aleppo pine, dry-farmed cereal fields, fodder and maize crops, olive groves and a few vineyards. The rounded hills between the Ter and Fluvià river basins provide the setting for this mix. In the village itself, houses cluster around the parish church; the surrounding area has the quiet character of a road’s end.
The Ruta 140 is a morning hiking route from Garrigoles to the summit of Puig Segalar. If you plan this hike, check trail conditions before setting out. An information board on Plaça Major bears the inscription “Itineraris del Puig Segalar”; the church is only a few metres away. The board refers to Puig Segalar, while the Ruta 140 is described as a separate route.
A quiet local road climbs from Verges to Garrigoles and Les Olives. For the hiking route in the area around Puig Segalar, the GIV-6311 is also part of the approach; it is narrow in places. Check local road conditions before your drive. Regarding parking, a 2022 trip report describes a short stretch of dirt track leading up to Garrigoles church, where a few vehicles can park. Parking is very limited in the small village centre. As conditions may change, it is worth checking the latest information before your visit.
The main attractions are easy to distinguish when choosing a destination: Sant SadurnĂ and Mas Garrigoles represent historic architecture, the RodrĂguez-Amat Foundation offers art and cultural events, and the Ruta 140 is a morning hike through the rolling countryside. When planning your stay, you can weigh up whether architecture, culture or the route to Puig Segalar should take priority.
Discover more destinations: Sant Miquel De Fluvià , Salionç, Sant Martà D'empúries, Llanars, Foixà , Biure, Ordis, Guils De Cerdanya
For the broader travel overview: Girona.
