October in Sant Feliu de Guixols – mellow, peaceful and warm

In October there is still lots to do in and around Sant Feliu de Guixols…

All of the cultural visits – Dali, Empuries, Ullastret, Peratallada, Girona, Barcelona etc etc can be made, but with less hassle, queuing and heat.

If the weather is favourable (and it usually is) the tourist boats continue to run, at least in the first half of October, along the coast. We have had great feedback from guests on these tours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this time, autumnal cuisine is finding its way into the restaurants – hearty stews, game, wild mushrooms.

Similarly, the markets are full of mellow fruitfulness – any number of varieties of figs, pomegranates, apples, pears, quince, chestnuts, walnuts, pine nuts, wild mushrooms (again) and, shortly, sea urchins, oysters and locally hand fished squid (calamares).

 

 

 

In addition, the weather is generally still pretty good and it is still perfectly possible to dine al fresco, wear t-shirts etc etc.

This photo was taken on one of the not so good days one October. Nevertheless, there were still people (and the odd dog!) swimming in the sea.

 

 

 

 

Some of the things on this month usually include…

 

Creative Patisserie Fair in Sant Feliu in the first week of October. There are some great cake shops in Sant Feliu, some more artisanal than others, but all very interesting… They come out in force for this fair, demonstrating how creative they can be. There is no charge to attend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pumpkin Fair (!) in S’Agaro ((part of Sant Feliu), minutes away from the centre) usually the first the Saturday in October.

From 10.00 am to 7.00 pm, the central avenue of S’Agaró is usully the setting for the Pumpkin Fair. The event, organized by the “Colla Boines Negres” group with the collaboration of the “Comerciants de S’Agaró” (traders) and the Town Council tourism department, will offer you the chance to discover the wide range of products made from pumpkin.

There will also be tastings, a talk about its cultivation, and a competition for the biggest pumpkin. This fruit, so typical of autumn and particularly of All Saints Day, originates from America, although today it is grown extensively throughout Europe. There is a multitude of varieties, in many different colours and sizes; the biggest can weigh between 18 kg and 36 kg and grow up to 10 m in length.

 

The Medieval market (with everyone dressed up accordingly) in Peratallada is also on in early October..

“The area is closely linked to the medieval era. The town recalls this link with the past with a period costume fair wich is held during the first week of October, and uses the streets and squares of this historical town as its stage, locations where the essence of the past can still be captured. Comedians, minstrels, puppeteers, story-tellers and all sorts of characters from the period return to fill the town and recreate a medieval market.”

 

 

Peratallada is about 30-40 minutes away by car and has a lot more to offer than just the fair. Click here to go to our page which describes Peratallada a little more and shows you how to get there.

 

 

 

 

 

From around 7 October to 18 December we usually have the “Norway lobster” (crayfish or “escamarlan” in Catalan) festival in Palamos – yummy!

Various restaurants will be taking part and offering their take on this popular Catalan dish…

 

 

 

The Platja d’Aro beer festival happens in the first two weeks of October – great to visit, but not to be living near! 10 minutes away in a car or bus.

Each October Platja d’Aro celebrates its greatest autumn event, The Beer Festival located in the centre of the town, in Mil·lenari Square. The Beer Festival welcomes 15.000 people each year, with stalls managed by local establishments and organisations. You can taste up to 40 different types of national and imported beers at extremely competitive prices.

The majority of stalls also offer a wide range of foodie items, from montaditos to sandwiches and even very elaborate dishes. During the Beer Festival you also get a very broad range of musical events.

Finally, each year has its own collectable commemorative beer mug!

 

 

 

From the second to the third week in October, we have Girona’s “Tasting Fair” , Firatast, which is held in the Palau de Fires from 12.00 noon and creates the largest “dining room” of Girona’s terroirs.

There is a wide variety of stands offering tastings for every palate – tasty dishes, wines, cavas, beer….

Firatast gives you the opportunity to taste dishes, allowing you to get to know new restaurants, foodie shops, wine cellars and also the distinctive terroirs of the Girona province. There will be demonstrations and tastings offered by groups of chefs from individual towns to show off their local specialities.

The entry price is €5 which includes tickets for three tastings to get you started…

 

 

 

The second week in October sees the Costa Brava Jazz Festival held in Palafrugell. It takes place at the Teatre Municipal – TMP, teatre del Centre Fraternal and Plaça Nova.

Go to the tourist office at the monastery in Sant Feliu or contact us if you want help getting tickets.

 

 

On the second Sunday in October, Castell d’Aro holds one of the most typical and classical celebrations in its calendar of festivities: the “Aplec del Remei“, at the Remei hermitage (situated on the road between Castell d’Aro and S’Agaró).

The programme of events includes musical activities, a great rice meal for 800 guests, children’s entertainment and “sardanes”, the traditional Catalan folk dance.

As far back as the 12th century there is mention of this place and of the existence of a small oratory, built so that farmers and lay friars who looked after the crops of the estate could fulfil their religious duties. In the 16th century there was a terrible epidemic, which spread throughout the river basin of Ridaura, and it was then that an image of “Nostra Senyora del Remei” was hung in the church. The oratory, having become quite popular, was turned into a hermitage, which today is the location of the “Aplec” event.

 

 

 

To explore other times of year or all-year-round activities, clock on the slider buttons below. Otherwise scroll a little further to go up the menu…