THE GUIDE

THE MAGAZINE

[ the magazine ]

LOOK INTO THE ART AND CULTURE OF EMPORDÀ THROUGH ITS CHARACTERS

Manolo Sierra

THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER OF THE EMPORDÀ

By Eudald Camps Photo Paula da Lua

Manolo Sierra (Cadiz, 1973) has lived and worked in the Empordà for years, where he has formed a Catalan family and where he continues to dedicate himself to his “great issue,” painting. His studio has been around for two decades and, thanks to the encouragement of British producer and creative Nic Alderton and the art historian Thaïs Botinas, it has been a space with a life of its own since last summer: Secret Mill. Half covered and half open, this old mill in Sant Pere Pescador is simply magical and intoxicating: the paintings of the Cadiz native blend with the environment and vice versa. Sierra paints, but above all he draws.

Josep Matés

"TO ME CERAMICS ISN'T A JOB, BUT A WAY OF LIFE"

By Emma Aixalà Photo Paula da Lua

The sunlight spreads across his workshop in Fonteta, full of clay, shelves, pieces, fragments, and ideas waiting to be crafted. Josep Matés is a potter, passionate about old trades, and happy doing what he likes.

Girona when the sun goes down

MYSTERIOUS AND VIBRANT

By Núria Riquelme Photo Paula da Lua

Girona represents two thousand years of history, four rivers, and a labyrinth of streets, squares, bridges, and monuments. Girona is highly observed, photographed, and alive. Girona makes you fall in love by day and dazzles at night. We recommend a tour of the city at night.

Seven unbeatable landscapes

AROUND GIRONA

By Cristina Gaggioli

Dòlmens i menhirs de Sant Climent Sescebes, Alt Empordà

Paratge de Tudela, Alt Empordà

Vinyes Mas Marès, Alt Empordà

Cala S'Alguer a Palamós, Baix Empordà

Poble i jaciment d’Ullastret, Baix Empordà

Santuari de la Mare de Déu del Món, Alta Garrotxa 

Puig de Sant Martirià, Pla de l’Estany

L'Amant

NEW LIFE AT L’ARBREDA

By Emma Aixalà

L’Arbreda is an old 17th century farmhouse that has renewed its agricultural and livestock life in recent years. Their sustainable management is beginning to bear fruit: artisanal products that boast top quality and an unforgettable seal called L’Amant.

Influenza

SPACES TO BE [HAPPY]

By Laura Masó

Are you looking to turn your summer home into an oasis of calm and well-being? Would you like to make each space more functional, comfortable and beautiful? Does your business need help to make it more profitable and attractive? Have you seen what results can come from a unique design? 

Vivaldi in the Aiguamolls de l'Empordà

UNIQUE ECOSYSTEM

By Emma Aixalà Photo Dani Salvà

The Fluvià and Muga rivers irrigate the 5,000 hectares of crops, fields, and lagoons in the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park. Out of the total, 800 hectares form a comprehensive reserve, a valuable ecosystem that can be visited all year round thanks to a vast network of trails.

Tew Bunnag

"EVERYTHING IS PART OF AN EXCHANGE"

By Azucena Moya Photo Paula da Lua

In the heart of the Baix Empordà I met with Tew Bunnag, a grief accompaniment professional, writer, and Tai chi teacher. Tew moved to the Empordà for love. He confesses that he didn’t want to uproot his life in Greece at first, but that the charming and abundant landscape of the Empordà region captivated him. Tew was born in Thailand and speaks eight languages. He explains that he has learned that everything is part of an exchange through his experiences in grief accompaniment, his university education in Economics at Cambridge, and from practicing Tai chi. 

Núria Graham

"I'M GETTING TO KNOW MYSELF BETTER ALL THE TIME"

By Agus Izquierdo Photo Ingride Ferrer

We’re chatting with the singer, songwriter, and guitarist about life in La Bisbal d’Empordà, her global tours, and her new album Cyclamen.

Paratge de Tudela

THE SECOND AWAKENING

By Emma Aixalà Photo Andrea Ferrés

It’s an inhospitable, wild, energetic, and inspiring place. Salvador Dalí himself captured shadows, shapes, and volumes here and presented them in some of his most iconic works. In the 1960s a tourist complex deformed the site and ripped its essence apart until, a few decades later, an environmental restoration project returned the purity that should never have been taken away.