Empordà, wine routes

This trail runs through the main wine-producing area of the Empordà.

The itinerary enables visitors to discover and understand DO Empordà wines, wineries, and landscapes, while exploring a zone studded with vineyards and wineries with visits and wine-tasting activities available to the public.
The Empordà Wine Trail traces a wide arc from the sea to the mountains, showing the powerful presence of vineyards as a landscape within the landscape, and affording views whimsically bathed in sunlight or swept by the Tramuntana wind.

The trail links up with three major Romanesque monasteries where the monastic communities played an important role in developing winemaking during the medieval period, from both a technical and cultural perspective. On the way, it runs through Cap de Creus Natural Park and Albera Natural Site of National Interest.and affords an opportunity to visit Figueres, the centre of Empordà wine production today and site of the impressive Dalí Theatre-Museum.

Not too far away is the majestic Peralada Castle with its Wine Museum, displaying a unique exhibition of winemaking endorsed by a long historical tradition. Near the coastal town of Roses, Coll de Roses Oenological Centre offers a short interactive journey through the world of wine. Visitors can enjoy incomparable views of the vineyards beside the sea on a visit to Mas Marès, also in Roses, or to Finca Garbet, in Colera. In the more mountainous area around Cantallops, one may observe the various plant species living among the vine stocks that contribute to the aroma of the wines.

The Connecting Trail links up the Empordà Wine Trail and the Wine and Cork Trail.

It may not feature as many winemaking sites as the other trails; nevertheless, it offers a remarkable tour of the Empordà, running from the plain to the sea.
The trail branches off to the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park and the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park. The halfway point is marked by the ruins of Empúries, where Greek and Roman colonies initiated the region’s winemaking tradition over 2600 years ago, a tradition that is still evolving today. It is interesting to note that the Empordà derives its name from “Empúries”.
The Connecting Trail offers the same natural and culinary attractions as the two main trails.

The Empordà is rich in high-quality products that can be found in shops, markets, and restaurants, as for example rice from Pals, Figueres onions, sweet botifarra sausage, and Empordà-style fritters.

The Wine and Cork Trail crosses the southern part of the DO Empordà.

The trail reveals the inseparable relationship existing since the 18th century between winemaking and the cork stopper industry. In fact, the Empordà is the only historical winemaking area where wineries and cork producers coexist in large numbers, and attractive cork oak woods can still be seen in the Gavarres Area of Natural Interest.

The trail takes in several DO Empordà wineries that may be visited, as well as some stunning vineyard landscapes. The Cork Museum in Palafrugell has recently been renovated.

The Wine and Cork Trail also provides an ideal opportunity for hiking and cycling, and affords spectacular views.

Finally, visitors can enjoy our local culinary products and dishes in centres such as the Palamós Fish Space and the Empordà Gastronomy School, which run a range of activities, workshops, and courses at which participants can sample the Empordà cuisine and DO Empordà wines.