Santa Cristina d'Aro

Santa Cristina d'Aro is a municipality in the Baix Empordà, located in the Vall d'Aro and delimited by the Gavarres massif to the north and the Ardenya massif to the south. In addition to the center, Santa Cristina includes the old towns of Romanyà de la Selva, Bell-lloc and Solius. In 1858 it was separated from Castell d'Aro, becoming the municipality of Santa Cristina d'Aro.

The land is basically forest, with pine, oak and cork oak forests. There are also areas of agricultural and industrial exploitation, but the main activity of the municipality is tourism, which is mainly concentrated in the summer months. The municipality has a good number of tourist infrastructures: horse riding, golf courses and other diverse recreational proposals, such as: The Solius Monastery, which houses a unique collection of 39 dioramas; the Great Museum of Magic, Xevi collection, museum of illusion and curiosity where we will find the most important private collections, with international recognition, related to the world of magic and illusionism, the private collection of Enrique Sacristán related to the world of lyrical genre known as Zarzuela, among other proposals.

The geographical location of Santa Cristina and the beauty of its surroundings make its landscapes an ideal place to carry out outdoor activities and intensely enjoy the natural and heritage wealth. There are several hiking and cycling routes that are an attraction for visitors. Among the most notable are the Greenway, a bike path that follows the old route of the Railway that went from Sant Feliu de Guíxols to Girona. Also the Rodoreda - Romanyà literary itinerary that brings us closer to the work of the writer Mercè Rodoreda and   It is a good way to combine hiking with culture. Santa Cristina d'Aro is Megalithic Land par excellence, both in Ardenya and Gavarres you will find archaeological remains of great heritage interest, the most important thing is the dolmen of the Daina Cave, in Romanyà. Other elements worth highlighting are the Solius castle, from medieval times, now in ruins, the Gorges de Salenys and the Font Picant, among others.

Throughout the year, an extensive program of guided routes to discover the natural and cultural heritage of the municipality is offered.

Within the municipal area, we find 3 coves of great beauty: Cala de Canyet, Cala del Sr. Ramon and Cala Vallpresona.

Various festivities are celebrated in Santa Cristina throughout the year. Among the most important, we find the Fiesta Mayor, around July 24, with several activities, one of the most notable, the Popular Race. The Friendship Carnival always brings together a good number of visitors to the population. Each town also has its festival: in Solius it is the second half of May, in Bell-lloc, on August 15 and in Romanyà, in mid-September.

PLACES OF INTEREST

• Church of Santa Cristina
• Ruins of the Paleochristian Chapel of Santa Cristina d'Aro
• Church of Santa Maria de Bell-lloc
• Church of Sant Martí de Romanyà
• Solius Monastery
• Solius Dioramas
• Iberian town of Plana Basarda
• Old train stations of Santa Cristina d'Aro and Font Picant
• The Great Museum of Magic "The Magic House"
• Zarzuela Museum
• Vallpresona Beach
• Canyet beach
• Menhir of the Creu d'en Barraquer
• Dolmen of the cave d'en Daina