Palafolls: townhouses between the Maresme and the Costa Brava

Where Palafolls is

Palafolls belongs to the Maresme county, in the province of Barcelona, and is very close to the Costa Brava, which runs from Blanes to Portbou. It is a residential area, quiet all year round, between the river Tordera and the hills.

• River Tordera: a protected natural area in the Natura 2000 network; its delta is a stopover for migratory birds.
• Montnegre i el Corredor Natural Park: the Serra de Miralles in Palafolls is part of the park, with the Can Gibert natural area of about 18 ha.
• Castell de Palafolls, a medieval castle listed as a Cultural Asset of National Interest, about 10 minutes away by car.

Beaches within a quarter of an hour

From Palafolls you can take your pick of beaches: those of Blanes and Malgrat de Mar are less than 10 minutes away by car, and Santa Cristina and Cala Treumal 10–14 minutes.

• Platja de Blanes, about 8 minutes; Platja de s'Abanell (Blanes) and Platja de la Conca (Malgrat de Mar), about 9.
• Platja de Santa Cristina (Lloret de Mar), about 10 minutes, and Cala Treumal, about 14.
• Marimurtra Botanical Garden in Blanes, about 11 minutes away.
• Golf: Pitch & Putt Sant Cebrià (about 18 minutes), Camiral Golf & Wellness (about 29) and Golf Costa Brava (about 41).

Schools

For a family, the most practical thing about Palafolls is that the town's two state primary schools are a few minutes' walk from Scala.

• State infant and primary schools: Escola Mas Prats, 0.2 km, and Escola Les Ferreries, with more than 500 pupils, 0.3 km.
• State nursery: Llar d'infants municipal Palafollets, 0.6 km away.
• Secondary (ESO and Bachillerato): Institut Font del Ferro, 0.7 km; in Blanes and Malgrat de Mar, secondary schools with intermediate and higher vocational training about 6 minutes away by car.
• State-subsidised schools in Malgrat de Mar, about 7 minutes away: Maristes Sant Pere Chanel, Vedruna (from infant school to Bachillerato) and Fonlladosa.
• International schools: International School of Maresme (British curriculum, Canet de Mar, about 22 minutes) and International School Costa Brava (British, up to A-Levels, Platja d'Aro, about 43).
• Palafolls Municipal School of Music and Dance, 0.3 km away.

Health

Primary care is in the town itself, and there are two district hospitals with 24-hour A&E within a quarter of an hour.

• Palafolls local health centre, 0.3 km: family medicine, paediatrics, nursing, women's health and gynaecology, dentistry and physiotherapy.
• CAP Dr. Josep Torné in Malgrat de Mar (about 5 minutes): handles primary urgent care outside the local centre's opening hours; 24 hours in summer.
• Hospital de Blanes, public, with 24-hour A&E, 5.1 km (about 7 minutes); Hospital de Calella, with 24-hour A&E and maternity, about 12 minutes away.
• Four pharmacies in Palafolls, all less than 1 km away.

Train, bus and car

The nearest railway station is Blanes, on the Rodalies R1 line, about 5 minutes away by car; by road, the C-32 and the N-II lead to Barcelona and Girona.

• R1 train (Barcelona–Mataró–Maçanet): Blanes station, with a train every 30 minutes on weekdays; also Malgrat de Mar (about 8 minutes) and Santa Susanna (about 10).
• Bus: Sagalés lines 622 and 625, stopping next to the Palafolls health centre.
• By car, without traffic: Barcelona (Plaça de Catalunya) about 57 minutes, El Prat airport 1 h–1 h 10 min, Girona about 42 minutes and Girona-Costa Brava airport 30–40 minutes.

Shops, sport and culture

• Consum supermarket in Palafolls (0.7 km); Mercadona in Malgrat de Mar and Lidl in Blanes, about 4–5 minutes away by car.
• Pavelló El Palauet, the municipal sports hall designed by the architect Arata Isozaki, 0.5 km; an open-air municipal pool in summer (0.7 km) and the La Figuerassa sports complex (0.8 km).
• Skate park and pump track 0.1 km away; Biblioteca Enric Miralles library (0.7 km) and Teatre de Palafolls theatre (0.3 km).