Aiguaviva: Local History and La Crosa

Aiguaviva combines a historic town centre with a landscape shaped by fields, low hills, cork oak and pine forests, and the Güell River. This brings together a range of interests for planning your trip: religious buildings and local history, nature around La Crosa, and local festivals.

Landscape and Trails Around Aiguaviva

Aiguaviva is located at the seventh kilometre of the GI-533 road from Girona towards Santa Coloma de Farners. La Crosa de Sant Dalmai lies between Aiguaviva, Estanyol and Sant Dalmai. Its crater measures 1,250 metres in diameter; it is the largest on the Iberian Peninsula and one of the largest in Europe. La Crosa is also included in Catalonia’s PEIN plan for areas of natural interest.

A hiking route starting in Aiguaviva leads to the crater and is 6.95 kilometres long in total. Check local conditions before setting off. To find your way by road from Girona to La Crosa, follow the GI-533 towards Santa Coloma de Farners until it meets the GI-540. This road information and the hiking route describe different aspects of getting around.

Chapels and Historic Buildings

The parish church of Sant Joan is considered the origin of the old town centre and has been documented since 1246. The chapel of Mare de Déu de Vilademany also has a long history: it is of Romanesque origin and was already standing in 1116. The chapel is about 2.5 kilometres southeast of the town centre.

The 15th-century alabaster image of Mare de Déu de Vilademany is kept in the sacristy of the parish church of Sant Joan d’Aiguaviva for security reasons. As its location may change, check where it is currently kept in advance if you are specifically interested in seeing the image.

The former Vilademany Castle, now Mas Forroll, has been documented since 1 March 948. The chapel of Sant Jaume, now adjoining Mas Forroll, is Romanesque; its façade was renovated in the 16th century. No services were held there from 1936 to 1989. The chapel was restored and repaired in 1989.

El Temple is a surviving 16th-century manor house that was later altered and has an adjoining chapel of Santa Magdalena. Its façade features crosses belonging to a former military order, coats of arms and carved inscriptions. Another local connection is the legend of Pedra Dalmau: according to the story, the future Saint Dalmau Moner sat on the stone while walking between Girona and Santa Coloma de Farners. The monument to Sant Dalmau was created by Isaac d’Aiguaviva.

Festivals Throughout the Year

The Festa del Roser traditionally takes place on the first Sunday in May. The festival includes a popular walk and a communal meal. The Festa dels Templers and the Midsummer celebration take place on Sant Joan; the programme includes a traditional crafts market, exhibitions, various performances and a festive meal. If you would like to plan your trip around one of the festivals, check the specific event dates in advance.

When searching for hotels in Aiguaviva, you can use these themes as a starting point: would you like to focus your stay on local and religious history, the hiking route to La Crosa, or a festival? This makes it easier to choose your destination based on the purpose of your trip, without treating these different themes as though they were the same.

Discover more destinations: Cornellà Del Terri, L'Alt Empordà, Figueres, Torroella De Montgri, Les Preses, Madremanya, Montagut, Rabós

For the broader travel overview: Girona.