Platja d'Aro - Agenda - Main activities

Agenda · Main activities
TOURIST AREA ACTIVITIES
A.1 Guided Tours. January – December Three free guided tours are available for groups with bookings in winter and every day in the summer when no booking is required: The Roman Settlement of Pla de Palol, Old Centre of Castell d'Aro and the Camí de Ronda (Coastal Path) of S'Agaró.
A.2 Carnival. February Some words and images are very closely united. When we read, pronounce, hear or remember the word Carnival , our minds are filled with images of colour, light, animation, festival and transgression. And if we take Platja d'Aro as the setting then a real celebration is absolutely guaranteed. Its high point is, undoubtedly, the Great Cavalcade of Floats and Participants with more than seventy carnival groups and four thousand participants.
A.3 Street Shopping Day. March - September Twice a year the shop-owners of Platja d'Aro hold a Street Shopping Day when they remain open to the public from 10:00 in the morning until 22:00 at night. It is possible to find quality products at unbeatable prices all day in the shopping streets of the town which are filled with stalls offering the best bargains.
A.4 Wine and Cava Festival. May - June The Wine and Cava Festival of Platja d'Aro allows us to discover, under the midday sun or cloaked by the night, the best varieties of wine from local vineyards and from all over the world. They are accompanied by pâtés, smoked meats, typical Spanish and local sausages, cheese or ham, the ideal complement for a festival for our palate.
A.5 Summer comes to Platja d'Aro. June Every June 23, on the magical night of Saint John, Platja d'Aro illuminates the night sky with a spectacular fireworks display which takes place from Cavall Bernat and can be seen all along the Main Beach of Platja d'Aro. This fireworks display opens the cycle of summer activities in the town.
A.6 Summer competition Platja d'Aro Té Premi! (Platja d'Aro has a prize!) . July – December During the months of July and August thousands of seashells are thrown into the water all along the main beach, Sa Conca and Cala Rovira where the waves break on the beach, and a little further out. Whoever finds a shell will benefit from various gifts. All participants can then complete a slip to participate in the draw for the largest prize for the competition: a car.
A.7 Beer Festival. October Each October Platja d'Aro celebrates its greatest autumn event, The Beer Festival , which welcomes 15,000 people each year to the venue installed in the centre of the town, in the heart of its street life, in Avinguda S'Agaró with the participation in this Oktoberfest of more than two dozen stalls set up by local establishments and organisations. The public can taste up to 25 national and imported brands of beer.
A.8 Lighting of the Christmas Decorations. December On the first of December Platja d'Aro officially begins its Christmas celebrations with the popular and traditional Lighting of the Christmas Decorations in the town. Each year the Mayor of the town together with a famous personality who supports this symbolic act turns on the more than 13,000 light bulbs decorating the town and hanging from 5,400 meters of electric cable.
AYUNTAMIENTO DE CASTELL - PLATJA D'ARO Department of Trade, Tourism and Economic Development. Area of Tourism Mn. Cinto Verdaguer 4 17250 Platja d'Aro T+34 972 817 179 F+34 972 825 657 turisme@platjadaro.com
ACTIVITIES OF ENTERTAINMENT – CULTURAL PROMOTION
B.1 Living Nativity Scene of Castell d'Aro. December - January The Living Nativity Scene of Castell d'Aro is one of the oldest and best known of its type in Catalonia. It is represented each year with the participation of more than 300 people during the traditional days of Christmas celebrations. Each year it is visited by almost 6,000 people who stroll along 1.5 kilometres of pathway through the historic centre of the town and the Coma Valley.
B.2 Gathering of Saint Mark. April Each month of April Platja d'Aro celebrates the classic and traditional Gathering of Saint Mark, with its highlight being the Rice Cooking Competition. The gathering takes place in Fanals d'Amunt, the original centre of the town of Platja d'Aro, and begins with a rice cooking competition, with all preparation taking place in the same square.
B.3 Low Sunday Festivities. April Each April and during a whole week-end Castell d'Aro is intensely involved in the popular Festivity of Low Sunday keeping alive the ancient tradition searching the forest for the finest pine tree, planting it in a public square and commemorating the occasion with various celebrations and events.
B.4 Festivities of Saint Isidre Llaurador. May Each month of May a visit to Benedormiens Castle in Castell d'Aro is recommended to see the compositions participating in the Competition of Fruits of the Field, Ornamental Flowers and Plants on the occasion of the Festivities of Saint Isidre Llaurador. The Festival finalises a week later with the Fast Painting Competition.
B.5 Fast Painting Competition of Castell d'Aro. May Each year at the end of May the Fast Painting Competition of Castell d'Aro takes place as part of the Festivities Sant Isidre Llaurador. It is complemented by an exhibition of all participating works in Benedormiens Castle.
B.6 Arrival of the Flame from Canigó. June As a prelude to the Great Fireworks Display, each June 23, a highly symbolic act takes place in the early evening: the Arrival of the Flame from Canigó, symbol of the linguistic and cultural unity of the Catalan Countries.
B.7 Habanera singing in Cavall Bernat. July On the second Saturday of the month of July close to 3,000 people enjoy the Platja d'Aro Recital of Habaneras and Tavern Songs at Cavall Bernat, always with groups of the highest level within the national panorama of the Habanera (Bergantí, Els Cremats, Ultramar, Port Bo, Peix Fregit...).
B.8 Summer cycle of Sardanas (Catalan dancing) and Habaneras. July – September Each summer the town organises a wide program of Sardana dancing and Habanera singing. The Sardana concerts take place each Tuesday in various spaces around the town with the participation of the main groups of the country and offering music for participating in the traditional dance of Catalonia. In regard to Habanera singing, other events are also programmed throughout the summer at various places around the town, always with free access.
B.9 Drawing Fair of Platja d'Aro. July With the arrival of July the streets of Platja d'Aro are filled for a day with artists who offer visitors to the town their best works in oil, water colours and prints as part of the Platja d'Aro Drawing Fair .
B.10 Festival of the Dalmau Housing Estate. August At the beginning of August The Dalmau Housing Estate in Platja d'Aro celebrates its local festival, open to all. This celebration is a magnificent lead up to the Festival of Platja d'Aro which takes place fifteen days later.
B.11 Festival of Platja d'Aro. August Each month of August the Festival of Platja d'Aro presents a wide selection of activities consisting of over 80 events taking place over fifteen days. Music, theatre, sports, and children's activities are the highlights of the celebrations with proposals for all tastes and ages.
B.12 Medieval Market of Castell d'Aro. August Each summer Castell d'Aro steps back in time with the celebration of the town's Medieval Market , held during the last weekend of August in the historic centre of the town with free entry to all. The Medieval Market of Castell d'Aro invites everyone to go back to the Middle Ages. Craftsmen work as they did at that time, the food tempts the palate of all visitors, who can also find a large variety of hand-made products.
B.13 Festival of Castell d'Aro. September Castell d'Aro celebrates its own festival around September 8 with over twenty different events, all free of charge, with the town Auditorium being the venue for many of these events. Children's attractions, dances, Sardanas and Habaneras make up a large part of a program that is attractive to a people of all ages.
B.14 Celebration of Catalonia National Day. September Every September 11, and coinciding with Catalonia's national day, the town of Castell – Platja d'Aro i S'Agaró pays homage to the President of the Generalitat Lluís Companys, in the square of Castell d'Aro that bears his name. This ceremony begins with speeches by politicians representing different parties before being closed by the Mayor in representation of the town council.
B.15 Gathering of Escalencs. September The gathering of Escalencs (people from Escala) dates back to the first decades of the 20th century when many generations of families from l'Escala passed the summer camping in Cala Rovira and living from their trade as fishermen in waters that provided abundant fish. The catch was unloaded onto shore, packed into baskets and carried to the market in Sant Feliu de Guíxols.
B.16 Retro – Motor Aro Valley. September The last weekend of September municipal parking area of Masia Bas in Platja d'Aro is the venue for Retro Motor Platja d'Aro presenting a series of activities for classic cars , and making this car show an important meeting point for all collectors and lovers of period cars.
B.17 Gathering of Remei. October Each October the town of Castell d'Aro lives one of its most typical and classical celebrations on its festivity calendar: The gathering of Remei takes place at the hermitage with the same name. Rice for all, children's activities and Sardanas (Catalan dancing) are the highlights of the day.
B.18 Competition of Dioramas, Nativity Scenes and Christmas Compositions. December For more than twenty-five years Castell d'Aro has held a competition of Dioramas, Nativity Scenes and Christmas Compositions . The participating works are then displayed for a month in Benedormiens Castle.
AYUNTAMIENTO DE CASTELL - PLATJA D'ARO Department of Trade, Tourism and Economic Development. Area of Entertainment – Cultural Promotion Mn. Cinto Verdaguer 4 17250 Platja d'Aro T+34 972 817 179 F+34 972 825 657 turisme@platjadaro.com
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
C.1 Exhibitions in Benedormiens Castle. May – December. The Benedormiens Castle of Castell d'Aro is currently the venue for important exhibitions and events related to the popular and traditional culture of the town. The highlights in the field of traditional culture are the exhibitions of Flowers and Fruits of the Field on the occasion of the Festivities of Saint Isidre Llaurador (May) and Dioramas, Nativity Scenes and Christmas Compositions (December – January). The rooms of the castle have been the venue for art exhibitions, especially during the summer, by such famous names as Salvador Dalí, Modest Cuixart, Jaume Malaret, Lluís Llongueras.
C.2 International Music Festival of S'Agaró. July - August Each summer the International Music Festival of S'Agaró, organised by the Pau Casals Association with the sponsorship of the Town Hall offers a cycle of eight concerts with extraordinary success among the public because of the very high musical quality of national and international the performers who have consolidated the Festival as one of the most important of its kind, not only in the region of Girona, but also all Catalonia.
C.3 Nights of Jazz. July - August The Nights of Jazz festival has been organised in Platja d'Aro since 1998. The cycle is comprised of a total of eight free concerts that take place on the Main Beach of Platja d'Aro (Cavall Bernat area), each Friday at 23:00 during the months of July and August with considerable success among the public. More than 14,000 spectators attend the festival counting all eight concerts, a figure which consolidates the festival as one of the freshest. most popular and dynamic quality summer activities on the Costa Brava..
C.4 Open air Theatre. July - August The summer of 2003 saw the beginning of this cycle of theatre for children and young people with open air performances in the gardens of Mas Bas in Platja d'Aro offered free of charge. A proposal to be enjoyed by young and old alike. The most recent performances were by Teatre a la Llauna and Xirriquiteula Teatre.
AYUNTAMIENTO DE CASTELL - PLATJA D'ARO Department of Education, Culture and Health Mn. Cinto Verdaguer 4 17250 Platja d'Aro T+34 972 817 284 F+34 972 825 553 cultura@platjadaro.com
SPORTING ACTIVITIES
D.1 Beach Rugby 7x7. July Each month of July Platja d'Aro holds the Rugby Beach 7 x 7 Championship which takes place in the area of Riuet, at the southern end of the Main Beach of Platja d'Aro. The players are used to playing rugby on wide grass fields and have to make a considerable effort to adapt to beach sand, even though they still use the same techniques and tactics as regular competition.
D.2 Beach Fun. July – August Proposal of beach activities called Beach Fun which takes place in the area of Riuet, at the southern end of the Main Beach. Open to the participation of any person and age, the service is available from July 1 to August 31. It is possible to join in various games such as beach volley, beach football, volley football, and the water volley. There is also a space for children where they can participate in workshops and an area for games and activities.
D.3 Swim across the beach. September Each 11 of September since 1996 Platja d'Aro holds the annual Swim across the Main Beach coinciding with Catalonia's National Day. An average of 200 swimmers from over twenty sports clubs from all over Catalonia participate in this event which involves swimming 1,000 meters. It is even included on the Official Calendar of the Catalan Swimming Federation.
D.4 Street Sport Day. October Since 2001, on the first Sunday of October Platja d'Aro dedicates the morning to Sport X All in the Street . The whole morning is dedicated to the practice of a wide range of sporting activities: 3x3 football on a field of 16 x 10 meters, 3x3 basketball on two courts of 10 x 10 meters, mini – tennis on four courts, and mini – golf with three holes.
D.5 Multi-sports +24 +45. October - June The Department of Sport and Youth of the Town Hall presents its plan to encourage sport among people over 25 and 45 years of age and residents of the town. The program is called Multi-sport and offers the possibility of practicing various types of leisure sporting activities from October to June in periods of three months.
D.6 Municipal Football School. October - June The Municipal Football School (EMF) of Castell – Platja d'Aro i S'Agaró began its activity during the 2001 – 2002 season, and since then an average 150 boys and girls have participated in the program. The School is structured in six categories for children and young people from 5 to 18 years of age: Prebenjamins, Benjamins, Alevins, Infantils, Cadet and Juvenil.
D.7 10 Km and 20 Km Walks. October - November The 10 Km and 20 Km Walk is a classic event in the town after more than twenty editions. The cost of participation is minimal and includes a commemorative t-shirt, refreshments for all participants and trophies for the outright winners, first person classified from the town, and for the youngest and oldest participant, in both events, men and women.
AYUNTAMIENTO DE CASTELL - PLATJA D'ARO Department of Sport and Youth. Area of Sports Plaça d'Europa s/n 17250 Platja d'Aro T +34 972 816 769 F +34 972 816 769 esports@platjadaro.com
CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES E.1 La Casa Lila (Children's Recreation Room. Junior Club. Youth Meeting Point). October - June The winter activities in the town, organised by the Department of Sport and Youth of the Town Hall, are mainly located in La Casa Lila . The project includes a Children's Recreation Room (games for children from 3 to 7 years) , Junior Club (meeting point for boys and girls from 8 to 11) and Youth Meeting Point (a space for boys and girls over 12 years of age).
E.2 Children's Christmas Park. The Children's Sea. December - January Each year the Platja d'Aro Children's Christmas Park, known as The Children's Sea , centres its content, activities, and centres of interest on different aspects of the sea and sailors. The main activities of the park are inflatables, adventure attractions, workshops and other activities. There is also a selection of entertainment programs by musicians and circus acts.
E.3 Municipal Summer Club. July - August The Summer Club is held separately in Castell d'Aro and Platja d'Aro, from Monday to Friday, with the possibility of attending mornings, afternoons or all day. It also offers a canteen service available all month or on a day to day basis and a Transport Service under the same conditions. The Club is structured to attend to various age groups: Infants, Children, Older children and Youths. Young people can also participate in a Introductory Course to Volunteer work and Leisure. The activities that take place in the Summer Club are games, workshops, dancing and singing, and excursions to the beach and various swimming pools around the town.
AYUNTAMIENTO DE CASTELL - PLATJA D'ARO Department of Sport and Youth. Area of Children and Youths Palau d'Esports i Congressos Plaça d'Europa s/n 17250 Platja d'Aro T +34 972 825 463 F + 34 972 816 769 joventut@platjadaro.com
YOUTH ACTIVITIES F.1 Local Youth Plan The municipal Youth Area is responsible for carrying out actions and activities aimed at town's youth between 15 and 30 years of age. The Local Youth Plan of Castell - Platja d'Aro i S'Agaró is a tool to define, impulse and coordinate the youth related policies of the town. The Local Plan is designed around six main areas: housing, participation, employment, culture and leisure, education, health and society.
F. 2 Youth Actions Youth Information Point (including the Youth Health Point), Youth Meeting Point of La Casa Lila, Children's and young people's fashion parade (organised by the youths of the town), Course of Initiation into Voluntary work and Leisure (part of the Summer Club for youths from 12 to 15), Workshop of Initiation into Leisure and Sport (aimed at youths from 13 to 25 ), Computer Science Workshop (for youths, organised by the PIJ), and Management and diffusion of information on flats for rent to young people from Castell d'Aro (subsidised flats for rent)
AYUNTAMIENTO DE CASTELL - PLATJA D'ARO Department of Sport and Youth. Area of Children and Youths Palau d'Esports i Congressos . Plaça d'Europa s/n 17250 PLATJA D'ARO T +34 972 825 463 F + 34 972 816 769 joventut@platjadaro.com
COMMUNITY PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES G.1 Activities Adult Classroom Project Program of formal and instrumental education (addressed to all those people who are past the age established for mandatory education, do not have a basic education or wish to further their education). Program of Spanish Conversation (aimed at people who are literate in their own language). Program of Further Education and Cultural Promotion during Leisure time (aimed at people over 16 who have written and spoken proficiency in Spanish and Catalan). G.2 Activities Intercultural Awareness Project The purpose of the Intercultural Festival is to present entertainment and cultural activities that further understanding and the relationship between the cultures present in the town. The Intercultural Awareness Commission (a working group comprised of volunteers originating from the different cultures present in the town, associations related with Intercultural activities and/or immigration and the Town Hall). G.3 Activities Project for Management of the Civic Centres The Program of Summer Activities presents events related to the project of Community Promotion, while at the same time encouraging relationships between generations; the basic activities of the Program are the Introduction to Games and the Open-air Cinema). Program of Winter Activities (its purpose is the celebration of popular traditions based on the involvement of the different associations who belong to each Civic Centre, or the celebration of special days). Physical-aquatic activity for the elderly (with the purpose of promoting physical well-being among elderly citizens of the town). Literary competition for the Elderly (to promote amateur writing among the elderly of the town). Program of Conferences (offering a weekly conference lasting one hour). AYUNTAMIENTO DE CASTELL - PLATJA D'ARO Welfare Department. Program of Community Activities Centre Cívic Vicenç Bou Escoles 2 17250 Platja d'Aro T +34 972 818 341 F +34 972 829 030 ccivic@platjadaro.com SOCIAL SERVICES ACTIVITIES H. 1 Objectives of the Area The general objectives of the Area of Social Services as part of the Welfare Department of the Town Hall of Castell – Platja d'Aro are primary health care, specially designed to contribute to the highest possible level of social well-being for all citizens; and reinforce user/family independence and aid to potentiate their own resources and those of their familiar and community environment. H.2 Social Welfare Programs Home Help Service, Preventive Care for Families with children from 0 to 18 years, Support for Women/Families, Aid in the Integration of Children and Adolescents, Shared School Unit, Emergency Social Aid, Health Care, Care of the handicapped, Program – Awareness Campaign / Solidarity and Cooperation Funds. AYUNTAMIENTO DE CASTELL - PLATJA D'ARO Welfare Department. Social Services Area Avinguda de Fanals 13 Edifici Masia Bas baixos 17250 Platja d'Aro T +34 972 817 196 F +34 972 829 030 ccivic@platjadaro.com ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVITIES I.1 Hiking Hiking has recently become one of the main activities for lovers of nature and open spaces. The town of Castell – Platja d'Aro i S'Agaró also has some interesting hikes for people who want to practice this activity which combines sport and leisure. I.2 The Via Verda (Green route) The Costa Brava and Pyrenees of Girona are an ideal area for practicing cycling and hiking, sustainable activities closely related to respect for nature, the landscape and our architectural heritage. In the region of Girona there are 106 kilometres of green routes in three main sections: Route of the Carrilet (Narrow gauge train): Olot – Girona Route of the Carrilet (Narrow gauge train: Sant Feliu de Guíxols – Girona Route of Iron (Railway): Ripoll – Sant Joan de les Abadesses – Ogassa The town forms part of the second of these routes which goes from Sant Feliu de Guíxols on the coast to Girona inland, passing through Castell d'Aro. The path follows 39.7 kilometres of the old narrow gauge railway with a slope of 0.5%, minimum difficulty, compact gravel pavement, maximum altitude of 130 m (Cassà de la Selva) and minimum of 10 m (Sant Feliu de Guíxols). I.3 Cleaning the Seabed Since 1999, around the month of May Platja d'Aro organises the Cleaning of the Seabed when about 150 volunteer scuba divers remove an average of 800 kilos of rubbish and waste that has accumulated on the sea floor. Each year, the cleaning is concentrated in a different area (between the Ridaura river at the southern end of the Main Beach and Punta d'en Pau at S'Agaró; or between Cavall Bernat at the northern end of the Main Beach and Cala Bella Dona). AYUNTAMIENTO DE CASTELL - PLATJA D'ARO Concejalía de Mantenimiento, Servicios y Medio Ambiente Mn. Cinto Verdaguer 4 17250 Platja d'Aro T +34 972 817 284 F +34 972 817 379 serveis@platjadaro.com