Platja d’Empúries

Even if you just go there for a Sunday sandwich and the chance to read the paper, it's impossible not to get at least a little emotional about everything that this beach signifies. In the past Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans disembarked there and each created their cities; in the medieval period, the village of Sant Martí d'Empúries was constructed, built in a Romanic style. More recently other features have arrived such as kiosks and a belle époque hotel with its own vegetable garden. Stretching for hundreds of metres, it's a fantastic option for resting after visiting the Greek and Roman remains, and eating a savoury rice dish in L'Escala.