Lloret de Mar Landmarks and Monuments

(Lloret de Mar, Catalonia, Spain)

When you need a break from the beaches, Lloret de Mar has a number of interesting landmarks and coastal monuments that provide a pleasant alternative to the modern high-rise hotels gracing the seafront.

The grand mansions are mostly from the 19th century, but much older remnants of the town's impressive past include a Roman sepulchre and several interesting archaeological sites. The modern icon of Lloret de Mar, En Plaja's Castle, sits at the end of the bay and is one of the most photographed landmarks in this part of the Costa Brava.

Garriga Houses

Address: Lloret de Mar, Spain, ES
Tel: +34 097 236 47 35
Standing as a monument to one of Lloret's most important families, these imposing late 19th-century mansions were home to the Gorriga family until their emigration to Cuba. Constructed in a traditional colonial style, the buildings evoke impressions of architectural styles from the West Indies.
Open hours: December, January and February, Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 13:30, 15:30 to 18:00, Sunday - 10:00 to 15:00; March to May, Monday to Saturday - 09:00 to 13:00, 16:00 to 19:00, Sunday - 10:00 to 13:00 and 16:00 to 19:00; June to September, Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 20:00, Sunday - 10:00 to 13:00, 16:00 to 19:00; October and November, Monday to Saturday - 10:00 to 13:00, 16:00 to 19:00, Sunday - 09:00 to 13:00, 16:00 to 19:00
Admission: charge

St. Joan's Castle Tower (Castell de Sant Joan)

Address: Lloret de Mar, Spain, ES
Tel: +34 097 236 4738
Enjoying a hilltop setting and separating the main beach from Fenals, this stark stone tower is the last remnant of an 11th-century castle. Badly damaged during the Genoese invasion and the fight against Napoleon's army, the following centuries of storms further contributed to the decay. St. Joan's Castle Tower has now been partially restored and today functions as a heritage centre, welcoming visitors.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

En Plaja's Castle

Address: Lloret de Mar, Spain, ES
En Plaja's castle lies on a wooded promontory at the end of the main beach and is a private residence. Built at the end of the Spanish Civil War, the castle's distinctive image regularly features in tourist publications and has lured many tourists into attempting the long walk from the town centre just to see it up close. Expect to find typical turrets, towers and crenelations peeping out from behind the lush trees and cliffside undergrowth.
Open hours: not open to the public, view from the outside only
Admission: free

Roman Sepulchre

Address: Lloret de Mar, Spain, ES
This ancient stone monument was built as a sepulchre for the ashes of a wealthy Roman landowner. Standing at 4 metres / 13 feet in height, the tower is all that remains of the original Roman cremation complex and was restored in the 1960s, ensuring that its history lives on for future generations.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Cabanyes Font House

Address: Lloret de Mar, Spain, ES
In the 19th century, many sons of Catalonia left to make their fortunes in the West Indies or Cuba, returning to build and furnish mansions in the Americano style. Cabanyes Font House is one such remaining landmark, with its architecture and Americano-style furniture being a real monument to those times. The mansion was built in the 1870s and was acquired by the municipality in the early part of the 1980s. Today, Cabanyes Font House contains a small municipal museum, filled with local treasures.
Open hours: hours vary
Admission: free

The Fisherman's Wife

Address: Lloret de Mar, Spain, ES
This bronze monument to the town's original fishing village stands at the north end of the main beach, overlooking the sea, and depicts a fisherman's wife (Dona Marinera) waving to her husband as he sets out for the day's catch. Erected in the mid-1960s, the Fisherman's Wife also serves as a poignant reminder of the dangers of the sea.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Narrow Streets

Address: Lloret de Mar, Spain, ES
Lloret de Mar isn't quite all high-rise and discos, as tucked away in quiet corners are tiny narrow streets with high terraced houses, serving as a reminder of the town's earlier days before the explosion of tourism. Be sure to take time out from sunbathing on the beach and enjoy a walk around this labyrinth of history.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free