Aparthotel Golf Beach - Pals Costa Brava

• The accommodation will ask for a deposit, which will be returned between 24h and 72h after the departure of the customer in case there is no damage. You will have to pay 90€ per stay in cash or give your credit card details at the reception.

Pals: The rebuilt village, the unbeatable rice and Columbus’ secret harbour

Pals is one of those Costa Brava villages that looks like it has stepped straight out of a medieval fairytale. Yet behind its ivy-covered façades, golden stone walls and charming cobbled streets lies a fascinating story of restoration, conspiracy theories and Cold War espionage.

Here are some of its most surprising facts:

• A village rebuilt over 30 years: Although it looks like an untouched medieval gem, the historic centre was almost completely abandoned and in ruins after the Spanish Civil War. In 1948, thanks to the determination of local doctor Jaume Pi i Figueras and the town's mayor, an ambitious restoration project began, lasting three decades and bringing Pals back to its original medieval splendour.

• The castle that became a church: Pals' medieval castle was destroyed in the 15th century. King John II ordered its remains to be dismantled, but with one condition, the stones had to be reused to rebuild the Church of Sant Pere. The only surviving part of the original castle is the impressive Clock Tower, once the keep.

• Ancient tombs carved into the streets: As you stroll along Carrer Major, look carefully at the rock beneath your feet. You'll spot several anthropomorphic tombs carved directly into the stone. Dating back to the Visigothic period (6th,7th centuries), these remarkable graves remain open to the sky.

• Did Columbus set sail from here? A curious and controversial theory, supported by some Catalan historians, claims that Christopher Columbus did not depart from Palos de la Frontera in Andalusia, but from the former royal harbour of Pals, and that later records were "Castilianised" over time.

• Pals rice never overcooks: Rice has been cultivated in the Pals wetlands since the 15th century. Thanks to the area's unique microclimate and the cold water flowing through its irrigation channels, the rice matures more slowly. The result is an exceptionally firm grain that absorbs stock beautifully without becoming mushy.

• A CIA base on the beach: During the Cold War (1959,2001), Pals Beach was home to the huge Radio Liberty antennas. Funded by the US government, the station broadcast anti-communist programmes across Europe, reaching deep into the Soviet Union. The antennas have since disappeared, and the site is now a protected natural area.

Our recommendation: For the best panoramic views of the region, head up to the Josep Pla Viewpoint, named after the Catalan writer who fell in love with this landscape. On a clear day you'll enjoy spectacular views of the rice fields, the Montgrí Massif and the rugged Medes Islands rising from the Mediterranean.