Camós – Romanesque Churches, Vilauba and Salt Dalmau

Camós brings together architectural history, archaeological traces, recurring festivals and natural sites. These themes offer different starting points for planning your trip: you can explore Romanesque architecture, get to know the landscape around Salt Dalmau or plan your stay around one of the festival dates.

Churches, Architecture and History

The Vilauba archaeological site has been classified as a Cultural Asset of National Interest (BCIN) since 2020. It has been restored and prepared for visitors with a signposted route and explanatory panels. Check the current visiting times before your visit. This allows you to understand the site not only in terms of its importance to Camós, but also by exploring the information presented on site.

Original elements of the Romanesque building have been preserved on the south side of the Church of Santa Maria de Camós. These include carefully worked sandstone blocks and a double-splayed window with a round arch made of small wedge-shaped stones. The square in front of the church also offers a glimpse into older layers of the town: during paving work in 2017, a fragment of the Romanesque apse, contemporary burials and the structure of an older building with a rectangular floor plan were uncovered there.

Another Romanesque church is Santa Magdalena de Noves, a single-nave building dating from the late 11th century. Its furnishings include a preserved 16th-century altarpiece. It is painted in oil on polychromed walnut wood and consists of sixteen pieces. The building’s form and the altarpiece bring together two different periods: the church’s construction and a later work of religious art.

The rectory, a fortified farmhouse dating from the 13th century, stands near Sant Vicenç de Camós. Its tower retains two twin windows with round-arched arcades. If you would like to focus on the architecture of several churches, the Camí de les Esglésies de Camós is a route connecting Santa Maria and Sant Vicenç. It follows shaded roads and paths and offers panoramic views of the surrounding area.

Another local story lies behind the “Ruta camí de tornada a l’escola”: it follows the route that children from Corts took to school in Camós in the 1950s. The route runs almost parallel to the river and leads from Gorga Blava to Salt Dalmau.

Landscape Around Salt Dalmau

The area around Salt Dalmau includes a spring and a turquoise-blue pool. Oaks, holm oaks, plane trees, riverside vegetation and elder trees shape the landscape there. The rock immediately beside the waterfall is travertine. This rock is associated with ancient lacustrine deposits from springs on the Matamors River and with the same groundwater system as Lake Banyoles. The waterfall on the Matamors was mentioned as early as 1017, giving the site a long natural history.

The Matamors stream also offers a glimpse of local habitats: restored sections feature riparian woodland and animal species typical of such areas. The elevated setting of Santa Maria de Camós offers views towards Banyoles and across its plain. This brings together two distinct landscape impressions: the view from the church across the plain and the waterside areas around Salt Dalmau.

Festivals and When to Visit

Recurring festivals include the Aplec de Santa Magdalena. It takes place on the third Saturday in July at the hermitage of Santa Magdalena; the exact programme may vary from year to year. Festa del Roser, the main festival of Camós, is celebrated on the fourth weekend of May and jointly organised by the two parishes. These dates fall at different times of the year, offering different points of reference for planning your trip. Check the specific festival dates and programme before you travel.

If you are looking for a hotel in Camós, architectural history, nature and the festival calendar can all provide different reasons to choose when to travel. The churches and Vilauba offer historical themes; the routes link local stories or churches, while Salt Dalmau and the Matamors draw attention to the landscape and geology.

Discover more destinations: Ogassa, Tortellá, El Cros, Gualta, La Cellera De Ter, Serinyà, Rabós, Lladó.

For the broader travel overview: Girona.