What I Wish I’d Known Before Spending A Day in Figueres Spain

Figueres is an interesting Spanish city to visit to say the least. It’s by no means the prettiest, or the cutest, Spanish city I’ve seen (like Girona Spain views!).

There’s also really only two things to do in Figueres: visit The Dalí Museum and The Castell De Sant Ferran. But! if you’re interested in Salvador Dalí, then a day trip to Figueres Spain is a must-do!

If you aren’t such a huge Dalí fan, then I’d read my honest review about Figueres Spain before booking train tickets to visit. This is what I wish I’d known before spending a day in Figueres Spain…

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Where Is Figueres Spain?

Figueres Spain is in the province of Girona in Catalonia Spain. It’s about 137 km away from Barcelona (about an hour and a half drive). It’s also about 50 minutes passed Girona, the city, which is a must visit from Barcelona!

Figueres Spain has easy day trip potential from both Barcelona and the South of France and you don’t really need to spend any longer in this Spanish city than one day. Figueres is actually closer to the South of France than it is to Barcelona. This means that it actually has a very strong French speaking community in Figueres.

It’s also in the Catalonian region in Spain which means they speak primarily Catalan over Spanish.

How To Get From Barcelona To Figueres

Visiting Figueres from Barcelona is a very easy day trip to do. There are four ways to get from Barcelona to Figueres: train, bus, drive, or go on an organized tour.

The easiest way to get from Barcelona to Figueres is to take the train. It’s relatively cheap and the train leaves a few times throughout the day. The train also isn’t much longer than driving, just under an hour. Once you arrive in Figueres, the train station is located a short walk from the city centre.

The cheapest but longest option to is to take the bus from Barcelona to Figueres.

You can also rent a car and drive to Figueres, but don’t forget about parking once you arrive and dealing with driving in a foreign country.

Finally, if you don’t want to deal with transportation and getting lost in a new city, you can also go on an organized tour from Barcelona to Figueres. It’s typically the most expensive option, but it’s also the most stress free.

Find the best transportation option from Barcelona to Figueres here.

Need A Place To Stay? Figueres Hotel Recommendations

I didn’t stay overnight in Figueres, we went back to Barcelona. But if you’re looking to enjoy some of the nightlife, book a place to stay the night in Figueres Spain. Here are some recommendations I found in the city centre.

Apartment With Views & Location: The Museum Apartments is next door to the Dali Museum – it doesn’t get better than that! You can book a room with either a private terrace, patio, or balcony or a view! This is also ideal if you’re travelling with family or friends, rooms can sleep up to 7 people! See room rates & availability.

Hotel: If you’re looking for a more classic hotel, stay at the Duran Hotel in Figueres Spain. You also have the Duran restaurant downstairs where Dali himself used to eat! See room rates & availability.

For more accommodation options in Figueres, click here.

What Is Figueres Known For? Connection To Salvador Dalí

The main thing figueres is known for is being the birthplace of Salvador Dalí. He wasn’t just born there though, he lived and breathed Figueres. He lived there with his wife and was buried there.

But today, it’s mainly known for the museum that Dalí opened up in Figueres. It’s also where he set up his museum – The Dalí Theatre-Museum – with the largest collection of his work.

PSA: Only Visit If You’re Interested in Salvador Dalí

I can’t stress this enough! If you visit Figueres with this in mind, then you won’t be disappointed. There are a few other museums you can visit, but realistically, how many museums can you visit in one day? 

There’s also a fortress on the edge of town which is interesting, don’t get me wrong, but again, it’s nothing that you can’t see in other European cities (shoutout to Namur and Dinant in Belgium).  

And other than that… the rest is all focused around Salvador Dalí.

Dalí Attractions To See in Figueres

There are the two main Figueres Spain Dalí museums to visit, but there are also some hidden gems that you should see.

The Dalí Theatre-Museum is the main attraction that you should be going to Figueres for. It’s the main museum that’s really unique to the town. Of course, you can find Dalí originals elsewhere, but this is one of the largest collections. The museum itself is also a Dalí masterpiece, it was designed specifically to showcase his work. 

You can also visit the Dalí Jewels Museums to see a collection of the jewellery he designed. Attached to the museum (in the red part of the building) is where Gala (his wife) and Dalí lived. Make sure to find the plaque next to the tower it’ll answer all your questions about the building (like why there are eggs on top of it). 

Figueres isn’t just where Dalí lived as an adult, if you walk a bit further down Las Ramblas you can see his childhood home where Dalí lived until he was 12. On the way there’s a cool monument to Dalí in the centre of Las Ramblas that you shouldn’t miss!

Tips For Visiting The Figueres Spain Dalí Museum

As I said, the Dalí Theatre-Museum is the main attraction in Figueres Spain and because of that, it’s PACKED. I swear the town feels like a ghost town until you walk inside and realize this is where everyone is.

You’d think the number of people they let inside would be more controlled because you have to buy a timed ticket. This isn’t the case. It’s absolute chaos inside (even during low season), most of the rooms and passageways are small and there are just too many people to fit. 

Unfortunately, this made the museum a bit less enjoyable for us because we weren’t used to this many people. If you want to try to avoid the chaos don’t book a morning ticket. The museum was busy all day, but I noticed the morning was completely sold out. So if you want to try and avoid the crowds, book an afternoon time slot (or book a guided tour of the museum with a pre-booked ticket with Viator here).

I also recommend grabbing a seat in the outdoor space of the museum (the first section in the centre). There are seats all along the wall. It’s a good way to get some space from everyone to be able to take your time appreciating all the detail in the space.

Tips For Visiting Figueres Spain Dalí Museum #2: Dalí Jewels

Dalí Jewels is another Figueres Spain Dalí museum to visit. It’s the complete opposite of the Dalí Theatre-Museum though. You don’t need timed entry and no one seems to visit, so it’s also way less crowded. You’re actually able to take your time admiring his precious jewels.

Heads up though, it’s quite dark inside the museum and getting inside is only a bit terrifying. You have to go through windowless revolving doors and for a second it becomes pitch black… but it’s worth it!

Tips For Buying Tickets To Figueres Spain Dalí Museum

If you’re interested in visiting both the Dalí Theatre-Museum and the Dalí Jewels, buy a combined ticket.

You can buy your tickets online in advance or at the door. If you need to go in the morning I recommend buying online because those are quicker to sell out. But, if you’re a student they offer discounted rates at the door that they don’t show you online.

You can also book tickets in advance with a guided tour through Viator here.

Tickets are timed for entry every 30 minutes. I recommend buying for 30 minutes before you think you’ll want to go (i.e. if you want to go at 3:00 buy for 2:30). You have the full 30 minutes from your ticket entry to go in but they won’t let you in before it. It was annoying when we arrived 15 minutes before our ticket entry time and had to wait outside in line.

In order to avoid some of the crowded chaos, I recommend arriving 15 minutes passed your entry time.  Everyone is arriving at the same time otherwise, and there’s always a line up to get in. Arriving 15 minutes later gives people time to get ahead of you, so hopefully, there will be fewer people when you get there.

Figueres Spain Things To Do Not Related To Dalí

There isn’t much else to do in Figueres Spain that isn’t connected to Salvador Dalí. There are a few other museums you can visit, or the second largest attraction in the city, The Castell De Sant Ferran.

Other Museums To Visit

There are so many museums aside from the Dalí-Theatre-Museum but there are three main recommendations. The Toy Museum of Catalonia, Museu de l’Empordà (art museum), and Technical Museum of the Empordà.

I think they’re all very well done, but after visiting two Dalí museums, we were kind of museum-ed out for the day!

What To Do In Figueres? Visiting The Castell De Sant Ferran

When researching what to do in Figueres, the Castell de Sant Ferran was always suggested. It looks like it would be a lot further than it actually is so I originally didn’t think it was doable in a day. But the Castell de Sant Ferran only a 20-minute walk from the Dalí Theatre-Museum.

Other than exploring the grounds on your own, you can also go on a guided visit underground and to the exterior parts of the fortress (you have to book in advance for those tours though). 

Our plan was to visit the Fortress in the afternoon, but unfortunately in the winter, it closes at 3:00 P.M. (and Google isn’t aware of this).

If this happens to you, it’s still worth walking up to the fortress. Even if it’s closed, you can still walk around the grounds, there’s a path that takes you all around the fortress. You can sort of peak inside, and you also get some skyline views of Figueres and the Province of Girona.

Tips For Spending A Day Figueres… What To Know

There are a few things that I wish that I’d known before I visited Figueres for the day. I was thrown off guard by quite a few things that I wasn’t expecting.

English is Useless!

Figueres is a 45-minute train ride from Barcelona, (stopping at Girona along the way). But, more tourists actually visit the city from France. How do I know that? Well, I noticed a lot more people were speaking French than Spanish or even Catalan, and NOT ONE person spoke English.

If you don’t know either French, Spanish, or Catalan (i.e. only English) it’s going to be very hard for you to get around here. This was a total shock to us. In every restaurant (even in the main tourist area), our English was useless and we had to resort to French (which is good because it could use the practice!). We only wanted to know if they accepted card and the employees had no idea what we were saying.

Don’t Trust Google When Visiting Figueres Spain!

Another thing to watch out for when visiting Figueres for the day are the opening hours. Because it’s not exactly a big city, Google isn’t on top of their game with their information.

Most stores have a 4-hour lunch break in the middle of the day from around 12:00 to 4:00 P.M.. But the bigger issue comes up when you’re visiting in the low season. Most attractions have different hours for fall, winter, and summer. Google won’t be aware of the change in hours so be sure to double-check the websites and not to rely on Google.

It’s Far From The Prettiest Spanish Town

On most day trips, once I’ve visited all the main attractions I’m able to fill my time photographing the more picturesque parts of town. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to see in Figueres Spain.

First off, the town is so small that you end up walking in a circle most of the time. There aren’t any hidden streets to discover or beautiful architecture to admire.

On my exploration of the city, I managed to find some nice fountains and a sculpture of Saint George! Plus make sure not to miss a really cool Salvador Dalí monument in the middle of Las Ramblas!

Not The Place To Come For Local Shopping

At the end of the day, I also usually like to check out the local shopping… from what I saw it was all bigger chain stores. I guess the city is so small that in the limited space they have they want the name brands.

If you’re looking for local shopping, you know, stores you can’t find back home (or even back in Barcelona), then don’t rely on Figueres for that. There were very limited boutique stores that I wanted to go into.

Where To Eat in Figueres Spain?

We managed to eat a lot of food on our day trip to Figueres. It was a good way to pass the time (because there isn’t much to do there and all the stores close in the afternoon).

In the main city centre you can stop at either Calid Café or El Cafito for a quick coffee break. We saw Calid Café serving a delicious Spanish style lunch but they understood the least amount of English out of anyone here, and they won’t start serving lunch a minute before their lunch break starts. 

Lizarran For Lunch

After we tried to eat at Calid Café for lunch, we ended up at Lizarran for some traditional tapas. They serve pinxtos, the ones with the toothpicks.

It’s a fun scene because they announce when they bring out new pintxos and they’ll come around offering it to each table. You have to be careful here because the bill can really add up. You keep the toothpicks from each pintxos you take, they’re about €2.00 – €2.50 each. 

I’d try a few tapas but also order a plate to fill up. You also have to order their patatas bravas – delicious!

Pau For Coffee/Tea Break

I love this place! It’s a bit out of the touristy zone but not too far out of the way. They have everything here from coffee and tea, alcohol, to simple (but tasty) sandwiches. Our favourite though was ordering Spanish hot chocolate and melindros (sponge cookies)!

Day Trip To Figueres Essentials

Planning a Trip To Barcelona? Check Out My Other Guides

• Go On A Day Trip To Montserrat From Barcelona
• How To Visit Girona In A Day From Barcelona
• How To Spend One Day Exploring Montjuïc
• See How You Can Save Money in Barcelona

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Last update on 2024-05-15 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API