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Around 2,600 years ago, the Iberians became the first indigenous civilisation in what is now Catalonia. They were a people made up of several tribes, such as the Indigetes, who settled at strategic points along the Costa Brava. A unique and surprising culture that we invite you to discover.
The Iberian city of Ullastret is the largest Iberian settlement in Catalonia and was the capital of the Indigetes tribe between the 6th and 2nd centuries BC. The site is made up of the settlement of Puig de Sant Andreu, Illa d’en Reixach, the necropolis of Puig d’en Serra and a small museum with an immersive room where you can enjoy a spectacular virtual reconstruction of the town. The site also has a route that is adapted for wheelchair users, has a magnetic loop at the reception desks, offers adapted audio guides with a magnetic induction system and sign-guides, and organises inclusive guided tours.
In Llafranc, you can discover the Iberian settlement of Sant Sebastià de la Guarda while enjoying the views of one of the most beautiful stretches of the Costa Brava from the emblematic Sant Sebastià lighthouse. The site dates from the 6th and 1st centuries BC. It consists of the Iberian settlement, a 15th-century watchtower, an 18th-century hermitage and inn, and a 19th-century lighthouse. In the settlement, there are around twenty silos, some of which are between four and five metres deep.
A group of people visit the Iberian settlement of Sant Sebastià de la Guarda. In the foreground, the detail of an informative poster with photographs of some of the objects found in the excavations. Picture by Xènia Gasull.
You can also see a row of houses lined up with the typical Iberian architectural structure. It also has an adapted route for people with reduced mobility, wheelchair users and families with pushchairs.
Most of the Iberian settlements were located by the sea, near coves and on high ground, which served a defensive function. This is the case of the Iberian settlement at Castell beach in Palamós. It is located on a small mound some 35 metres high that juts out into the sea, a perfect location for controlling the coast and inland areas.
A girl walks through the village of Castell. The green of the pine trees that form the landscape contrasts with the blue of the sea, which is on the left. Picture by Lluís Reverter.
On the coastal path from Lloret de Mar to Canyelles stands the Iberian settlement of Turó Rodó. There you can visit the reproduction of an Iberian house reconstructed using techniques and materials typical of the period, such as local stone, mud, wood and straw. Also in Lloret de Mar is the Iberian fortified enclosure of Puig de Castellet, a lookout point over the sea that ensured the defence of nearby settlements.
You can follow the trail of the Indigetes by visiting the castle of Begur (Baix Empordà), the Mas Castellar de Pontós (Alt Empordà), the Iberian settlement of Puig d’en Cendra in Estanyol (Gironès), the Mas Oliveres de Porqueres (Pla de l’Estany) or the Iberian settlement of La Palomera, between Sant Aniol de Finestres and Mieres (La Garrotxa).
