Santa Coloma de Farners, the capital of the La Selva region, offers visitors a blend of natural springs, historical sites, and local culinary traditions. Located between natural parks and forested mountains, the town is built over abundant natural springs, providing a peaceful escape from urban life.
Sant Salvador Park, on the edge of town, is a popular spot where residents and visitors fill large jugs with free, cold spring water from an aquifer. The park also features streams and picnic areas, making it a pleasant place for lunch.
Thermal Waters and Historic Spas
The area is home to two notable spas, Termes Orion and Magma Spa, both drawing from the same medicinal thermal springs. Termes Orion, constructed in 1860, is a historic balneari known for its mineral-rich waters, believed to improve circulation and aid relaxation. The spa's healing properties were discovered around 1700 by farmers.
During the Spanish Civil War, from 1936 to 1939, Termes Orion served as a hospital for wounded soldiers, with thermal pools reportedly assisting in recovery. Domingo Campeny bought the spa in 1978, restoring the then-ruined building and grounds. He updated the facilities, adding a bamboo-lined thermal pool with large windows. While historically focused on thermal water treatments, Termes Orion now offers massages, pedicures, facials, and specialty baths, according to the source.
Less than a kilometre from Termes Orion is Magma Spa, a newer facility with a family focus. It features multiple indoor and outdoor pools, fountains, and jets, including a dedicated children's pool. Magma's pools are treated, unlike Orion's one small, untreated pool. Both spas are suitable for a day trip.
Castles, Hermitages, and Hiking Trails
Beyond the spas, Santa Coloma de Farners offers historical exploration in its surrounding mountains. Visitors can drive up a dusty road from the town centre to reach Farners Castle, a 12th-century structure, and the 11th-century Mare de Déu de Farners hermitage. The hermitage is often quiet, allowing visitors to explore in solitude.
From the hermitage, a footpath and stone staircase lead to the castle, offering views of the indigo mountains, neighbouring churches, and Santa Coloma in the distance. Inside the castle, iron stairs wind up the tower, providing expansive vistas. For those seeking more adventure, Farners Castle marks the start of a 62-kilometre, three-day hike that connects 10 hermitages between L'Esparra and Anglès, as well as various castles and masies in Les Guilleries.
The Sweet Taste of Trias Biscuits
Santa Coloma de Farners is also famous for its biscuit industry, particularly the Trias family legacy. Around 1900, Joaquim Trias and his brother started a business making almond, sugar, and water biscuits, modelled after English biscuits. Although the brothers later separated, both continued in the biscuit trade.
Today, four generations later, three biscuit companies in Santa Coloma de Farners trace their origins back to the Trias family. Joaquim Trias's descendants have been particularly successful, marketing their biscuits globally. Maria Trias, representing the company her great-great-grandfather founded, stated that the company is focusing on international exportation and new biscuit recipes. Their biscuits are sold in countries including the US, Japan, Taiwan, the UK, Germany, and France, and are well-known in Barcelona, according to Trias.
The Trias factory features an on-site biscuit museum where visitors can watch biscuit-makers through a large window before visiting the gift shop. After a day or two in Santa Coloma de Farners, visitors often feel refreshed. The town's location in the La Selva region also makes it a good base for exploring other local destinations.
Santa Coloma de Farners hosts outdoor markets on Saturdays in Plaça del Firal and on Mondays in Plaça Farners, featuring local produce, sausages, artisanal goods, and other items. Annually on 20 January, hundreds of walkers accompany the "Father Pilgrim" (pare pelegrí) on a 40-kilometre pilgrimage from Tossa de Mar to Santa Coloma de Farners, a tradition believed to have protected the town from plagues.
