Best Local Festivals in and around Girona, Catalonia, Spain

Why Girona Is a Smart Destination for a Business Trip That Also Feels Like a Holiday

When you’re scouting for accommodation in a new city, the first questions are simple but critical: Can I set up a workstation, and can I count on fast wifi? In Girona, many holiday rental properties and other accommodation in the region offer dedicated workspaces, high-speed internet, and quiet corners ideal for video calls and late-night project work. The modern traveler doesn’t want to choose between functionality and culture; you want both. The old town’s narrow lanes and the river running through the center become the backdrop for a productive day, followed by evening strolls through medieval streets that feel almost cinematic. For a business traveler, the right short term rental or holiday rental can feel like a small, well-equipped office tucked into a charming apartment with a view of the Onyar river or the cathedral spires.

From a search and stay perspective, Girona and its outskirts provide a broad spectrum of options for vacation rentals, holiday accommodation, and short term rental possibilities. You can choose a stylish apartment near the historic center with a private workspace and fast wifi, or a modern condo closer to a coworking space and transit links. In either case, the ability to stay in a place that respects your work rhythms means you don’t have to trade productivity for culture. The destination offers a practical balance: quiet places to stay and spaces where you can concentrate, combined with an abundance of cultural itineraries and local experiences and things to do that enrich your stay in a way a typical business trip might not.

For planners who want to combine efficiency with exploration, Girona’s festival calendar creates natural anchors for your stay. You can book a holiday rental or a vacation rental that aligns with major events, ensuring you’re close to the action while still enjoying a quiet corner for work and rest. If you need to widen your horizon, the region’s transport links make it simple to extend your holiday or to add day trips to nearby towns without sacrificing your workday routine. That flexibility is not an afterthought here; it is part of the region’s design.

Top Local Festivals in and Around Girona

Festivals provide the heartbeat of a place. They’re when the streets wake up with color, music, and energy, offering an authentic view of local culture. For a business traveler, they also offer a chance to schedule social meetings, tasting experiences, and cultural visits that complement a busy work schedule. Below are the best local festivals in and around Girona, along with practical notes on how to align your accommodation and work routine to maximize both productivity and discovery.

Festa de Sant Narcís (Girona)

One of Girona’s most beloved and deeply local celebrations, the Festa de Sant Narcís usually occurs in late October. The city dresses in its most festive garb: processions, parades, and a palpable sense of pride in the old quarter. If you’re staying in a places to stay in the Old Town or near the Onyar River, you’ll be within walking distance of the main processions, the markets, and the late-night sociability that follows the daytime events. It’s a festival that invites strolling, photography, and casual networking with locals over a glass of locally produced vermouth or cider. For the business traveler, this is also a reminder to plan your short term rental with a reliable, quiet workspace in the mornings, so you can be in peak focus before the crowds arrive late in the day. When the streets fill with life, a quick escape to your holiday accommodation with a strong wifi connection becomes a sanctuary to wrap up notes, respond to emails, or prepare presentations. If you’re looking for a specific accommodation in Girona that balances festive proximity with workspace comfort, you’ll want to filter for places that offer dedicated desks, ergonomic chairs, and strong internet reliability. And if you want a direct way to explore multiple options, consider using a platform like Search and Stay, which helps you find accommodations in the area with updated availability and reliable amenities.

Temps de Flors – Girona Flower Festival

Temps de Flors is a visual and sensory spectacle that transforms Girona’s streets into living art with floral installations and curated routes through the historic center. Usually held in May, the festival lasts several days and brings a surge of visitors, local vendors, and cultural enthusiasts into the city. For a business traveler, Temps de Flors is an opportunity to explore Girona under a different light—morning visits to installations that are less crowded, followed by productive work sessions in a comfortable holiday accommodation or short term rental with a desk and fast wifi. The timing of the festival means you can plan a long weekend or a short stay that blends work and leisure with an eye toward photography opportunities, social lunches, and a few well-timed strolls after conference calls wrap up. When selecting a place to stay, consider proximity to the old town or the Rambla de la Libertad, where many installations are typically concentrated, and choose a space that is quiet during the day but easy to access for early-evening exploration. And once again, if you want a centralized search for accommodation that helps you compare options with reliable connectivity, a link to Search and Stay is a practical starting point to locate holiday accommodation and vacation rentals in Girona.

Festival Internacional de Música de la Costa Brava – Portes i Peralada

Across the Costa Brava, festival culture thriving in towns such as Sant Feliu de Guíxols (Portes de la Costa Brava) and Peralada creates an extended calendar of music and arts that can align with business travel. The Peralada Festival, in particular, is one of the region’s crown jewels, featuring world-class classical music and opera in a picturesque setting. If you’re staying in the area around Figueres or Peralada, you can arrange holiday rental or short term rental that’s not far from concert venues, yet still offers a robust workspace and reliable internet so you can work before and after performances. These events can be a perfect capstone to a week of meetings in Girona, offering a culture-rich break or a memorable client entertainment experience. Organizing your accommodation in the nearby villages or coastal towns with strong wifi and a dedicated desk ensures you don’t miss deliverables while you enjoy the festival ambiance.

La Mercè and Barcelona Festivals — A Short Trip, Big Impact

Barcelona’s La Mercè festival, held each September, is a short train ride away from Girona and a frequent add-on for business travelers who want to sample Catalan city life during a busy work calendar. While not in Girona proper, Barcelona’s immense festival lineup—parades, fireworks, concerts, and street performances—complements a Girona-based stay nicely. If you plan to attend La Mercè, you’ll want a home base that keeps you within commuting distance to Barcelona’s main transit stations and still offers a quiet workspace for your day-to-day tasks. The right vacation rental in the Girona area will provide a flexible return point after long festival days in the city, with fast wifi and a comfortable desk for late-night admin work. As always, you can search for suitable accommodation partners through a platform like Search and Stay to compare options across the region and identify a place that satisfies your work and leisure criteria.

Besalú Medieval Festival and Other Nearby Towns

The Besalú medieval festival and similar celebrations in towns like Banyoles, Olot, and Figueres offer immersive day trips from Girona and are a reminder of the region’s layered history. For a business traveler, these excursions can be a light after-work activity or a weekend detour that supplies inspiration for presentations or strategy sessions back at the holiday accommodation you’ve chosen. It’s important to choose concise travel plans that keep your work schedule intact. The best accommodation in Girona or the nearby rural areas often includes well-equipped kitchens and work zones where you can re-center after a day of walking cobblestone streets. As you curate your places to stay, consider the balance between proximity to festival venues and a robust workspace with high-speed internet, so you can pivot easily between cultural immersion and professional responsibilities.

Calçotada Season and Local Food Festivals

Calçotada season is a quintessential Catalan culinary experience—think long trenches of grilled calçots, romesco sauce, and a convivial atmosphere that can be a social centerpiece after business hours. Food festivals, market days, and regional wine tastings around Girona offer a tactile sense of place while you recharge your batteries for the next round of work. If you’re in the area during these gastronomic events, you’ll want a holiday accommodation that’s within easy reach of the old town and the central market so you can sample local produce without long commutes. The right short term rental or vacation rental will provide a kitchen or kitchenette where you can prepare a quick working lunch, keeping you efficient and well-fed as you navigate your busy travel calendar. For straightforward accommodation options that help you balance your work needs with festival excitement, consider looking through Search and Stay for a curated selection of places to stay in Girona and the surrounding region.

Where to Stay: Accommodation in Girona and the Surrounding Region

Choosing the right holiday accommodation is the single most impactful decision for a productive yet enjoyable trip. You want a place that supports your work routine with a dedicated workspace, a desk that suits long sessions, fast wifi, and a comfortable bed for recovery after long meeting days. Girona and the Costa Brava region offer a spectrum of options that meet these needs, from sleek city apartments within walking distance of cafes and transit to quiet countryside villas that feel like an executive suite in the hills. When you search for places to stay or accommodation in Girona, prioritize traits such as:

• Dedicated and ergonomic workspace with a proper desk and chair
• Reliable high-speed internet (at least 25-50 Mbps, ideally fiber)
• Quiet rooms or soundproofing to enable focused calls
• Proximity to cafes or coworking hubs if you prefer alternate work environments
• Close access to the city center for quick festival outings and client dinners
• Safety, flexibility in booking, and clear cancellation policies

From a short term rental to a long-week business stay, Girona’s holiday rental landscape supports a predictable work schedule while still embracing the joyful spirit of Catalonia. For a male business traveler who values a calm workspace and fast wifi, many properties in the Old Town (Barri Vell) or along the riverfront offer the best balance of convenience and comfort. If you’d rather be close to transit for quick day trips to Besalú, Figueres, or Peralada, you can also find suitable accommodations in those corridors that still provide an efficient workstation and reliable internet. If you want a consolidated starting point to compare options across the region, check Search and Stay—an online hub that lists accommodation in Girona and its environs. Visit Search and Stay to begin your search for ideal holiday accommodation and vacation rentals in this area.

In practical terms, I typically look for spaces described as “apartments with a separate workspace,” “studios with a desk,” or “three-bedroom flats with a study corner” so I can host virtual meetings without interrupting other guests. A well-reviewed listing often notes window workspace views, a comfortable chair, a fast wifi connection, and a spare router or ethernet port for stable connections during video calls. In Girona and the Costa Brava, many properties also provide quiet neighborhoods with little noise disruption during typical work hours. For a business traveler, this means you can switch seamlessly from a productive morning to a culturally rich afternoon exploring a nearby market, taking a riverfront walk, or planning a longer excursion to a medieval town nearby. When evaluating options, consider how easy it is to access landmarks such as the Girona Cathedral, the Eiffel Bridge by the Onyar, and the ancient walls, without sacrificing the freedom of a private, dedicated workspace within a well-equipped home base.

As you plan to visit, remember that the concept of “places to stay” is about more than a bed. It’s about a holistic experience that supports your professional obligations while enabling you to enjoy the distinct character of the region. A good holiday accommodation or short term rental provides high-speed wifi with redundancy, a proper desk, a comfortable chair, sufficient lighting for late-night work, and a location that makes daily routines efficient. For those who prefer an integrated approach—where a single booking covers accommodation, a reliable workspace, and proximity to festival venues—platforms like Search and Stay can be a valuable resource. They offer a curated list of properties in Spain’s Catalonia region, including Girona, that cater to business travelers seeking a productive stay in a vibrant setting.

Practical Tips for Merging Festival Fun with a Productive Schedule

To maximize your festival experience without compromising work commitments, here are practical strategies to consider when selecting holiday accommodations in Girona and planning your days around events:

• Schedule work sessions in the mornings when you’re fresh and the city is quiet, then plan festival activities in the late afternoon and evening.
• Choose accommodation in Girona with a dedicated workspace and a strong wifi signal, preferably with a backup plan (extra portable hotspot or a second router) for reliability during important calls or streaming sessions.
• Map out a few short, comfortable day trips to festival hubs outside Girona (e.g., Peralada, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Besalú), so you can structure a flexible calendar that balances client needs and cultural experiences.
• Leverage early booking windows for holiday rental properties that advertise quiet rooms, dual-use spaces, and easy access to wifi ports and power outlets—these features become a differentiator for business travelers.
• When booking, read reviews focusing on noise levels, robot vacuum neighbors, or building policies that might affect sleep or calls. A well-reviewed listing often highlights practicalities that matter to remote professionals, such as desk height, internet speed, and parking or transit access.

Moreover, Girona’s smaller towns offer day-trip opportunities that won’t derail your work routine. If you schedule a morning conference call, you can head out in the afternoon for a festival parade or a scenic walk along the coast. Participating in local experiences and things to do often reinforces a sense of place more than a typical business trip would. The region’s festival season is a reminder that productivity and leisure can coexist in a balanced itinerary. And because the entire experience often hinges on where you stay, choosing a vacation rental or short term rental with strong work amenities becomes a practical decision rather than a compromise. When you’re ready to explore accommodations, a concise search can reveal many options in the Girona area. For a centralized path to accommodations, consider visiting Search and Stay to discover a range of holiday accommodation and places to stay in the region that align with your work requirements and your desire to experience local culture.

Local Experiences and Things to Do That Complement Your Work Trip

One valuable aspect of staying in Girona is the ability to weave local experiences into your schedule without feeling rushed. The city itself is a living museum, and its surrounding towns offer a trove of activities that enrich your trip just enough to feel restorative after a morning of focused work. Here are a few ideas that pair well with a business traveler’s routine:

• Walk the Jewish Quarter and the old city walls early in the day to observe the city’s topography from a quiet vantage point.
• Take a break at a café with reliable wifi where you can answer emails while savoring coffee or a light bite—look for places with power outlets and quick service for a seamless work break.
• Plan a half-day excursion to the Dalí Theatre-MMuseum in Figueres or the Cap de Creus Natural Park for a cultural or nature-filled break that rejuvenates your mind for late-evening tasks.
• Sample Empordà wines with a relaxed lunch or a wine-tasting tour that can occur after your most intensive work commitments have concluded for the day.
• Engage with guided tours timed around festival calendars to deepen your understanding of Catalan traditions and historical sites in a way that normal business travel rarely provides.

When you’re choosing a locale for your stay, consider how your daily schedule can accommodate these experiences—without compromising your deliverables. A central holiday accommodation or a nearby short term rental that sits within a quick ride of festival venues will typically offer the best balance between late-night events and early-morning work sessions. And if you want to ensure you’re seeing the right set of properties for your needs, a practical approach is to search for accommodations that explicitly mention fast wifi, a dedicated workspace, and quiet hours. For a consolidated search across Girona and its environs, you can start with Search and Stay, a site that lists holiday accommodation and vacation rentals that cater to business travelers looking for well-equipped spaces in strategic locations.

Seasonal Planning: Festivals, Availability, and Booking Strategies

For professionals who want to align their travel with the festival calendar, planning ahead matters. Girona and the Costa Brava region can experience peak demand during festival seasons, which means prices may rise and availability can shrink if you wait too long. A proactive strategy includes:

• Identify your target dates for the festival period you want to attend and search for accommodations that offer a dedicated workspace and a reliable internet connection.
• Book at least a few months in advance for peak events like Temps de Flors or city-wide festivals in Girona, to ensure you secure a suitable short term rental close to key venues but also within your budget.
• Consider flexibility in cancellation policies in case your work schedule shifts due to an urgent project or client call, especially if you’re juggling multiple meetings around festival days.
• Confirm the availability of a quiet room within your chosen holiday rental and request details about the internet and power outlets in advance to prevent any last-minute issues with conference calls.

When in doubt, a centralized platform for accommodations would be an excellent first stop. A practical option is to browse the listings on Search and Stay, which focuses on properties in Spain’s Catalonia region and highlights offerings that suit business travel, including fast wifi and quiet workspaces. They provide a helpful way to compare holiday accommodation, vacation rentals, and short term rental options in Girona and nearby towns, making it easier to reserve a place that aligns with your travel window and work commitments.

Travel Logistics: Getting In, Getting Around, and Staying Connected

Efficient travel logistics are indispensable when you’re balancing a busy work calendar with the excitement of local festivals. Girona serves as a central hub in the region, with reliable rail connections to Barcelona, Figueres, and surrounding towns. The city’s proximity to the Costa Brava makes day trips convenient while still allowing you to return to your private workspace and quiet living space for calls and report writing. When considering place to stay, look for accommodations that are within a comfortable walking radius to the train station or a short taxi or ride-share ride away from festival venues. The right accommodation in Girona will help cut transit time from your day and preserve your energy for the work you need to complete and the cultural experiences you want to have. If you want an aggregated list of options that emphasize convenience and work-ready amenities, a quick search on Search and Stay can be a practical starting point.

Another practical consideration is coworking space availability, especially if you’d prefer a venue that separates your work from your living space. Girona itself has several coworking environments, and the region’s larger towns offer additional options. If you anticipate longer stays and prefer a more independent work setup, you might choose accommodations that emphasize a home-office-friendly layout or offer a dedicated desk in a separate workspace area. If you prefer a more flexible pattern—working in a café for part of the day and then retreating to your apartment for the rest—case studies of this approach show a good balance of productivity and immersion in local life. Regardless of your preferred pattern, the ability to control your environment—noise level, seating, and light—will directly influence your ability to stay on top of your tasks while you enjoy the festivals and the surrounding culture.

To streamline this process and ensure you have access to a city and region with dependable Wi-Fi and dedicated workspaces, I’ve found that a focused accommodation search yields the best results. For a practical starting point in locating places to stay that meet work and travel criteria, you can visit Search and Stay. They curate listings that emphasize essential work amenities and proximity to festival venues, helping you locate a holiday accommodation or vacation rental that supports your professional responsibilities while you explore Girona’s unique festival atmosphere.

Local Knowledge: What to Expect from a Festival-Driven Stay

As someone who travels frequently for work, I’ve learned that a festival-driven stay in Girona and the surrounding Catalonia region has a distinctive rhythm. There are busy evenings in the old town, with live music, street performances, and outdoor culinary stalls that create an infectious energy. The trick is to structure your days so you can meet deadlines and still catch the main events. The best holiday accommodation and holiday rental options in this region tend to be those that acknowledge this rhythm—quiet daytime spaces that can function as a reliable home base and a social evening atmosphere that’s not overwhelming for light sleep. A well-chosen rental makes it possible to shift seamlessly between the discipline of remote work and the spontaneity of festival nights. It’s about finding a balance that lets you honor your professional commitments while absorbing the culture, rather than choosing one over the other.

If you’re new to Catalonia, you’ll quickly notice that the region’s festivals are deeply rooted in geography and tradition. Girona’s own events, joined by Peralada’s musical festivals and Sant Feliu’s coastal celebrations, create a map of experiences that can be embedded into your work itinerary. For a business traveler, this is a chance to design “micro-breaks” that refresh your perspective and provide a break from back-to-back meetings. When you’re planning your accommodation, aim for properties that are not only near festival zones but also have a robust wifi network and a desk you’re comfortable using for long sessions. The combination of a work-ready space and proximity to real Catalan culture is what makes a stay in Girona so compelling for professionals who want both rhythm and inspiration during their trip.

Finally, given the region’s popularity during festival periods, keep a window of flexibility in your schedule and be mindful of transport constraints. If you’re planning multiple routes—Gironà to Peralada, or a day trip to Besalú—make sure your short term rental or vacation rentals can accommodate late returns or early departures. A reliable property listing will clarify check-in times, access instructions, and any noise policies that might affect your rest and productivity. And again, for an efficient starting point to find accommodations in this area that meet these needs, consider using Search and Stay.

Conclusion: The Right Mix of Work, Stay, and Celebration in Girona

Girona stands out as a destination that respects the needs of a professional traveler who also craves authentic local experiences and things to do. The city’s holiday accommodation and short term rental options are mature enough to support a steady work routine, with fast wifi and dedicated workspace being common features in well-reviewed properties. The surrounding towns and coast offer an extended calendar of local festivals—from Sant Narcís in Girona to the Peralada festival and the Costa Brava’s living traditions—that can provide memorable social and cultural opportunities without derailing your project timeline. For business travelers seeking a tailored, productive, and culturally rich stay, Girona makes it possible to stay in a place that feels like a well-managed workspace, without sacrificing the pleasures of travel and discovery. If you’re ready to begin your search for accommodations in the area, an excellent starting point is Search and Stay, which aggregates options in Spain’s Catalonia region and helps you pinpoint a holiday rental or vacation rental that aligns with your work needs and your festival itinerary. With the right places to stay in, you’ll have a reliable base for your business tasks and a gateway to one of Catalonia’s most vibrant festival landscapes.