Making friends in Girona
Girona Buddies
Girona Buddies is an English-speaking WhatsApp community for people in Girona. Events are organised by their members. Join at gironabuddies.com/join.
Girona International
Girona International is run by Alexey. Instagram
(Note that Girona International is different to Girona International Society.)
Girona International has two fortnightly events:
Girona International karaoke
Karaoke at Duplex bar every other Friday night, starting at 9:30 pm. Popular event, turnout usually around 30 people.
Anyone can go. Popular with younger crowds, like Erasmus students, but open to all.
Girona International language exchange
Language exchange every other Thursday at 7 pm at River Girona (Carrer de la Barca 2). Get a sticker with the languages you speak and find someone who speaks the language that you want to practice.
Girona Conecta
Fortnightly English-speaking social event on Thursday or Friday, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm, organised by Nastya.
Usually the location is Hors Categorie. Anyone can turn up. Turnout usually around 30 people.
Girona Social Meetup
Weekly English-speaking meetup, every Tuesday at 7 PM at Dúplex Restaurant. About 15-20 people go each time. Managed by Ami from California.
Mostly attended by middle-aged to older people, but open to all.
Regulars at La Garrina
There a group of regulars at La Garrina (a bar in the Barri Vell who are a mix of locals and foreigners, and welcome new people. It's a bit like cheers. They don't meet on the same day each week. Sometimes it's a Friday, a Saturday, or even a Sunday or Wednesday. Members include MaryLynn, ...
Girona Mamas and Papas
Facebook group for English-speaking parents. Run by Mary Lynn. They meet up around once a month.
Espartans
A WhatsApp group created on 28 Jan 2024 by a woman called Joanka. As of 3 May 2025, the group has 168 members. Extremely active, with seemingly hundreds of messages every day. The members are mostly middle-aged Catalan women. They organise dinners at restaurants, evenings out at discos (especially in a club called Millennium in Sils), afternoon gatherings with tapas and drinks, etc.
Marrecs de Salt
A human tower (castells) group in Salt. Marrecs de Salt is friendly and open to everyone, including foreigners. You don’t need to speak Catalan, but it’s a fun way to learn. People of all ages and body types can take part — there’s a role for everyone, not just those who climb. They also organize social events and trips during the year. Trainings are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Fewer people go on Wednesday, so it's a good day to go if you want to do more training. It's also a good day if you want to try "pilars" (a tower of just 1 person per level).[1]
In human towers (castells), a "pilar" (Catalan for pillar) is a very narrow tower made up of just one person per level, stacked vertically.
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marrecs.[2]
- Website: https://marrecs.cat
Castells terms
🧍♂️ People and Structure
- Pinya
- The base of the human tower, made up of many people who support the weight and catch the castellers if they fall.
- Tronc
- The main vertical body of the tower, made up of multiple levels.
- Folre
- A second-level base placed on top of the pinya for additional support in taller towers.
- Manilles
- A third-level base used in very high or complex castells.
- Baixos
- The people at the very bottom of the tower, directly supporting the tronc.
- Contraforts
- Supporters at the outer edges of the pinya, helping with stability.
- Anxaneta
- The small child who climbs to the very top and raises a hand to signal completion.
- Dosos
- The two castellers just below the anxaneta, forming the second-highest level.
- Agulla
- A “needle” — a vertical pilar structure placed inside a larger castell.
🏗️ Types of Towers
- 3 de 7
- A tower 7 levels high with 3 people per level.
- 4 de 8
- A tower 8 levels high with 4 people per level.
- Torre
- A narrow tower with 2 people per level (e.g. torre de 7).
- Pilar
- A vertical line of 1 person per level (e.g. pilar de 5).
- Amb l’agulla
- “With the needle” — indicates an internal pilar is part of the structure.
🏁 Outcomes
- Descarregat
- The tower was completed and safely taken down.
- Carregat
- The tower was completed but collapsed during the descent.
- Intent
- An attempt that failed before the top was reached.
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