The Museum of Cork of Palafrugell

Carrer de Begur, 15 | 17200 Palafrugell, Girona
Coordinates: 41.9183560000, 3.1653310000 (map)

Museums dedicated to a single object or thing are curious creatures. To attend them, you either have to be very, very interested in the object or thing, be it how the thing works, how it's made or how it has evolved over the years; this thing may be pleasing to the humanity in general (a museum of chocolate sounds pretty neat), or you are just... bored. Boredom during a vacation sounds antithetical to the spirit of having a good time, but it may lead you to truly interesting places, sometimes just as effectively as a recommendation by a friend can.

So to decide to visit the museum of cork in Palafrugell, you need to know the most important fact about it first: its souvenir shop is open to the public and doesn't require a museum ticket to come in. Wine corks aren't the only use for the cork tree bark; cork is light, easily compressible, has low thermal conductivity, is largely liquid-proof and thus has many applications outside of the wine bottle. You won't find cork tiles, building blocks, lifebuoys or insulation material at the museum gift shop, but kitchen accessories, coin purses, bags, stationery, toys, jewelry, and even neckties are aplenty! Most items are handmade and make great souvenirs.

Cork trees in the Costa Brava are common, and their bark has been used in crafts and trades for generations. The opening of the cork factory known as Can Mario in 1900 marked the end of the hand-produced era and took the cork production to industrial heights. After twenty years of stable growth, the number of factory workers reached a thousand, branches were opened in other Spanish towns, and international offices appeared in London and New York.

In the post-war years, Can Mario started losing its market share — the factory was subsequently sold to the American company Armstrong Cork Co. In the 1970s the cork production came to a complete halt due to continuous financial losses, and a museum was opened on the factory grounds instead. Naturally, a big part of the exposition is dedicated to the history of the factory and the town whose everyday life was largely dependent on it.

The other part focuses on the manufacturing process of bottle corks — each stage of production, from bark harvesting to cork shaping, is explained in detail. The machinery that gradually lessened the impact of hard manual labour on factory workers is on display as well.

The museum occupies over 36,000 square feet with 6200 objects in the collection. It is the largest museum dedicated to cork in the world. One of its most fun displays is the exhibition of famous works of art replicated in cork. You are hard-pressed to not be amazed at the talent and perseverance of the artists whose craft allowed them to recreate Da Vinci's "Last Supper" with this pliable material!

Visitor information

Address: Carrer de Begur, 14 | Palafrugell
Phone: +34 972 307 825

Opening hours
July and August: Monday to Saturday 10:00 am — 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm — 8:30 pm, Sunday 10:00 am — 2:00 pm.
Other months: Tuesday to Friday 10:00 am — 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm — 7:00 pm, Saturday 10:00 am — 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm — 8:00 pm, Sunday and holidays 10:00 am — 2:00 pm, Mondays closed.
Open on December 24 and 31, January 5 from 10:00 am — 2:00 pm.
Closed on December 25 and 26, January 1 and 6, May 1.