From Blanes to Tossa de Mar
Blanes. This harbour on the Costa Brava, the Wild Coast, at the border of the province of Barcelona, marks the beginning of the most light-filled part of the Costa Brava, where the blues, greens and even pinks are ever-present. It is an important tourist resort on the site of the Roman town of Blanda, of which there are more literary than archaeological traces. Of interest are its Gothic fountain, the Parish church of Santa Maria and the also Gothic remains of the castle of the Viscounts of Cabrera. On the neighbouring Mountain of Sant Joan, a visit should be paid to the Romanesque ruins of the castle, which are Arab-inspired, and the watchtower, an unmistakable landmark of the resort. From there one has a splendid panoramic view of the Bay of Blanes. There is a good, 1km beach with yacht clubs and a marina. On the way to the Cove of Sant Francesc, we find the Chapel of L´Esperança with ex votos of fishermen, the Hermitage of San Francesc and the Sanctuary of El Vilar. The Bona or Forcanera Cove and the one of Sant Francesc are the first of a series along the coast. The gardens of Mar i Murtra and of Pinya de Rosa will be described in the ecological itinerary because of their importance.
Between Blanes and Lloret de Mar, there are the beaches of Santa Catalina, peaceful and with a Baroque hermitage, and of Fenals, which is very open and developed with tourist constructions.
Lloret de Mar. This tourist resort par excellence prides itself on having the largest number of hotels along the coast as well as a variety of establishments and shows for an animated night life: bars, discotheques, night clubs and casinos. Of the Romans there are the traces of a burial tower which seems to have been part of a larger building: it is known as the Tower of the Moors (la Torre dels Moros). Of feudal Lloret, there is the Parish Church of Sant Roma, which was decorated by the Indianos (emigrant Catalans who returned) with tiles of different colours. It is hard not to notice it because the complex easily catches the eye. The town hall square retains the character of a place open towards the sea with little whitewashed streets around it. The beach is very large, clean and transparent. The 11C castle on the rocks watches over the bathing tourists. On the outskirts, there is the Hermitage of Sant Quirce, the oldest in Lloret, which can be reached in the course of a walk. Les Alegries has a Romanesque bell tower and Calandria frescoes. Santa Catalina has a rich marble altar today, which is neo-classical, and Sant Pere del bosc was improved by its Indiano owner.
From Lloret to Tossa we follow the road along the sea and make a detour to La Caleta, Cala Trons or the beach of Canyelles, which is huge, wide and not built up, its only division being the famous El Carquinyoli rock.
Tossa de Mar. Its other name is blue paradise, with which it was baptised by Marc Chagall who visited and painted the town in 1933 (one of his pictures is kept in the museum). Later other painters, writers and intellectuals arrived. Since then it has become an important international tourist centre, which does not mean that it has not managed to preserve one of the most harmonious sceneries on the coast. Of pre-Roman origin, the remains of a Roman villa with a magnificent mosaic were found in the surroundings and the Vila Vella, the 12C old part, still preserves is narrow, winding streets of medieval design and is surrounded by a curtain wall with five towers, of which only three are left: the keep, Las Horas and d En Joneas. In the town museum, there are archaeological finds and a collection of paintings of the many artists who came for a visit. As Josep Pla used to say, "Tossa´s best is its air, its light, its shape, its colour, its life....". A view from the lighthouse puts "this marvel", again according to Pla, into perspective, but its bay as well as its east and west cove deserve the same description. On the way from Tossa to Sant Feliu de Guixols, behind the large beach there is the one of La Bauma. It is also known as Mar Menuda, the Little Sea, from where there is a good view of the old part and its towers. Facing it are the reefs of L´Illa and Les Illetes, after which the coast becomes a succession of very steep cliffs. These can be visited only on foot or by boat, which in order to reach Sant Feliu, is not all a bad idea.
From Sant Feliu de Guixols to L´Estartit.
San Feliu de Guixols. This is already the coast of Baix Emporda and the countryside remains rugged as far as Begur, in the way it is typical for La Selva. As from that of Pals, the beaches are open and level. In Sant Feliu, there was an Iberian settlement on which the town, a clerical foundation, was built. It dates from the 12C and stands on the site of the Benedictine Monastery of Sant Feliu. From the observation platform of Sant Elm, the whole bay can be overlooked. It had a lot of maritime traffic and cork industries which made it into the second most important town of El Emporda in the 14C. Impressive are the church and other elements of the old Romanesque monastery with the famous Porta Ferrada, a beautiful, perhaps Mozarab portico of the 11C. Along the beautiful promenade, the modernist buildings of the Casino dels Nois and Can Patxot deserve attention. There is a museum with archaeological objects, ceramics, etc. Its sandy beach next to the anchorage is a twin of the one at Sant Pol, 3km away.Costa Brava.
S´Agaro. It may well be called a model residential complex because all the buildings are of a similar distinguished type and perfectly in harmony with the scenery amidst trees and gardens. One of the most luxurious hotels in Spain, where Charlie Chaplin, Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardener, Lauren Bacall and thousands of other famous guests have stayed has found perfectly adequate surroundings here. The beach of Sa Conca is very near. It is semi-circular and the pine trees are within easy reach in the dazzling light. This is probably why it is considered a landmark of the coast.
Platja d´Aro (Aro Beach). It is a large, open beach with fine sand, which is visited by a great number of position tourists because of its situation and the large number of accommodation facilities around it. But then it becomes the centre of the moonlight coast because its night life provides all lovers of the late night and early morning hours with many different possibilities for spending their leisure time. The boutiques, souvenirs, shops with all kinds of objects, bars, coffee shops, pubs, restaurants, open-air cafes, clubs, discotheques, gambling halls, etc. are in themselves a spectacle as they announce themselves with their neon signs. In addition, there are the visitors from almost five continents, who gather there to attend the numerous activities programmed in the establishments described, activities of all kinds and for all tastes. In one word, there are thousands of stars under spotlights and in multi coloured lights.
Along the coast, between Platja d´Aro and Sant Antoni de Calonge and Palamos, tow tourist resorts which share the bay as well as their tourist character with the one mentioned first, there are Sa Cova, N´Artigues, El Comtat de Sant Jordi, Roque Planes, Torre Valentina and Treaumal, attractive places, all of which lie 1km from Calonge inland, a lovely village with a medieval layout crowding around the castle of the Dukes of Sessa, which was built in the 12C. It has many remarkable old buildings. The old maritime part, Sant Antoni de Calonge, has developed considerably through tourism along the beach which continues as far as Palamos.
Palamos. It owes its development to the Royal Charter of Establishment which Pedro III granted its inhabitants in 1279. Thus the monarch had access to the sea, while the town lived and active, rich and refined life, excepting, of course, the occasions when it was devastated by pirates and Turks, including by Redbeard himself, according to the chronicles. In the 18c and 19C, cork, fishing (the catch is still auctioned off in the auction hall or lonja) and coastal shipping made it rich, and it became the other important coastal town together with Sant Feliu.
Its present tourist development is plainly justified in view of its 14C Gothic church of Santa Maria, its popular architecture, the modernist buildings, the colourful weekly market, the Cau Museum of the Costa Brava, the marina which turns it into a water sports centre and its long beach.
Beyond Palamos, the road leads away from the coast, but there are paths for those want to walk leaving their car behind. Otherwise they may have to take the regional roads if they want to reach the places on the coast.. These roads which lead to the stretch between Calella and the beach of Pals are found in Palafrugell and in La Bisbal, which connects with the main road to Figueres or, on the right, with the one to L´Estartit.
Beyond Palamos and Point El Moli, we reach Cala Margarida, and further along this stretch of rugged coast, La Cova d´En Fabiano and El Cap Gros before arriving at the beach and bay of La Fosca, which is named after the dark rock in its centre. La Fosca is a splendid summer resort and its 1.5km beach of fine sand is famous because the water is so shallow. A visit should include the medieval Castle of Sant Esteve de Mar. The next place is the famous Cala S´Aguer (Algae Cove) where some fishermens huts stand and which was officially declared a picturesque site in 1972. Mas Juny on the Cove of Castell, where the painter Josep Maria Sert used to live, is close by. There is a magnificent beach in the vicinity of which we find an Iberian settlement. Point Castell leads to these infrequently visited places: Cala Xenia, Els Canyers, Cala Estreta and Cap de Planes, with the Formiges Islands opposite and a navigable channel between them, which became famous because of the Catalan-Sicilian victory of Roger de Lauria over the French Provençal Felipe el Atrevido.
Back on the coast and far away from battles, Cape Roig draws ones attention and makes the traveller stop. This is what a Russian ex-coronal by the name of Woevowsky did, who built himself a magnificent house and a lovely, 8 hectare landscaped garden, which deserves a visit to get to know the beauty of the Costa Brava from a botanical point of view.
Calella de Palafrugell. This is the first of the three excellent beaches - the others are Llafranc and Tamariu - which are reached over roads leading out of Palafrugell, a village a few kilometres inland from the beach. Its surroundings are considered to be among the finest scenery of Baix Emporda. As a cork production centre, it has two very different parts: the old one with the Gothic church and buildings of the 17C and 18C, and El Ensanche with modernist constructions from the beginning of the 20C. This is the home town of Josep Pla, the great Emporda writer, to whom the House of Culture is dedicated. In the vicinity, there are typical Catalan country houses calle dmasias or the typical rural homes at Santa Margarita, which are extraordinary.
Calella. this erstwhile fishing village has managed to combine that atmosphere with being a residential retreat for the Palafrugell bourgeoisie as well as an important tourist centre. The porches of many of its houses are open towards the beach of Portbou, which gives it a special air. There are several coves: El golfet, Port Pelegri, Tres Pins, El Canadell, Malaspina, Sota can Jubert of one of Els Canyisos. In the summer, a popular dance festival takes place. these dances are called habaneras and are performed to the tunes brought back from Cuba by those who had returned form those parts. Savouring a cremat, a liqueur prepared according to recipes handed down through generations, is another tasty way of getting closer to discovering the attractions of the coast.
Llanfranc. On a perfect semicircle, which is the bay, the village extends as far as the mountain of the lighthouse of Sant Sebastia. Under its pine forests, old archaeological remains lie hidden, such as those found of the Megalithic civilisations: the dolmen of Can Mina dels Torrents. The beach of fine sand and the marina guarantee a pleasant stay, which may be rounded off by a visit to the nearby Cape of Sant Sebastia, the hermitage of which is a Baroque building today. From the observation platform over the sea, there is a breathtaking view.
Tamariu. This bay at the mouth of a flood river owes its name to the tamarinds which form a dense vegetation in the company of pine trees. It is another of the Palafrugell beaches, which is perhaps the most visited, but has remained as attractive as ever. At the foot of La Musclera, there is the beautiful town of La Perica. Towards the north, a once solitary place full of exuberance; Aigua Xellida, with an enormous housing development. excursions by boat are recommended to the caves of En Gispert and of El Bispe.
The Begur Coast. The traveller should judge for himself, but he should know that the coves along the Begur Coast, between Aiguablava and Sa Riera, are said to be the most beautiful of the whole Costa Brava. The coves of Aiguablava, a name connected with the intense blue of its waters, where the state run Parador lies, and Fornells, which lies before Begur, are justly called "shining scenery" because of their colour and transparency. There, accommodation is compatible with peace and quiet.
Begur lies in a semicircle around a hill on which a castle stands, the 5 huge towers of which are officially protected as a site of national importance. The castle is of the 15C and was occupied during the War of Independence. From there the beach of Pals, the Medes Islands and the Emporda plain can be seen. The narrow, winding streets with the porticoed galleries of the houses are typical. These buildings belonged to the so calle Indianos, ie, natives of Begur, who emigrated in the 19C and returned rich.
After rounding the Cape of Begur, leaving a rough coast, the Bay of Sa Tuna provides the first contrast: the beach of eternally peaceful waters skirts a fishing village, where a 14C fountain and the ruins of a medieval tower are preserved and shared with the summer visitors. Aiguafreda is the next lovely cove of the characteristics described. Sa Riera was nothing but a fishing village a few years ago due to the abundance of anchovy and sardines; today its beautiful beach has a modern tourist centre from where the Medes Islands can be seen in the distance.
Playa de Pals. After the rugged part comes the wide plain of the beach of Pals, a product of the mouth of the River Ter. There, one finds all the tourist establishments enjoyed by these visitors. Pals is an old, 10C village further inland. The Gothic church, the clock tower of the old castle, the curtain walls and houses are magnificent sights for the beginning of a visit that may end at the fortified country houses in the vicinity.
Torroella de Montgri. This 13C residential village invites a detour from the coast, to see its porticoed Town Hall square, the 15C Gothic church, the palace of the Kings of Aragon and the Robert Palace as well as the walk to Montgri Castle or the Cau del Cur excavation site.
L´Estartit used to be a fishing village and is an important tourist centre today, with a large beach and nautical installations. It lies opposite the Medes Islands, which makes their visit a must. They consist of four small islands on which Roman remains were discovered. The underwater park is very attractive for diving. The Torroella Coast, between L´Estartit and l´Escala, completes the seaborne excursion because its coves are difficult to reach, but interesting to see: from Pedros to Cala Montog, with the surprising La Foradada along the way in the gulf of La Monedera. This is a rock "carved out" by the battering waves and through which the sea has made a tunnel where the boats can pass.
From L´Escala to Portbou
Beyond L´Escala lies the beginning of the coastal stretch corresponding to Alt Emporda, which reaches as far as Portbou. It includes the marvellous archaeological sites of Empuries, Roses, Cadaques, El abo de Crues (Cape Creus) and San Pere de Rodes, with Figueres in the lead, which is the capital of the region, Dali´s birthplace and a communications centre. In this area of Emporda the greatest scenic contrasts are found on the Costa Brava as well as the most unique scenery, from the coasts which received the Greeks and Romans, and Empuries and Roses, from the best preserved typical village, ie, Cadaques, and the place chosen by Dali for a residence, ie, Port Lligat, to the wild combination of sea and mountains, ie, the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees at Cape Creus, which comes close to looking as if it were from outer space, from the moon, and the Romanesque grandeur of Sant Pere de Rodes. Similar to the rainbow, which runs from purple to yellow, in a few kilometres one travels from the blue gulf of Roses to the grey rocks of Creus.
L´Escala.
It is the gateway to the gulf of Roses, from a geographical as well as a tourist point of view. This village, which is one of the main fishing harbours along the coast, is also an important tourist centre, combining the smell of salt water with the bustle of tourists who add a note of colour and joy to it. For them the village has a special attraction which are the trainyeros, typical boats which leave the harbour at night with their lamps lit to go fishing.
Empuries lies very near L´Escala. It has a good beach, which is dwarfed by the most important archaeological site in Spain, ie, the ruins of the Greek Paleopolis at Sant Marti d´Empuries, with the Neopolis, necropolis and the Roman Ruins as well as the museum of the excavations. The foundation of Empuries is ascribed to the Greeks who had settled at Marsseille in 550BC. They first erected a small building near the native village of Indica,, which was the Paleopolis on what used to be an island. Half a century later they founded the Neopolis called Emporion on the mainland, which eventually became one with Indica and an important Greek colony. The Romans landed at Empuries to fight the Carthaginians and ended up by building a town ten times as large as the Greek one. The Visigoths made it into an episcopal seat, while the Moors razed it when they found resistance. The Norman pirates put the final "touch" to it in the 9C. A visit of the ruins shows the market, the agora, the holy area where the temples stood and the main one dedicated to Jupiter. Among a group of altars, the statue of Aesculapius was found, a reproduction of which can be seen. The museum shows reproductions of the most valuable finds, which are kept in Barcelona and Girona. The ruins of a Christian basilica and Visigothic sarcophagi are found the harbour area. Of the Roman town, the southern wall, the amphitheatre and the arena are preserved as well as the ruins of a Roman villa with the impluvium, arcaded patios and some beautiful mosaics.
Beyond Sant Pere Pescador, a rustic and at the same time sea orientated village in the heart of the immense bay of fine, golden sands, which is the gulf of Rasas, a short excursion inland may be on the cards. This would take us to Castello Empuries which is only 15km away and recommendable. The place is of great interest because it was the capital of the County of Empuries between the 10C and 14C. Its magnificent Gothic Church of Santa Maria still has a Romanesque tower. The west front and apse are remarkable as is the alabaster retable of the High Altar. Its beautiful buildings everywhere speak of its glorious past: La Casa de la Vila (Town Hall), an example of civil Gothic, the palace of the count, the Church of Santa Magdalena, the Convent of La Merced, the arcaded square and the Gothic bridge over the Muga. On its coast there is the housing estate Empuriabrava, one of the most complete marina complexes in Spain: a large yacht harbour, navigation channels, aerodrome, riding, trapshooting, etc.
Roses
Is history and tourism at the same time, both of which it offers the traveller to attract him. Roses stands on the site of Rhode, a Greek colony of the 9C. It has witnessed many battles which almost did away with its large, stellar shaped citadel of the 16C, which was built around the remains of the old Benedictine monastery and the Basilica of Santa Maria of Roses. It has an excellent natural harbour where tourist development has been extraordinarily fast, based, to be sure, on the 4km beach of fine sand and the large size of the area, which includes a beautiful promenade today, a huge marina and many possibilities for entertainment, among them an excursion to the coves of Canyelles Petites, Canyelle Grosses, those of Montjoi, and behind Cape Norfeu that of Joncols. On Puig Roma there is an observation platform with the Castle of La Trinitat and an impressive dolmen: that of La Crue d´en Cobertella, which is huge.
Cadaques.
After the rugged stretch interspersed with the coves described, this is an obligatory stop for any traveller who wants to get to know the Costa Brava. It was discovered by painters, artists and intellectuals who chose it for a place of residence and has thus escaped the changes produced by crowded growth. It lies on the peninsula of Cape Creus, on one of the slopes looking out over the bay of Cadaques, and it is hard to know what is more surprising: whether it is the scenery, in shades of grey from the salty stones and of silvery green from the olive trees against the white of its houses and the endless horizon of the sea, or whether it is its personality, its attractive force. It is difficult to say, but not to feel, because it penetrates ones being as its streets and hidden corners take control. This is what Dali found, he who transferred it to his paintings and helped to extend the fame of the place as it is today: an important centre of avant garde art where noteworthy exhibitions and cultural activities take place in the numerous art galleries. In the Museum of Graphic Arts, there are paintings by Salvador Dali, sculptures, drawings, and other objects. The Arts Museum displays paintings by artists connected with Cadaques. In its church, the Baroque retable of which is an important work of art, the International Music festival is held in august. Walking through the steep streets, visiting its galleries, buying fashion in the boutiques, having a drink in the "cellars", real wineries until the 19C and meeting places today, or in the cafes on the promenade are essential steps to help unravel the mystery surrounding the place, which not everybody manages to do. Very near Cadaques lies Portlligat, a small beach with transparent water where Salvador Dali had his residence.
After a visit to Cape Crues and ape Gros, which will please all those who love unique and lonely countryside, El Port de la Selva receives the visitor as a natural shelter for boats. It is a fishing village which shares its seafaring activities and its peace with tourism. In its township stands the magnificent Benedictine Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes which towers over the whole area from its privileged position and which is made responsible for clearing the forests, after which the area is named, the same as La Selva de Mar, the forest of the sea, which today is nothing but a name.
The ruins speak Sant Pere de Rodes, once a great Romanesque fortress, where Arab and Carolingian traces can be found and which was ransacked by the population when the monks left it in the 18C. The church has three naves and the plan is that of a Latin cross. Tow towers remain of the abbey and the whole complex is being restored. Climbing up to the top of the Sierra of Rodes and the ruins of the monastery provides an opportunity to see the whole coast, a panorama, which is lost in the distance. Close by stands the dolmen called La Taula dels Lladres, which is small.
Llança, Coler and Portbou
are the last tourist resorts today from which the coves and beaches can be reached that belong to Grifeu de Els Capellans, La Farella, Rovellada and Garbet or to El Pino and tres Platgetes, where the Pyrenees and the sea become one. Llança has a pier for yachts, while Portbou has all the signs that make it into a border port. The beautiful bay of Portbou is a splendid end to the so-called Costa Brava, which could also have been called the Costa Bella, the beautiful coast.
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