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Collioure to CadaquésFrom the Côte Vermeille to the Costa Brava
Nights: 7
Starting point: Hotel Princes de Catalogne (3*), Collioure. Centrally located, just a short stroll from the harbour, this friendly hotel offers comfortable, air-conditioned rooms. Your stay is on a bed and breakfast basis, leaving you free to take your pick of the local seafood restaurants using our recommendations as a guide. Day 1: begin the day with a short exploration of Collioure and its three beaches before setting off into the maquis-covered hills behind Port-Vendres. You descend to the port and then follow quiet lanes and cliff-top paths around the rugged Cape Béar headland. The views are truly spectacular – you can see as far as Cape Creus, your destination, in clear weather – making this section one of the highlights of the holiday. There are a couple of spots where you can pause for a swim before winding your way through the vineyards that produce the region's eclectic wines to reach Banyuls. (13km, 4hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Catalan (3*), Banyuls-sur-Mer. Run by the welcoming Madame Rede, this well-equipped hotel perches on the slopes above Banyuls, with splendid views over the village and the Mediterranean from the restaurant and spacious bedrooms. There is an outdoor pool in which to cool off. Day 2: a free day to explore Banyuls (steps lead from the hotel
down to the port) and its two beaches, or to relax by the pool. If you wish
to walk some more, paths lead through the hills and vineyards
behind Banyuls. (9km, 3hrs) Day 3: the day starts with a short taxi ride to the beautiful
beach at Garvet. From here, you walk around the bay to pick up the coastal
path that leads around the wild Cape Ras and continues to hug the coastline
all the way to Port de la Selva. You pass a mixture of secluded coves
and bustling beaches, with numerous swimming opportunities. (11km, 3.5hrs) Day 4: you can spend your day in Port de Selva relaxing on the
beach, though it is also worth visiting the huge monastery of Sant Pere
de Rodes in the hills behind the coast for astonishing views in clear
weather back towards the French border. Day 5: this fine climax to the holiday takes you across Cape
Creus, the rugged promontory that forms Spain's easternmost point, to
the delightful fishing village of Cadaqués. The headland has been
declared a Natural Park, and the dramatic, rocky landscape coated with
low shrubs and aromatic plants is particularly beautiful early in the
season, when flowers carpet the ground. You pass the lovely ruins of the
Hermitage of Sant Baldiri de Taballera and, at the mid-point of the walk,
an impressive viewpoint from which you can see the Pyrenees and the monastery
of Sant Pere de Rodes in good weather. (13.5km, 5hrs) Day 6: on your last day, explore the cobbled streets of Cadaqués (once described by Dalí as 'the most beautiful village in the world'), and enjoy one final walk. Paths lead north via the village of Port Lligat to Dalí's house (closed Mondays until mid-April and from mid-September; pay locally) then hug the coastline, passing numerous small, sandy coves to reach the lighthouse at Cape Creus. There is an excellent bar/restaurant at the lighthouse here, where you could stop for lunch (pay locally) before retracing your steps back to the hotel. (12km, 4hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Playa Sol, as above. Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Recommendations for extra nights: an extra night at the Hotel Princes de Catalogne (Collioure) will give you a full day to explore the village; alternatively, there is plenty to discover around Cadaqués with an extra night at the Hotel Playa Sol. Extension: if you are flying from Barcelona, why not add on two nights at the 4-star Hotel Colón located in the heart of the Old Town? Catalonia's colourful, cosmopolitan capital is one of the world's most beautiful cities. Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. You can also read our website travel diary for a personal account of the holiday. Similar holidays: Around the Bay of Roses (grade 1-2), The Coast of Almería (grade 1-2), Secret Algarve (grade 2), Along the Ligurian Coast (grade 2) Prices & travel 2008:
Recommended airports: arrival Perpignan &
Toulouse;
departure Girona, Perpignan & Barcelona Extra night prices 2008 (extra nights can be booked at any hotel):
> Notes on prices > Any queries? Let us call you back  |
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Bathed
in warm Mediterranean sunshine, and with the final peaks of the Pyrenees
providing a dramatic backdrop, the coast either side of the Franco-Spanish
border invites exploration on foot. This is Catalonia, vibrant and proud
of its distinct culture, and to walk between the charming fishing villages
that nestle along its coast on both sides of the frontier is a joy, passing
small, rocky coves, craggy headlands and rugged cliffs, below which the
sea sparkles in the bright sunlight. Unsurprisingly, the coast (in French
the Côte Vermeille, in Spanish the Costa Brava) and its fishing
villages have long attracted many artists, among them Dalí and
Picasso, who were drawn by the bright Mediterranean light. By walking
from Collioure to Cadaqués along the coast, you will discover for
yourself the lure and enchantment that this delightful area has held for
so many artists.
Collioure 
