If you’ve ever felt called to vacation on the Costa Brava, this is your reminder to book that trip!
We had such a wonderful time enjoying the sea and the surf as well as some art and culture. I’ve written about this area before and it really is a unique spot. Note, if you are looking to improve your Spanish or Catalan language skills, this is not the place.
It was rare to hear anything except French and some German. The staff at the restaurants were often surprised to hear my husbandβs Sevillano accent and still more surprised to hear his Catalan. As for me, I was constantly spoken to in French, as I’ve always been mistaken for French.
While CadaquΓ©s is for the rich and fabulous with, I hope, private pools for the hot summer days, the tiny little pebble beaches, jam-packed with sun-seekers, do not seem appealing. There is no sand, and swimmers are limited to a little area close to land because of all the boats.
CadaquΓ©s
This really is the ultimate Spanish seaside town. One that was made for romantic tales or epic adventures of heroes on the high seas.
Aside from the beautiful homes, many of which have been restored into luxurious summer getaways, exquisite restaurants line the seafront, and pepper the many cobblestone streets.
Seafood or paella paradises with tables inside and out. Coffee or sandwiches, everything looks exquisitely put together with its location in mind. After all, how can you have a place as lovely as CadaquΓ©s and then serve unappetizing cuisine?
If you are stylish and sophisticated and enjoy lifeβs finer things, look no further than CadaquΓ©s. While Empuriabrava boasts the most beautiful wide sandy beaches that stretch endlessly, they also have a cheap, outdated commercial area with restaurants to match.
I can see why so many dream of living here or visiting on a bucket list holiday. You could easily stay a week and dine at a different lovely cafΓ© or high-end restaurant once or twice a day, shop at the many charming shops for wicker bags, jewelry, or fabulous summer fashions.
Also, there are scuba diving schools, boat tours, and many places to walk and take in every last drop of the awe-inspiring scenery.
Salvador Dali house Portlligat E- 17488 CadaquΓ©s
I have wanted to visit the Salvador DalΓ house for years. I have always been a huge fan of his work. Of course, we have visited the DalΓ museum in Figueres, a few times, but his beach house is quite a drive.
Driving up the winding road with steep cliffs and drops to one side, I wondered how DalΓ, his wife, and famous friends used to handle this route. However, it was worth the wait and perilous road as it is such an interesting place.
It harkens back to a time when creativity and the cult of personality were king.
We donβt live there anymore. This world has seen many interesting characters and creatives, but there is something different about the great artists of the past in their various mediums that we can study but probably wonβt see again.
I think there was freedom and privacy to be eccentric and outlandish, to try personalities and weirdness on and then take it off just as easily to be seen and accepted by the general public.
Walking around the DalΓ house inside and out, one oddity and eccentricity after another, I felt grateful that this mind and its creations had been preserved. For art lovers, historians, or enthusiasts, you could easily take multiple tours of this house and find something new every time.
I should mention, if you are really keen to spend time here, there are two hotels just up from the house. There is also a boat tour company, a cafΓ©, and some gift shops.
This area is only a 15-20 minute walk into CadaquΓ©s, so if youβve had enough of the breathtaking views that DalΓ loved too, you could be quite entertained in the village center.
What to Eat
Brown Sugar Carrer Vigilant, s/n, 17488 CadaquΓ©s, Girona
If you’re in CadaquΓ©s and you are vegan or vegetarian, then this is the spot for you. It’s bohemian, cavernous, and filled with melted-down candles and wonderful healthy food. We had delicious smoothies and sandwiches that were both healthy, creative, and artful. I didn’t realize I liked smoked tofu until I ate this sandwich.
It seems Brown Sugar is also a great place for drinks at night. There are some lovely clothing and accessories shops nearby and a children’s daycare. I imagine a few moms drop their littles off and go to Brown Sugar to start their day.
Although there are some places that have nice vegan and vegetarian options, we opted to eat at our Airbnb. First, I had a chronic and habitual obsession with pan con tomate all summer.
Secondly, we were staying across from the beach, which had two terraces and views, and we just wanted to enjoy them. Every evening we set the table and put together a nice medley of delicious vegan and vegetarian tapas.
If youβre wondering about the uncut tomatoes and garlic wedges, this is how pan con tomate is served in Catalonia. First, you get toasted bread, rub garlic on it, then cut or just smush a tomato on the toast, finish up with salt and olive oil, y esta! So tasty.
We were hoping to find some waffles, but even with all the German and Belgian visitors to this region, we were out of luck. So we tried our hand at French toast and oat flour pancakes, both served with an assortment of fruit and agave syrup.
We always use a lot of saffron, so we had saffron potatoes, and tofu with lemon. We found these tasty corn tortillas that were so great with a big bowl of guacamole and of course, no meal with would be complete without gazpacho, alcohol free beer for my husband, and kombucha for all!
