Cadaqués: 5 Things To Do There And In The Surroundings
Nestled at the end of a natural harbor, at the foot of the Pyrenees and facing the Mediterranean, the Spanish village of Cadaqués has preserved its authenticity. With its white facades standing out against the blue sky, this destination is often dubbed "the pearl of the Catalan coast." Its beauty and isolation have captivated many artists, including Salvador Dalí. We have listed for you 5 things to do in the surrounding area.
1- Visit the village
With its white facades tightly packed against each other, the village of Cadaqués stands out against the azure sky.
This destination, nicknamed "the pearl of the Catalan coast" or "the pearl of the Costa Brava," has retained the authentic charm of a small village with fewer than 3,000 souls.
The only road leading there dates back only about fifty years because this small Catalan fishing port remained isolated for centuries!
Once there, you can stroll through a maze of alleys and discover the Santa Maria church, renowned for its magnificent baroque altar, one of the most beautiful in Catalonia!
2- Walk in the footsteps of the artists
In Cadaqués, tourists come to be enveloped by the atmosphere of this village that saw so many intellectuals and artists of the 20th century.
Even though "Cadaqués the white" is mainly associated with the great Salvador Dalí, the artist brought many of his friends here, including Picasso, Mirò, Federico Garcia Lorca, and Buñuel.
Others also succumbed to the charm of these places, such as René Magritte, Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, as well as John Cage and André Derain...
Bearing witness to this artistic past, the Cadaqués Museum has an important collection of works by artists linked to the town, because they lived or worked there, notably: Bravo Arranz, Salvador Dalí, Richard Hamilton, Ignacio Iturria, Eliseu Meifrèn, Josep Niebla, Carlos Pazos, Antoni Pitxot, Angel Planells, and Joan Josep Tharrats...
3- Visit Dalí's house
A native of the region, Salvador Dalí was born in Figueras in 1904 and spent all his holidays on this Catalan coast.
In 1930, captivated by the light and isolation, he bought a fisherman's hut there, then two, at the place known as Portlligat or Port Lligat...
From the bay of Port Lligat, he painted tormented landscapes while gradually transforming his astonishing house, a true maze of corridors punctuated with artworks...
Today, this house-museum, where no object has moved since the artist's death, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world.
You can still see his workshop, his memories, and his creations… as well as a garden of Mediterranean plants.
4- Discover Cap de Creus
North of Cadaqués and Port Lligat, be sure to discover one of the most beautiful natural parks in Europe: the Cap de Creus Natural Park.
Sculpted by the winds and waves of the Mediterranean, the Catalan coast features a rugged coastline, high cliffs, and coves with transparent waters at this location.
Cap de Creus (the easternmost point of mainland Spain) has an end-of-the-world feel! Its shapes even inspired some of Dalí's paintings, who described Cap de Creus as "a place made for gods rather than men".
This magnificent classified natural site is now a delight for walkers as it is dotted with numerous hiking trails.
Note: For a unique perspective on Cap de Creus, you can also visit the Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes.
This 10th-century Benedictine monastery overlooks the Mediterranean at 520 m above sea level and is both a major spiritual site and a masterpiece of Romanesque art.
5- Discover local crafts
Ceramics is still a vibrant tradition in Catalonia. For centuries, Catalan potters have been transforming clay into jugs, tiles, vases, and tiles...
The town of La Bisbal d'Empordà, located south of Cadaqués, is recognized as the capital of terracotta.
There, you can visit the Terracotta Museum, which holds a collection of more than 8,000 pieces. Located in a former factory, it showcases some of the elements used for production (chimneys, kilns, etc.).
Beyond La Bisbal, the entire region is renowned for the beauty of its pottery.
