Spain Guide
Catalunya
Cadaqués
By far the most pleasant place to stay on the northern Costa Brava, CADAQUÉS is reached only by the winding road over the hills from either Roses (16km) or Port de la Selva (12km) and consequently retains an air of isolation. With whitewashed and bougainvillea-festooned houses lining narrow, hilly streets, a tree-lined promenade and craggy headlands on either side of a working fishing port, it's genuinely picturesque.
By the 1920s and 1930s, Cadaqués had begun to attract the likes of Picasso, Man Ray, Lorca, Buñuel, Thomas Mann and Einstein, but it really "arrived" as an artistic-literary colony after World War II when Surrealist painter Salvador Dalí and his wife Gala settled at nearby Portlligat, attracting for some years a floating bohemian community. Today, a seafront statue of Dalí, haughtily gazing on the artists, well-heeled Barcelonans and art-seeking foreigners who have rolled up in his wake, provides the town's physical and spiritual focal point.
With its art galleries and studios, smart restaurants and trendy clothes shops, Cadaques makes for an interesting stroll. At the top of the hill is the austere-looking sixteenth-century Església de Santa Maria (Mon– Sat 10.30am–12.45pm & 4–6.30pm, Sun 10.30am– noon), containing an ornate eighteenth-century altarpiece and a side chapel on the left painted by Dalí. Below the church, the Museu de Cadaqués on c/Narcis Monturiol 15 (10.30am–1.30pm & 4–7pm, closed Sun; €4) features intriguing displays relating to Dalí's work. Local beaches are all tiny and pebbly, but there are some enjoyable walks around the harbour and nearby coves.
Nightlife is a pleasurable blend of laid-back idling at the beachside terraces and stylish hobnobbing around the bars and restaurants on c/Miguel Rosset, including at the lively La Frontera, at no. 22. One place not to miss is Dalí's favourite haunt, L'Hostal (open from 8pm daily), at Pg. del Mar 8, which features live bands and still retains a slightly surreal air.
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