A rough cape

Before the approaching summer completely overwhelms me and I forget what I have promised, I am taking you further into the easternmost area of Spain, the Cap de Creus peninsula in Catalonia.

France in the distance.

The peninsula bulges out to the Mediterranean only some 25km south of the French border. It is an area of extraordinary beauty, a rough and rocky region with hardly any trees. The mountains carved by wind and erosion are, in fact, the eastern foothills of the Pyrenees. Cadaqués and Portlligat are about the only inhabited places on the cape. Here you can truly understand why the Catalonian coastal region is called Costa Brava, the rugged coast.

The area is a natural park ideal for trekking and cycling, for example. It is also a marine nature reserve with lots of lovely sheltered coves to protect you from the fierce winds. Furthermore, the sea around the cape is famous for having little environmental pollution being an underwater paradise for divers.

I took most of these photos at the tip of the peninsula. We had a late lunch at the restaurant there by the lighthouse that stands at the spot where a Roman watchtower used to be. I don’t even remember what we had but I do remember the spectacular wild landscapes that opened up all around. Indeed, even I felt tempted to take a path down to a cove. Maybe one day with a picnic basket plus some things you might need for a swim or, more likely for me, for a nice afternoon nap.

If you missed my posts on Cadaqués and Portlligat have a look here and here.