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Costa Brava - Spain

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Costa Brava, between the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees, is the popularly accepted name of the littoral of the province of Girona. Its nature, climate and history create a setting of odd, haunting beauty that is hard to grasp, but that never fails to seduce, with its lush vegetation propped against the blue and green immensity of the sea. Right up to the edge of the sea, hanging on occasions over abrupt cliffs, on others in the actual proximity of the beaches, the vegetation paints the fine golden sand green, blending with the ochre of the earth, inland, and together with the dominant landscape. The modern tourist infrastructure of the area has turned Costa Brava into one of Spain's most popular tourist destinations. The Costa Brava (Rugged Coast) has rocky cliffs and a mix of pebble beaches and sandy beaches. The climate of Costa Brava is typically Mediterranean, mild and temperate, characterized by hot, dry summers, and moderately cold winters. More information here and here.

Cassis

Cassis is a small attractive town in Provence in southern France on the Mediterranean coast. Celebrated for its cliffs it is also known for the Cassis wines (white, but also rosé) produced in the region.

Cadaques

Cadaqués have an official population of 2,612, but up to ten times as many people can live in the town during the peak of the summer tourism season.

Peratallada

Peratallada village is the most spectacular of the many that lie a short inland trip from the Costa Brava.

The market in Cassis

Tossa de Mar

Parts of the town date from the 12th century.

Tossa de Mar

There are extensive walls of an old fort next to the beach and more remains with a small section of old houses nearby, some towers and a working lighthouse on top of a hill.

Tossa de Mar

Sant Felius de Guixols

Located on the Mediterranean, Sant Feliu de Guíxols has idylic weather almost all year long. The coastline of Sant Feliu de Guíxols spreads over ten kilometers. It also includes many little bays with coves surrounded by pines with rocky or fine sand beaches.

Calella de Palafrugell

Calella de Palafrugell is one of three coastal towns belonging to the municipality of Palafrugell, province of Girona and part of the Costa Brava.

Calella de Palafrugell

Calella de Palafrugell has an excellent setting and, whilst busy in the summer season, it does not have the large hotels and mass tourism of other Costa Brava resorts such as Lloret de Mar.

Calella de Palafrugell

Like much of the picturesque section of the Costa Brava, north of Palamos and south of L'Estartit, Calella has moved steadily upmarket in recent times and offers some very high quality restaurants and hotels - at prices to match.

Llafranc

Calella de Palafrugell has a number of beautiful small coves linked to Llafranc via a coastal walk.

Llafranc

Within easy walking distance of other, similar towns, such as Calella de Palafrugell, a trip to this stretch of the Costa Brava offers more than just one beach or promenade. A true delight in summer with a very pleasant ambience.

Llafranc

Many domestic tourists come from nearby Barcelona, while the international tourists come from a whole range of countries, especially the Netherlands, England, France, and more recently the United States.

Girona

This handsome town puts on its best face where tall pastelcoloured buildings rise above the water.

Girona

Girona is an ancient town several thousand years old in Catalonia, Spain. The city has approximately 100,000 people.

L'Escala

L'Escala is situated on the Costa Brava. It is an important fishing port and tourist centre, and has a festival dedicated to its famous anchovies.

Empúries

Empúries was founded in 575 BC by Greek colonists from Phocaea. It was later occupied by the Romans but in the Early Middle Ages, when its exposed coastal position left it open to marauders, the town was abandoned.

Cadaques

Cadaqués have an official population of 2,612, but up to ten times as many people can live in the town during the peak of the summer tourism season.

Cadaques

Fren was the first modern artist to live in Cadaqués and gave the town many of his works and a marble top table on which he sketched many of its turn-of-the-century fishermen.

Cadaques

The interesting submarine life of this sleepy fishing village was studied for several years by phycologist Françoise Ardré, long before Cadaqués was discovered and transformed into a tourism destination.

Cadaques

Cadaques

Cadaques

Cadaques

Collioure - France

Collioure has a strong Catalan culture, its own motto has been adopted by one of the local Catalan rugby teams (USA Perpignan, France): Sempre endavant, mai morirem (Always forward, We'll never die).

Collioure - France

Collioure is also the name of an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) situated around the town, (Collioure AOC), producing red, rosé and a few white wines.

Collioure - France

Cassis - France

Cassis is a small attractive town in Provence in southern France on the Mediterranean coast. Celebrated for its cliffs it is also known for the Cassis wines (white, but also rosé) produced in the region.

Cassis - France

"Qu'a vist Paris, se noun a vist Cassis, pou dire: n'ai rèn vist" (He who has seen Paris but not Cassis can say, I haven't seen anything." These words, spoken by Nobel-prize winning writer Federique Mistral, reflect the great attraction that Cassis exerts on all those who go there.

Cassis - France

The little fishing port, tucked between two exceptional natural sites (the celebrated Calanques and the majestic Cap Canaille) offers a concentrated version of Provence and the Mediterranean. The magic begins to work on the little road that leads to the village, winding between vineyards and pine trees.

Cassis - France

Walk along charming back roads lined with the brightly coloured homes of fishermen. Cassis will be forever remembered by those who see its port, boats and welcoming terraces for the first time.

Peratallada

Peratallada village is the most spectacular of the many that lie a short inland trip from the Costa Brava.

Peratallada

Its name is derived from pedra tallada, meaning 'carved stone'. Declared a historic-artistic monument, most of the buildings are built from stone carved from the fosse or moat which still encircles parts of this small fortified medieval town.

Peratallada

Today, Peratallada is known for its old stone buildings and rutted stone streets and passageways. Its proximity to the beaches of the Costa Brava and its numerous restaurants, small boutique hotels and artist's galleries make it a popular destination.

Peratallada

Peratallada

Carcassonne fortress

The Cité de Carcassonne, a medieval fortress settlement with a history that exceeds two and a half thousand years. Picturesque fortifications (over 3 km of walls with 52 towers, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was partly shot here) were reconstructed by Viollet-le-Duc in 19th century.

Carcassonne fortress

The fortress of Carcassonne is listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The fortified city itself consists essentially of a concentric design with two outer walls with towers and barbicans to prevent attack by siege engines. The castle itself possesses its own drawbridge and ditch leading to a central keep.

Carcassonne fortress

Carcassonne was struck off the roster of official fortifications under Napoleon and the Restoration, and the fortified cité of Carcassonne fell into such disrepair that the French government decided that it should be demolished.

Carcassonne fortress

In 1853, restoring works began with the west and southwest walling, followed by the towers of the porte Narbonnaise and the principal entrance to the cité.

Carcassonne fortress

The fortification consists of a double ring of ramparts and 53 towers.

Carcassonne fortress

Carcassonne fortress

Carcassonne fortress

 

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