Both of us nearly fainted when we walked into the Hotel Porto Christo dining room for breakfast. A gigantic buffet of eggs, bacon, juice, yogurt, breads, sweet rolls, juices, cold cuts…View image…everything. The biggest breakfast we’d seen during the trip and you should have seen us eat. Still trying to make a decision, do we walk or take a taxi. Today is supposed to be the longest walking day of the trip through rugged maquis landscape (dense growth of small trees and shrubs in the Mediterranean area) to Cap de Creus, the easternmost point on the Spanish mainland.

The distance was 16.5 km/10.5 miles to this point with another 6 km/4 miles left to go on paths to Cadaques. I must have looked over the topographic map umpteen times looking for a bailout point if I got too tired. The highway, small village, public transportation but there was nothing. That decided it and we ordered a taxi to drive us to Cadaques.
Instead, we spent the morning walking around Port de la Selva watching the fishing boats…View image…View image, and fishermen mending nets before the taxi came. A 12 km/7.5 mile taxi ride cost 25 euros! Rather on the expensive side, wouldn’t you say?

Cadaques map, Spain
It’s a good thing the taxi knew how to find Hotel S’aguarda located on a road above Cadaques village, looking down. We probably would have wandered for hours looking for it. TIP: Ask for twin beds. The rooms are not only larger, but you won’t get the “traditional” European double bed that sags in the center. The hotel has WI-FI, but signal was too faint in our room. No problem if you go downstairs to access. There is a road leading down to the harbor of Cadaques, half drivable, half pedestrian, an easy 10-minute walk.

Cadaques, Spain
Your first sight of Cadaques will literally knock your socks off. This world famous ” little fishing village” (pop: 1,900) declares themself “….as the gem amongst all other fishing villages along the Northern Costa Brava…”. It is a gem and they are entitled to bragging rights. No other place in the world with a comparable size has hosted so many artists who became world famous. Matisse, Picasso, Man Ray, Max Ernst, André Derain and the incomparable “looney,” Salvador Dali (just to name a few). As a matter of fact, there were two Dali reproductions hanging over our bed and, I’m sorry, Jesus being crucified over my bed, gave me the heebie-jeebies. I liked the one with flower, much better…View image, and even the one with what I titled… “bringing Christianity to shore”…View image…

Salvador Dali reproduction in our hotel room
It’s a sunny day. Warm. The sky and Mediterranean Sea are vivid blues. There are shops, lots of restaurants, beaches and tourists walking around. The most people we’ve seen since Collioure. A drop-dead, dazzling town and so glad we scheduled one extra day here. There were incredible Plane Trees (we call them Sycamores in the U.S.) along the seafront just beginning to leaf out and would you believe the “I” – Information Office was actually open here? And not only open, but loaded with information, maps, and brochures for the entire Costa Brava.

Plane Trees in Cadaques, Spain 

Sheila and Salvador in front of Cadaques Information Office
Dinner for both nights was at Restaurant La Gritta…View image, and they serve continuously for 12 hours straight. A pleasure because instead of waiting until 8:00 p.m., we could eat earlier at 6:00 p.m., a “normal” time for us. There was a choice of four menus and you could mix and match. Each restaurant along the sea had menus posted in four languages, French, Spanish, German and English and offered almost identical menus. (You certainly don’t have to worry about any language barriers.) My dinner choice was a mixed salad, huge bowl of mussels and french fries while ex-Marine ate a gigantic tuna salad, pork roast, and fries. For dessert, Creme Catalayna, the area name for “Creme Brulee.”

 

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