Costa Brava out of season: the best plans to make the most of this jewel of the Mediterranean in winter

• Ranking These are the 10 most beautiful towns in Europe (and one is Spanish)

• Cadaqués getaway, what to do in one of the most beautiful towns on the Costa Brava

It is one of the most beautiful towns in Catalonia and all of Spain, so it could not be a better place to start this off-season tour of the Costa Brava.

Among its essentials is, of course,

Here is his house in

his first painting studio;

Marítim, one of his favorite bars;

his

of him (with his own statue at the stroke of a cane);

his museum with more than 300 of his graphic works, including woodcuts, engravings and lithographs...

Cadaqués is also the

, from where you can see unique views of this idyllic town on

in Alto Ampurdán.

And the art galleries, the street cats, the charming boutiques, the grocery stores...

The fishing village is perfect as a base of operations to tour the Costa Brava.

By the way, this name has an explanation.

And you have to go back to 1908 to find it.

Then, the columnist

wrote

(Oh, our Costa Brava, without equal in the world!).

This was the name given to the coastline that goes

already on the border with France.

There were those who did not like the term at all, such as the poet Josep Pla, who preferred

He earned the name of Brava, so that the Tourist Board of the area adopted it as a motto.

Panoramic view of the town of Cadaqués.PTCBG

And so until today, it has become

by national and international travelers every year.

Especially in summer, but also

, since its offer goes beyond the sun and the beach.

The ideal route through this paradise can start in Cadaqués and continue in

and the medieval towns of

in the region of La Garrocha.

We leave Cadaqués by boat (it is also the best way to get there) aboard the

a catamaran from the

which sails the waters of the Cap de Creus Natural Park between Rosas and Cadaqués, with stops in idyllic enclaves such as

or the

coves of Canadell ("one of the best places to practice snorkeling, as pointed out by Aitor Ormaechea, skipper of the boat) or

. The experience is completed with a chef on board who prepares a menu based on

such as Ripollesa sheep

(cottage cheese) with anchovies, Palamós prawns or meatballs with cuttlefish.

Exterior of the Dalí Museum in Figueras. SHUTTERSTOCK

We return to Dalí, this time in Figueras.

He was born and died in the capital of

, and it is where his "total work" is located, his museum,

(the one before the pandemic) and among the top 50 internationally.

Setting foot inside is an immersion in surrealism.

Not in vain, "it is the largest object of this artistic movement in the world", confirms the guide Anna María Casals.

It can be seen in the stalls of this

with that portrait that goes from naked Gala to

himself depending on where you look from.

More of the same in the three-dimensional room dedicated to

where each piece of furniture is strategically designed (and placed) to recreate the face of the actress.

And in the

, in the (literal) form of a jewelery box upholstered in red velvet.

And so on until completing the 1,500 exhibited works.

The room dedicated to Mae West in the Dalí Theater-Museum.SHUTTERSTOCK

Just opposite the

is the church of San Pedro, where Dalí was baptized.

A few minutes away, the

(now called 365), where he wrote

the script for

.

And a short walk away, the Can Durán hotel-restaurant, his second home in Figueras.

In his honor, the reserved

is wallpapered with photos, posters or letters from him.

Among the specialties of the place, the sweet sausage stands out,

comments Ramón Durán, fifth generation in command.

"My grandfather Luis told it, who was in charge of settling the painter's debts in the city, since he never had any money on him and always said:

" he adds.

Dalí's favorite room in Can Durán, in Figueras.

From Figueras to

, with its citadel, its castle and its Visigoth fort.

A good option to sleep is the

on whose roof not only is the spa located, but they also organize dinners under the stars with views of the sea and a menu that uses local products with creative touches.

Examples:

mushroom salad or crispy pig's foot with black bean foam and perol sausage.

Roof terrace of the Terraza hotel in Rosas.

20 kilometers away stands the monastery of

, a jewel of Catalan Romanesque.

After visiting it, we went to La Garrotxa to see two of its most emblematic medieval towns,

with their respective castles and beautiful cobbled streets.

The second municipality, in addition to having one of the best preserved Jewish quarters in all of Spain, is brand new.

Just a few months ago

, the first Circus Museum in Europe opened its doors in the

covers 250 years of the history of the world's greatest show through 6,000 pieces related to this theme.

One of the rooms at the Cal Sastre hotel, in Santa Pau.

To spend the night in Santa Pau, there is no doubt:

, a rustic hotel with (a lot of) charm built on two historic stone houses from the 15th century.

The owners are the charming married couple

.

The name is a tribute to the grandfather of the first, former tailor of the town.

In fact, the decoration recalls this profession with old sewing machines or collections of buttons.

She deals mainly with the day-to-day management, while he is the alma mater of the hotel's renowned

.

The

, the most emblematic dish in the area, cannot be missing from the order.

"The uniqueness is in the volcanic soil in which they are grown," explains Ponts.

You also have to try the

with truffle bechamel.

A real delight.

There are more treasures on the menu: tomato soup,

with red berries or grilled entrecote.

Balloon flight over Besalú, in the region of La Garrocha.I.

GARCIA

It's time not to sleep much because at 6 in the morning you have to be in the nearby town of Olot, from where the

company flies over the La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone in a balloon.

Getting up early is worth it when, once at the top, you can see those

(there are more than 40 of them) in the mist and that pleasant sensation of floating.

PRACTICAL GUIDE

HOW TO GET THERE

.

The AVE reaches the cities of Figueras and Girona and the plane also to the latter.

WHERE TO SLEEP.

Located on the beach, the hotel

de Rosas, with its roof terrace with sea views, its spa and its interesting gastronomic offer, is a great option.

In Santa Pau, you have to stay at

, a cozy hotel with history built on two houses from the 15th century.

Its restaurant serves exquisite (and hearty) local cuisine.

Watch out for breakfast, with its homemade croissants and jam.

Its owners, and Eva, cannot be better hosts.

boutique hotel

and the

are good options to stay in Cadaqués.

WHERE TO EAT.

The restaurant of the

in Santa Pau, is one of the gastronomic essentials of the Garrotxa region.

You should not leave without trying the Santa Pau beans, the Butifarra canalón or the entrecote.

In Cadaqués, the cuisine of

stands out , an essential gourmet whose dishes are placed in the center of the table.

is a great option to taste fish and rice dishes in Cadaqués.

The restaurant of the Cal Sastre hotel, in Santa Pau,

MORE INFORMATION.

website

: www.costabrava.org

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