On the coast of the Mediterranean Sea is this picturesque cape that bears the title of being the easternmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. Did you know? It is on the coast of the province of Gerona, in Spain, and is part of a beautiful natural park that receives tourists all year round: it is the Cap de Creus.
Do you like the sea, the beach, the sun, walking? Well then this destination in Catalonia It is waiting for you and you are not alone so you can incorporate other picturesque destinations into your trip. Let's see then what wonders await you.
Natural Park of Cabo de Creus
This is the first maritime park - land of Catalonia and was declared, in March 1998, to protect most of the peninsula that is distributed throughout several municipalities in the area. It is of a great geological importance.
The park occupies 10.780 hectares in its land area and around three thousand in its marine surface. The point that gives the park its name is this beautiful Cape of Cruces, that's the meaning of the name. The cape itself is a rocky promontory quite steep and sharp that reaches the 672 meters. Due to its position, it receives the onslaught of both the sea and the wind at all times.
The rock of which it is composed is the same as that of the eastern Pyrenees, also called Montes Alberes, which penetrate the sea precisely through the Creus massif and which were formed about 400 million years ago. The passage of time has covered it with earth and that has allowed the roots of vegetation that are mostly shrubs and simple bushes.
Due to its location, a Lighthouse whose light shone for the first time in 1853 under the reign of Elizabeth II. Its light reaches 15 to 20 miles and its construction was part of the first Lighting Plan. Measure 87 meters high and the support height is 11 meters. Is located at the end of a stony pathor that goes into the narrow isthmus. The path is known as Cami Antic, the old coastal road and if you rented a car or a bike it is worth it.
Along this path you will see the landscape of the natural park and how it has been shaped over the centuries by the easterly winds and also by the cold wind that blows from the north and northwest and is known by the name of tramontana. In the lighthouse buildings it works a restaurant, there, romantically equipped between land and sea, with incomparable views. There is also a parking lot, small, but you can always wait for someone to leave and you can park on the road, before parking.
The light from the lighthouse glows twice every ten seconds and the site, for more information, served as an inspiration to Salvador Dalí, who built his house not far away, and also to the Hollywood producers when they filmed The light at the end of the world in 1971 with Kirk Douglas (although a fake lighthouse was built that in the end the filming was destroyed). Movie stuff.
Finally, if you don't have a car or a bike, don't worry that you can get there on the tourist train which works several times a day in the summer season.
Cap de Creus
It is one of the most popular destinations in the Costa Brava, a true paradise on the very edge of the world. If you go in summer, plan a day in pure sun and walk, you are going to have a great time. The route from Cadaqués to Cap de Creus is the most popular of all because throughout it, some 14 kilometers, you go through postcards of beautiful coves. Do not stop doing the walk because you will not regret it and the photos you will take will be beautiful.
During the first part of the journey of this old road you walk along routes but once you get to porlligat is when it gets really good and you start to see beaches, the Guillola and of Sant Lluis, for example, or fields with large vineyards. And then yes, at the end of the route the lighthouse rises. The way back can be done simply by retracing your steps or by walking along the route. They are in total about four hours.
Above we talked about the fact that a lighthouse works restaurant. About 30 years ago an Englishman, a biologist himself, fell in love with the area and some old buildings built during the Civil War and decided to buy them and build a restaurant and a small lodging house. Today it is quite popular and some people rent it to spend the New Year or to feel the cold winds of winter.
In addition, we said that it is convenient to investigate the area that the cape and the lighthouse are not the only thing that it offers. First of all, obviously, Cadaqués, a beautiful coastal town, neat although it is saturated with tourists in summer. The Dalí's home It will not disappoint you and if you like his art you can always visit the Salvador Dalí Museum, between Cadaqués and Port Lligat (visit their website beforehand for tickets and dates).
On the other hand, in the municipality of Jungle Port there is the old man Monastery of Saint Pere de Rodes. It belongs to the Benedictine order and is very old as it was built between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. Rest on the side of Verdera Mountain, under the ruins of a medieval castle and a viewpoint. With so many centuries on its back it is quite good and from its windows the views of the bay and the town are fantastic. If you like to walk, you can explore the area along the path that, starting from it, goes to the castle ruins and the viewpoint of San Salvador.
The monastery is usually open from 10 am to 5:30 pm although in summer its hours are extended until 8 pm. Be careful that it closes on Mondays and religious holidays. I recommend you not to overlook it because when you arrive at the castle and the viewpoint you are rewarded with fabulous views. And it is only half an hour to walk from the monastery. Also note the name of Roses, if you like history it is very old and conjugates megalithic ruins, between 3 and 2700 BC, a greek citadel from the XNUMXth century BC, Roman ruins later and obvious, medieval religious constructions.
I speak of Castle of the Trinity, XNUMXth century with a five-pointed design, from the Bufalaranya Castle and the Visigoth castro, for example. And finally, if you already know that you will visit Cap de Creus then you can add the Cape Norfeu, of biological importance, the Joncols and Montjoi coves and a handful of other beautiful wings to lie down and let the wind and the sea lull over.