Calella de Palafrugell is a small town in the province of Girona in the North of Catalonia. This town is a fishing village that has become a seaside resort. It is often confused with the other popular tourist town of Calella, located in the Maresme province south of Barcelona. The difference between these cities is fundamental, and Calella de Palafrugell compares favorably with its southern namesake: it is itself smaller and more comfortable, there are also fewer tourists in it, and there is no feeling of a multinational crowd that depersonalizes most popular tourist cities.
The trip itself began with a visit to another coastal town nearby – Platja d’Aro. There is a fairly wide sandy coastline, which makes the sea vacation quite comfortable. Especially considering that all beaches in Spain are public – the presence of free space on the beach allows you to maintain a social distance 😉
Having moved in a rented car to Calella de Palafrugell, we came to the conclusion that the beaches in it are tinier and shorter in length. But this does not spoil the impression of the town – it is not for this (first of all!) it is worth coming there, although the local beaches have the Blue Flag mark. The most famous of several local beaches is Port Bo, where concerts and other entertainment events are periodically held (the stage was mounted when we were there).
In this town, it seemed to us, the atmosphere of an old European resort has been preserved. The old town on the coastline seemed to be mothballed in time – its streets could have looked like this in the 50s of the last century, and even earlier. The multitude of cafes and bars, concentrated along the promenade, delight with their menu, focused on local guests. How did we get it? It’s all about the quality of food – in ordinary tourist places you still need to look for an institution with decent cuisine, because those prevail that offer semi-finished products for the same money. And here again the charm of a small town for its own tourists who are not in the mood for semi-finished products works.
The location of this town left us no choice – a visit to the Cap Roig gardens was a must-have of this trip. We saw a lot of gardens, and in different countries. It is difficult to say that these particular gardens are fundamentally different from their “brethrens”. But visiting them can brighten up a hot summer day, when you shouldn’t be on the beach, but in the shade of harmoniously situated plants – very much even.
In addition, in the summer, the Cap Roig Festival is held in these gardens – the stage and spectator stands are placed right at the foot of the castle in the center of the gardens. Unfortunately, we did not get to the festival – we arrived in those regions earlier than it began.
Well, walks around the city at night acquire a special flavor here – very intimate and cozy. There are already few people on the streets, they flow from cafes to benches along the embankment, and are scattered across the terraces.
I would also like to mention our hotel Alga. Its main advantage is the large area, where you can relax in the shade by the pool during the hottest day, or play paddle tennis (there are equipped courts), or taste the dishes of a local (very decent) restaurant. And turtles also live there 🐢 And it is 3 minutes walk to the center of the old city. In general, very much even 🙂
And speaking of beaches. When the need for sun and sea increases, there is an opportunity to at least read something about the sunniest places in the world.
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