Calella de Palafrugell
Calella de Palafrugell is an attractive resort, well known for its various rocky coves, sandy beaches and excellent fish restaurants.
The area is becoming better known thanks to the annual International Jazz Festival held in the extensive gardens of Cap Roig, just to the south.
Beaches
Calella de Palafrugell has many excellent beaches with good facilities. The golden sand beach at Tamariu has showers, first aid and is good for diving.
Playa Port Peligri is another divers paradise with good facilities, including showers. The popular sandy beach at Canadell has a first aid station, mini cruises, pleasure craft, showers and is also great for diving.
There are numerous further small bays and coves to discover, many of which have restaurant sserving good fresh seafood and other dishes.
Leisure & recreation
Calella de Palafrugell is popular with families, beach lovers and those seeking water sports, walkers, and cyclists. Holidays here are relaxed, lunches are long and the evenings are late. The paseo (promenade) is the prelude to the evening meal with longer walks along the coast for the more serious hiker; one of the most popular is around the nearby headland to the next resort, Llafranc and up to its lighthouse, El Far, for amazing views over the whole bay.
Other local activities include tennis, planned walking and cycling routes, scuba diving, water sports, boat hire or just relax soaking up the sun on one of the beautiful beaches for which the area is renowned.
Golf
There are no fewer than five golf courses nearby, offering excellent variety and new challenges to golfers of all standards.
Festivals
There are many local festivals in the surrounding towns and village; in late May, Calella de Palafrugell holds its spring festival – the Carousel Costa Brava. On 23-24th June the Festa de St John is marked all over the region with bonfires and firework parties.
In July and August, Calella de Palafrugell and nearby Llafranc hold their Cantada d' Havaneres musical festivals, which involve the singing of local sea shanties on the beach.
Markets
Calella de Palafrugell has a daily market from Tuesday to Saturday for local produce, meats and fish. On Sundays there is a street market. There is also an evening gifts market.
Excursions
The resort is well placed for driving inland to visit the wonderful mountains and woodland. Visit the Dali exhibition or take a day trip down the coast to Barcelona or dip your toe into France to the north.
Cuisine
The gastronomy of Catalonia is rich and varied; principally it is the typical Mediterranean diet of fish and seafood, with fresh vegetables, olives and olive oil rice and pasta.
Some traditional Catalan dishes to try include, Escudella I Carn D'olla consisting of a vegetable broth with pork, veal and chicken; Pa Amb Tomàquet, simply rustic bread, which can be toasted, rubbed with tomato pulp and dressed with oil and salt; this delicious breakfast can also be served with ham, sausage or tortilla.
Coca is a very thin dough baked with onions, peppers and other vegetables served with and meats, or fish (especially sardines).
Climate
Hot summer temperatures are tempered by cooling sea breezes. Winters are exceptionally mild with some rain.