Dalí’s Spain – surreally lovely

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4 JUNE 2004
A favourite of Surrealist artist Salvador Dali - who made his home there and played host to guests such as George Harrison, Maria Schneider and Yul Brynner - the northern Costa Brava is Spain’s best-kept secret. Be inspired by its spectacular rugged coastline, lush countryside and picturesque towns.

The Costa Brava comprises 80 or so miles of rugged, deeply indented coves and pristine sandy beaches backed by a hinterland of pine woods, olive groves and medieval hilltop towns. Running from S’Agaró to the French border, this stretch of coast has every ingredient for a fabulous holiday. The landscape is spectacular. The word brava was used by the proud Catalan sailors to mean craggy and wild, and surrealist painter and showman Salvador Dalí was inspired by the area to create his thought-provoking works. Celebrations for the centenary of his birth are currently in full swing.

Holiday hideouts
At the southern end, S’Agaro is proudly exclusive. Here the seriously wealthy sip ten-year-old malt and manzanilla in designer villas that nudge the landscaped gardens of the five-star Hostal de la Gavina, once frequented by Bogart and Bacall, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner.

Heading north, picturesque Palafrugell wraps itself around a clutch of sandy beaches divided by rocky outcrops with cafés and seafood restaurants strung along the front. A stunning cliff walk brings you to chic Llafranc, a magnet to well-heeled youth with its marina and fine beach, while nearby Tamariu, named after its feathery tamarisk trees, is a superb family resort with a safe sheltered beach where toddlers play happily among the lobster pots.

Aiguablava is another gem and a longestablished favourite with independent British holidaymakers, drawn there by its fjord-like inlets of deep blue water. Tiny Fornells, Sa Tuna and Sa Riera entice tourists back year after year while the big beaches at Roses and Estartit lure watersport and sailing enthusiasts. The coast ends with a grand finale at magic little Cadaqués.

Out and about
You can pick up some splendid ceramic buys at La Bisbal, where the road and pavements are lined with pottery shops overflowing with plates, bowls and urns. Most have their own kilns, and you can see the souvenirs being fashioned at the potter’s wheel, fired and then painted. The ancient art may have been passed on from Empuries, the Greco-Roman site on the coast, which lay buried under the sand for centuries. Pottery and mosaics are still being discovered there.

Spend a morning wandering around fortified villages such as Pals or Peratallada, medieval huddles of honeycoloured stone houses, alleys, archways and wroughtiron balconies dripping with geraniums. After you’ve worked up an appetite, dine at local restaurants serving superb shellfish, game dishes and stews, and round off the evening by sitting outside a bar with a nightcap.