On to Tamariu

Tamariu is one of 3 coastal towns in northeastern Spain.  It is situated about 70 miles south of the border with France in a quiet and secluded bay of the Costa Brava.  Its name comes from the presence of many tamarisk trees along the promenade (our Kayenta friends will know what they look like).  It has about 150 permanent residents and about a bazillion tourists in August.  That said, it is the quietest of the 3 coastal towns in the region.  We  chose wisely.

The small village of Tamariu

Tamariu Beach

We travelled from Barcelona to Palafrugell by bus...just a couple of hours.  We arrived in time for a quick lunch.  Then we boarded the open-air “tourist” bus to Tamariu.  The bus runs only in tourist season and hits the 3 coastal towns near Palafrugell in a lazy loop.   Tamariu was the last stop.  We rolled our luggage uphill to our little apartment where we were met by our host (who lived downstairs).  The apartment was perfect.  It had a living-dining area with windows overlooking the village, a kitchen (with a tiny dishwasher), 2 bedrooms and a bath, and (most happily) a clothes washer.  It had everything we needed, except WiFi!  I know we tease our grandkids about being tied to their screens, but when our screens were suddenly useless, we reacted just like they do.  We whined!  But we did survive.

We had planned to do a lot of hiking along the coast while in Tamariu.  Our maps showed good trails between the 3 coastal towns and even into Palafrugell and nearby Begur, with do-able times of 1 to 1-½ hours.  In fact, the coastal trail is supposed to run from the French border all the way to Portugal (called the GR92).  Well, maps are flat and show trails where there aren’t any.  And these coastal towns are separated by steep hillsides and cliffs.  

Our first foray to the neighboring town of Llafranc was supposed to take an hour.  We started early and were excited to be on a hike.  Unfortunately, the “clearly marked’ trail was not clearly marked.  We found ourselves climbing up steep hillsides (somebody thoughtfully hung ropes to help with the ups) and across rocky outcrops.  We got to the top of a cliff and found a steep zigzag path down to a little rocky beach (shown below).  We then climbed out of the beach and up another hill (with trails going every which way).  We stopped for a swim at the little beach, to catch our breath at the top of the second hill (again, someone had thoughtfully placed a metal table and chair for that purpose) and then we got lost.  One path led us inland toward a rural area and perhaps an actual road.  We found a kind man heading home for lunch (many hours had passed as we walked).  He pointed us in the direction of Llafranc, involving yet another steep ascent and finally we arrived at a lighthouse overlooking the town.  Half an hour later, descending on a steep road with no shoulder for walkers/bikers, we found ourselves in Llafranc.  Whew!  These Spaniards have strong legs for the ups and downs they trek on a daily basis.  

We had lunch there and enjoyed the beach and swimmers (about 25% topless, according to Roger who pays attention to such things) and then we started home.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t find the bus stop, so we trekked over the 3 hills back to Tamariu.  This time, we found a better trail.  Need I say that we were tuckered out when we arrived home?

“Trail” from Tamariu to Llafranc 

Stunning views from the “trail

A cove along the trail—perfect for a swim 

A metal table and chair with a perfect ocean view  

A view down from the “trail”

Finally, Llafranc and Calella in distance

On another day, we did find a good (stone) trail between Llafranc and Calella.  In order to avoid the “trail” from Tamariu to Llafranc, we took the tourist bus into Llafranc and walked two miles or so to the end of the paved portion at El Golfet, a little beach with a higher percentage of topless swimmers.  That was a good day.

The area hosts a series of concerts every summer at Cap Roig (with international talent such as Sting, Kate Melua0, just beyond El Golfet.  We rode the tourist bus to Cap Roig and explored the venue, which is located on a beautiful estate and botanical garden.  

Cap Roig venue

Cap Roig is also a beautiful estate and gardens

Most days, we eat at home.  When you are traveling as long as we are, you cannot afford to eat out everyday, plus it detracts from the fun of eating out to do it too often.  Some days, we just read at the beach.  We rose early to get a good spot—because the French and the Spanish visitors staked out places on the beach early in the morning and then went off for coffee and a croissant.  We had to get there before them to get a front row position (thus avoiding rocky areas and masses of sunbathers).  The Mediterranean water was lovely.  I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to cold water.  But the outside temperatures (low 80s) and humidity made the water feel refreshing.  It is said to be very clean.

Our son, Peter, was in Europe for business while we were in Tamariu.  So he arranged to visit us for 4 days in the middle of our stay.  It was so fun to have him join us.  We sat at the beach one day, went tasting at a local winery on another, read a lot, took a hike to Cala Pedrosa...and of course, ate wonderful food together.  Such a treat having him join us.

Tamariu is a special place.  We certainly recommend it.