Costa Brava: the trip a storm cut short at Peñíscola

Costa Brava: the alucinación a storm cut short at Peñíscola

A alucinación to the Costa Brava planned down to the smallest detail for weeks ended up in the ditch just past Peñíscola. The author of the plan, who admitted from the outset that he had little affinity for Catalonia, had ruled out Cap de Creus because of its poor transport links and focused on the Palamós area: coves, nature and greener surroundings than the rest of the coastline. The idea was to stay in a campsite bungalow, with a kitchen, a pool and the car right by the door. On Saturday 3 October, with all of Catalonia under red and orange alerts for rainfall of up to 200 litres per square metre, he turned around. The apartment money was refunded. There's always next time.

Palamós versus Cap de Creus: logistics come first

The original plan ruled out Cap de Creus as inaccessible and poorly connected. Instead came Palamós, with a string of coves nearby and the option of a one-off day alucinación to Cadaqués without conditioning the rest of the days. The priority was not architecture or monuments: green spots, villages frozen in time and spectacular coves.

On the ground, the recommendations leaned towards the Palafrugell and Llafranc area, described as dirt cheap compared with the rest of the region. Tamariu came up several times as a must-stop. For those seeking peace and restaurants, Calella de Palafrugell; for those who prefer cooking in an apartment, S'Agaró. Lloret, Empuriabrava and much of the northern coastline were labelled as overcrowded destinations.

The recurring warning was the season. In summer, the area gets so packed it feels like Ibiza. In October, the problem is no longer the crowds but the sky.

The bungalow as a refuge: kitchen, pool and car at hand

The preference for camping was not a budget issue. The author of the plan made it clear: he has more money than he ever thought he would have, but he doesn't feel like leaving his room to eat, taking a lift to reach his car or shutting himself into ten square metres. In a bungalow he gets a kitchen, outdoor dinners, a pool and the vehicle right by the door, at half the price.

The question about bungalow quality was left on the table: old furniture, a shabby feel, remote campsites. The answer came from experience: there are shabby, cheap campsites, and others where you would trade your own house for the bungalow, with prices triple those of the cheapest ones. On Castell Montgrí, in L'Estartit, the verdict was lukewarm: little vegetation and, for the planned dates, twice as expensive as greener alternatives in the Palamós area.

What to see between Sant Feliu and Cap de Creus

The Girona coastline allows you to link coves on foot. There are coastal paths connecting beaches and coves along the shoreline, plus secondary footpaths. Around Roses there is a route with megalithic remains, dolmens and menhirs, though not spectacular. Little remains of villages frozen in time: some parts of L'Escala retain some of their charm, with the Aiguamolls wetlands as a natural setting, and the stretch between Empúries and Sant Martí offers several kilometres of beach.

The road from Tossa to Sant Feliu came up as a scenic route, with coves on both sides. The road to Cadaqués, on the other hand, was described as a tricky and usually congested road, though beautiful.

Food: anchovies, cured meats and little faith in Catalan cuisine

The starting point was sceptical: he wasn't about to rave about Catalan gastronomy. Even so, suggestions were requested about typical dishes, pastries and cured meats hard to find outside Catalonia. The most concrete answer came from the sea: anchovies with a tradition dating back to Roman times and local wine. Nothing more. The thread never developed into a recipe book, and that was that.

The storm that cancelled the alucinación

The ending was not a debate about accommodation. On 3 October, near Peñíscola, all hell broke loose and it began to rain hard. The weather report showed all of Catalonia under red and orange alerts for rainfall of up to 200 litres per square metre and a high risk of flooding. The alucinación was cancelled and the apartment money refunded. The author of the plan himself closed the matter without drama: there's always next time.

The conversation drifted towards identity wear-and-tear, with exchanges over the use of Catalan and Valencian that added nothing to the alucinación. The useful takeaway was buried in the noise: anyone planning the Costa Brava in autumn should check the weather report before leaving home.