COSTA BRAVA: PALAMÓS, ST. ANTONI DE CALONGE AND ST. FELIU DE GUÍXOLS

I recently spent a fantastic weekend in La Costa Brava where we visited the town of Palamos, Calonge and Sant Feliu de Guíxols. We were lucky because we enjoyed a lovely weather. 

These three towns have magnificent beaches and some Camins de Ronda (Ronda Ways) perfect for walks and enjoy fantastic views of the Costa Brava.

Day 1: Palamós and Sant Antoni de Calonge

Palamós

Platja Gran of Palamós

Boats on the beach of Palamós

Fishing Port

Fishing port of Palamós

Marina

Marina of Palamós in Costa Brava

Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way)

Cala dels Pots in Palamós

Platja de la Fosca (La Fosca Beach) from Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Palamós

On La Fosca beach in Palamós

La Fosca beach in Palamós from Camí de Ronda

Clear water of La Fosca beach in Palamós

Turquoise and clear water of Cala S'Alguer in Costa Brava

Fishermen's houses in Cala S'Alguer in Palamós

Cala S'Alguer in Palamós

Restaurant in La Fosca beach where we had lunch

Sant Antoni de Calonge

Palamós from the beach of Sant Antoni de Calonge in Costa Brava

Sant Antoni de Calonge in Costa Brava

Boats on the beach of Sant Antoni de Calonge in Costa Brava

Sunset in Palamós

Day 2: Palamós and Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Palamós

Hostal Vostra Llar

I found quite nice the courtyard of Hostal La Vostra Llar

Courtyard of Hostal La Vostra Llar in Palamós

Murada Square

Platja Gran of Palamós from the old town

Boats in the fishing port of Palamós and, in the background, Sant Antoni de Calonge

 Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Marina and beach of Sant Feliu de Guíxols in Costa Brava

Beach of Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Monastery of Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Monastery of Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way)

Cala Jonca in Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Cala Jonca from Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) from Sant Feliu de Guíxols to Sant Pol beach near S'Agaro

Costa Brava in Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Tapa in Carrer Major

Tapa we enjoyed in a restaurant of Carrer Major in Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Ermita de Sant Elm

Ermita de Sant Elm (Sant Elm chapel) in Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Sant Feliu de Guíxols from the viewpoint of Sant Elm

Costa Brava from Sant Elm viewpoint in Sant Feliu de Guíxols

If you liked these pictures, clicking on the next links you will find more pictures of another fantastic beaches in La Costa Brava, like:

• Blanes
• Tossa de Mar
• Sant Feliu de Guíxols
• S'Agaró 
• Sa Tuna, Sa Riera and Aiguablava beaches in Begur
• Llafranc and Calella de Palafrugell beaches
• Tamariu beach
• Cadaqués, Roses and Empuriabrava
• L'Escala, L'Estartit and Les Illes Medes

From Camins de Ronda you can enjoy fantastic views of many beaches of Costa Brava:

Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Tossa de Mar

Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in S'Agaró

Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Platja d'Aro

Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Palamós

Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Begur

Camí de Ronda (Ronda Way) in Calella de Palafrugell

Besides, in Costa Brava you can visit the fantastic old city of Girona, many lovely villages and interesting places, like:

• Calonge
• Pals and Peratallada
• Dalí Theatre-Museum
• Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes in El Port de la Selva
• Empúries
• Catedral de l'Empordà (church of Santa Maria) in Castelló d'Empúries
• Medieval village of  Besalú

Moreover if you like beaches, below you have other beautiful beaches in Catalonia, Spain and Portugal:

- Costa Daurada beaches

• Barra del Trabucador beach in Delta de l'Ebre
• L'Ametlla de Mar
• Salou beach
• Miami Playa
• Beach beside the Castle of Tamarit
• Beach of Roc de Sant Gaietà

- Barcelona Beaches

• Barceloneta beach
• Castelldefels beach
• Sitges beach
• Sant Pol de Mar

- Spain and Portugal

• Mallorca
• Cádiz and Costa de la Luz
• Beaches in  Galicia
• Basque Country - Guipúzcoa and San Sebastián
• Cantabria and Santander
• Alicante

• Beaches in Algarve

Finally, clicking on the next link you will find more beautiful villages, beaches and landscapes in Catalonia.

CATALONIA: MONASTERY OF SANTES CREUS

Built in gothic style, Santes Creus is architecturally, together with the monastery of Poblet, the most important monastery in Catalonia. However Montserrat Abbey would be symbolically more significant.  

Next I would like to show you some pictures I took during the visit to Santes Creus.

• Monastery of Santes Creus
• Royal Dooeway
• Rear Cloister
• Royal Palace
• Cloister
• Chapter House
• Dormitory
• Church
• Tower of the Hours
• Cemetery

• Restaurants beside the Monastery of Santes Creus

Monastery of Santes Creus

The first view we had of Santes Creus Monastery

Square of Sant Bernat Calbó in front of Santes Creus

Main facade of Monastery of Santes Creus

Assumption Gate in Santes Creus

West end of the church of Santes Creus where you can see the gothic stained-glass window that light the central isle and the crenellations constructed when Pere the Ceremonious ordered the monastery to be fortified

Romanesque central doorway of the church of Santes Creus Monastery

Royal Doorway

Beside the Royal Doorway is the entrance to Santes Creus Monastery

Rear Cloister

Rear cloister of Santes Creus Monastery

Tower of the Hours from the rear cloister of Santes Creus

Royal Palace

Royal palace built inside the monastery of Santes Creus

Cloister

Tower of the hours from the cloister of Santes Creus Monastery

One of the galleries of the cloister of Santes Creus from the entrance to the church

Cloister of Santes Creus Monastery

Gothic arches of the cloister of Santes Creus

Taking pictures of the gothic cloister of Santes Creus

Church of Santes Creus from its gothic cloister

After work, and before entering the refectory for meals, the monks would wash their hands in the circular font located in the centre of the lavabo

Chapter House

Chaper house of Santes Creus Monastery

Dormitory

Dormitory of Santes Creus

Church

Church of Santes Creus Monastery

Tombs of Jaume el Just and Blanca d'Anjou in the church of Santes Creus Monastery

Tower of the Hours

Tower of the hours from the rear cloister of Santes Creus Monastery

Cemetery

Rose window of the church of Santes Creus Monastery from the cemetery

Overview of Santes Creus Monastery in the evening

Restaurants beside the Monastery of Santes Creus

Casalot and the restaurant of Hostal Grau (Grau Hostel) are good choices for having lunch after visiting the monastery

We had lunch in Casalot restaurant after visiting Santes Creus  

Inside the restaurant Casalot in Santes Creus

Hostal Grau near the Monastery of Santes Creus

If you liked the Monastery of Santes Creus, maybe you would be interested in visiting the nearby Poblet and Vallbona de les Monges monasteries. Other interesting monasteries in Catalunya are: 

• Poblet Monastery
• Pedralbes Monastery in Barcelona
• Montserrat Abbey
• Sant Joan de les Abadesses Monastery
• Santa Maria de Ripoll Monastery
• Sant Pere de Rodes Monastery
• Sant Miquel del Fai
• Sant Cugat Monastery

Santes Creus is located near Costa Daurada, where there are also interesting places to visit:

• El Delta de l'Ebre (Ebro Delta)
• Ancient Roman Tarraco
• Tarragona old quarter
• The modernist town of Reus
• Salou and its Beaches
• Miami Playa
• Castle of Tamarit
• Roc de Sant Gaietà
• The beautiful beaches and coves of L'Ametlla de Mar
• The medieval village of Montblanc
• The Cistercian monasteries of Poblet and Vallbona de les Monges
• The medieval village of Siurana
• The Iberian citadel of Calafell
• Port Aventura

Finally, clicking on the next link, you will find links to other beautiful villages and places of Catalonia.

BARCELONA: SANTA MARIA DEL MAR

Santa Maria del Mar church is, probably, de most beautiful church in Barcelona. So it's a fantastic choice to begin a set of posts about the Barcelona Gothic Quarter, one of the areas of Barcelona I like the most.

Built in Catalan Gothic style, it was the cathedral of the common people. Besides, as the book The Cathedral of the Sea explains, its construction was possible thanks to the effort of the people of La Ribera Quarter.

Church of Santa Maria del Mar, probably the most impressive gothic church in Barcelona. Located in the district of La Ribera, it was built between 1329 and 1383, at the height of Catalonia's maritime and mercantile preeminence

Facade of Santa Maria del Mar. This church is surrounded and hidden by really nearby buildings, which difficults to obtain an overall impression of this imposing church, whose total width is 33 meters, which is also equal to the maximum height of the building

Rose window of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona

Gothic doorway in the main facade of Santa Maria del Mar. Archivolts and the tympanum can be seen clearly

Detail of the archivolts and the tympanum of the gothic doorway in the main facade of Santa Maria del Mar

Inside the church of Santa Maria del Mar is really easy to realize the beauty of this gothic church of Barcelona. It is actually an outstanding example of Catalan Gothic, with a purity and unity of style that are very unusual in large mediaeval buildings



The interior of Santa Maria del Mar church gives an impression of light and spaciousness

Rose Window and ceiling of Santa Maria del Mar gothic church from its apse

Another view of the gothic church of Santa Maria del Mar from its apse 

Apse of Santa Maria del Mar gothic church in Barcelona

A closer view of the altar of Santa Maria del Mar gothic church

Apse and ceiling of Santa Maria del Mar gothic church in Barcelona

A closer view of the Apse of Santa Maria del Mar gothic church in Barcelona

Stained glass window of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona

  

From the Fossar de les Moreres, one of the former cemeteries which existed next to Santa Maria del Mar, we can get a nice image of the buttresses of the side facade, ended with an slender bell tower

The apse of Santa Maria del Mar is in the beginning of the Born boulevard, where there are a lot of pubs. The Born is always a really lively quarter

Another detail of the archivolts, the lintel and the tympanum of the door at the rear of Santa Maria del Mar

If you like catalan gothic style, you would be interested in visiting the following religious buildings in Barcelona:

• Santa Maria del Pi church
• Pedralbes monastery
• Barcelona Cathedral
• Santa Anna church
• Sant Just i Pastor church
• Sant Pere de les Puelles church

In the old city of Barcelona you can also visit other beautiful places:

• Plaça del Rei
• Sant Felip Neri Square and Church
• Plaça Reial
• Barcino Roman City
• El Portal de L'Angel
• La Rambla
• El Raval
• Call Jueu (Jewish Quarter)
• Born-La Ribera district
• Carrer Petritxol

Next, some useful information about this fantastic church:

- Address: Pl. Santa Maria, 1

- Phone: 933 102 390

- Clicking on the next link, a Santa Maria del Mar location map.

- How to get there:

• Metro: L4, stop Jaume I.
• Bus: 17, 19, 40 and 45.
• Barcelona Bus Turístic: stop Pla de Palau.

- Opening time:

• Monday to Saturday: from 9am to 1.30pm and from 4.30pm to 8pm.
• Sunday and public holidays: from 10.30am to 1.30pm and from 4.30pm to 8pm.

Finally, clicking on the next link you will find links to more beautiful and interesting places in Barcelona, among them, more charming places in the Barcelona Gothic Quarter.