March 24, 2022
To Cadaqués
I don’t keep a bucket list. There’s something about the idea of having a check-off list of places you want t0 see before you die that has never really sat well with me, for more reasons than one. Still, if I did have one, Cadaqués might well have held a slot on it. I first started imagining that we could bike to Cadaqués in planning our ride from Nice to Lisbon back in 1997. It’s been so long now that I don’t even remember why now - because of some glowing description in a Lonely Planet guide, I imagine.
We didn’t make it in 1997, because Cadaqués just isn’t an easy place to get to. It would have taken an extra day, one that just wasn’t available in an already overpacked agenda. And we don’t go in 2014 on or ride from Girona to Bilbao either, for the same reason. Or in 2018, on our ride from Dubrovnik to Barcelona. Somehow it’s never managed to crowd its way into the itinerary even though we’ve biked within 25 miles of it all three times.
This time though, with nine months to play around with, we can’t really claim that time is an issue. And, especially since we’ve gotten a break with the weather, we’re going.
Before we go though, we want to put in a plug for our hotel here in Castelló d'Empúries, Hotel Canet. It’s a stylish, modern place in the center of town. Reasonably priced, welcoming - the manager met us in the street outside the hotel and greeted us by name - and they serve an impressive menu for the evening meal and a copious breakfast. There’s one other couple at dinner, from Zurich - they must have overheard our conversation because at the end of the meal the guy called over to ask how we knew about this place and about our travels. They come here often in the off season, when it’s quiet and amazing. He was especially impressed to hear that we’re bound for Cadaqués tomorrow, which he said is wonderful but not that many folks make it to because it’s so out of the way.
This morning though, we’re directed to the only set table in the dining room, and are apparently the only guests. The manager confirms this, and says that in fact he just opened for the season a few days ago - the second time we’ve heard that story since we arrived in Spain. We obviously made the right call in pushing our departure out by two weeks.
As with our last two stays, we finally make it out the door at 11. And like the last few days the weather is reasonable and the temperature profile for the day is absolutely flat, peaking at 56 degrees at mid morning and staying precisely there all day long.
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We have quite a short ride ahead of us with Cadaqués only 17 miles away, on the shore near the tip of Cap de Creus, a rugged, high profile peninsula. It includes the first noteworthy climb of the trip, a three mile 6-7% lift to a 1,000’ saddle across the top of the peninsula. It’s primarily this climb that’s kept us from biking out to Cadaqués before, because once you reach it there’s no way out but to turn around and climb back over it again.
Before the climb though we enjoy several absolutely flat miles across the estuary between the Muga and Fluvia Rivers, much of it protected within Aiguamolls Natural Park.
Across the estuary we skirt the northern edge of Roses, gradually gaining some elevation, and then come to the base of the climb. The next three miles rise steadily at a near-uniform grade as the road weaves its way toward the saddle, the views back toward the Gulf of Roses becoming more impressive with every bend.
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2 years ago
How late in September do you expect to start? We were here in mid-September 25 years ago and it wasn’t too busy as I recall - but 25 years is a long time and we didn’t go to Cadaqués then of course either so that’s probably not too helpful. I’d be open minded though - I didn’t really find it a very scary or difficult pass.
You might make note of how we crossed over into France (today’s post). If we came this way again I’m sure we’d go this way.
Any rough idea of your timeline for crossing southern France? We’ll be crossing it in late fall ourselves on our way to Nice, though we’ll likely be behind you.
2 years ago
Our road runs essentially flat for a mile along the top of the saddle and then drops to Cadaqués on a three mile descent that’s a mirror of the climb. For the last mile the striking white profile of our destination loooms larger, pulling us in.
Video sound track: No Llorres Mas, by Carlos Rivera.
We stop for a minute at the waterfront for a look around, and then start biking toward the lighthouse at Cap de Creus, on a seven mile out and back we thought we’d tack on. We only get around three or four blocks though before we’re lost in the confusing, steep maze of Cadaqués narrow streets. The one we’re on now dead ends at a steep staircase, so we drop the idea and turn back to the waterfront and enjoy a flat, beautiful ride along the shore to the end of the pavement in both directions from town.
By now it’s two and we can check in to our hotel. Only a straight two blocks up from the waterfront promenade, it’s surprisingly a challenge to get to because the street has a river running through it and our hotel is on the opposite side of the street. It’s fairly shallow, but deep enough that we consider taking our shoes off and wading across (as another woman is doing as we stand here considering the situation) when Rachael suggests biking further upstream to a spot where we can bike across into a driveway and then walk back down the sidewalk on the other side.
Which works. In a few minutes I’m in the lobby checking in and asking where the bicycles should go. It’s not going well. Neither of the attendants hardly speak any English at all and don’t know what I’m talking about. They just keep shaking their heads and saying no. One even says something to the effect of ‘nowhere in Cadaqués’. I’m dumbfounded and starting to get concerned. I point to their large covered patio in back as one possibility, when eventually they figure it out. I think that until now they thought I was asking if they had bicycles we could use.
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By now it’s nearing three so we rush back out and walk back to the waterfront to find a place for lunch. We end up in L’Hostal, a colorful place with artwork and photos related to Salvador Dali, who of course had a house on a neighboring cove near here. We take the menu of the day and make it our main meal, and plan out the rest of our visit. We’ll divide forces: Rachael will take a hike along the coast, and I’ll poke around in the streets, staircases and alleys. It should go better on foot than with the bike. Stay tuned.
Ride stats today: 19 miles, 1,200’; for the tour: 142 miles, 7,500’
Today's ride: 17 miles (27 km)
Total: 141 miles (227 km)
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2 years ago
Not that we wouldn’t have been perfectly fine if it had been 17%, of course.
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