In a region of rich expats and luxury homes who would have imagined that one can find such a beautiful natural treasure. We visited Cap de Creus Natural Park and it was worth it.
Located only 1 hour away from Girona, the small town Rosas at the coast of Catalonia, is practically invaded by German, Dutch and French retirees. With bakeries offering German delicacies, bars with Dutch menus and staff who is definitely not Spanish, this place is a getaway for the northern Europeans, who want warmer weather without feeling too far away from their home countries. However, what makes this place special and unique is the Cap de Creus Natural Park, a natural paradise situated just minutes away from Rosas and the right getaway destination for those who want to see the best of the Mediterranean in a single location.
It was 5 in the morning and we woke up to watch the sunrise at Punta Falconera, a very small peninsula at the beginning of the park and very easy to reach by foot from Rosas. It was difficult to see in the dark, but equipped with a lamp and some mosquito repellent, the path was not as complicated and difficult as it seemed. The temperature in Northern Catalonia is not as high as in Barcelona or any other region of Spain, making it more comfortable for long walks and trekking. From the beginning of the park until Punta Falconera we walked not more than 20 minutes – but this part also covers less than 1% of the natural park.
While heading to Punta Falconera we could see the sky starting to turn bright. Although it was a little bit cloudy, the view was beautiful with the first sun lights reflected in some of the clouds creating a sky full of different colors. We decided to hurry up, as we did not want to miss the moment when the sun would finally come out of the horizon.
Once at the edge of Punta Falconera we could get an impressive view of the whole Cap de Creus Natural Park. Minutes before the sunrise we saw a fleet of fishing boats departing the port of Rosas. The sunrise was just about to begin and seeing at least a dozen of boats navigating towards the sunrise seemed like the end of a movie. With the temperature slowly rising we could imagine taking a swim afterwards in the blue waters of one of the many of the natural swimming pools we found on our way.
Cap de Creus Natural Park offers lots of activities for any person who loves adventure: from the many hiking trails along the park to diving and snorkeling in its blueish and greenish waters to sailing from one viewpoint to the other. This part of Catalonia is practically untouched and a great alternative for travelers in Girona or even Barcelona.
We had been at Punta Falconera for little more than 2 hours and the temperature was at least 10 degrees warmer. Before we went back to the town to get breakfast we decided to finally get into the sea and start the day in the refreshing waters of the Mediterranean. So far we had not met anyone else around the area and it felt like we had the park just to ourselves. Once in the water and with the sun shining in our faces, we couldn´t imagine a better place to start the morning.
With a large variety of marine life, it´s normal to see banks of fish swimming from one side to another. Swimming in the waters of the Cap de Creus Natural Park is a perfect choice for those who want to relax and take a swim, as well as for visitors who want to get more adventurous and explore the marine life or do some adventure sports.
While the Cap de Creus Natural Park can get a large amount of visitors during high season (mainly expats living in the area), this natural paradise is not touristic at all and with lots of activities to do, I can´t wait to come back next year.