Roses Spain a Jewel of the Costa Brava

A very old fishing town situated on the Gulf of Roses in Catalonia, Roses Spain was originally founded as a trading settlement by the Greeks in the 8th century BC. Within the walls of the later 16th century citadel, the Ciutadella, there are still some remnants of this ancient civilisation together with artefacts from the later Roman settlement which began in the 2nd century BC. Roses became a fortified town during the 17th century, a necessary step due to frequent pirate attacks, and these fortifications were truly tested by at least 4 sieges over the ensueing centuries, they were finally destroyed by the French in the early nineteenth century. Roses benefited greatly from the explosion of tourism during the 1960’s and 1970’s and became one of the prime holiday spots along this part of the Costa Brava coast. Roses is still a significant fishing port and has a lively marina with plenty of bars and restaurants where Roses nightlife is enjoyed by its many visitors. Roses, and the Gulf of Roses has plenty of stunning sandy beaches and some fine conditions for water sports, a great attraction for the area. Worth visiting are the Ciutadella, the church of Santa Maria, the Aiguamolls Natural Park, the Cap de Creus, Cadaques and the town of Figueres, birthplace of artist Salvador Dali. This are of Spain enjoys a super climate and the weather in Roses is ideal for holidays all year round but especially during the summer months when sunshine is the order of the day and rain rare. You can view a location map of Roses here: Map of Roses.

A Brief Guide to Figueres Costa Brava

Capital of the Alt Empordà district of Girona, on the Costa Brava, Spain, the market town of Figueres has a population of approximately 40,000, and is inextricably linked to the painter Salvador Dali who was born and died there (1904-1989). One of the most visited attractions in the town is the Teatre-Museu Dali, which was founded by the artist himself in 1974 and now boasts the largest collection of his work. Another famous son of Figueres was Narcis Monturiol i Estarriol, who is claimed to be the inventor of the submarine. Worth visiting in Figueres is the Toy Museum (Museu de Joguets), the Sant Ferran castle, the parish church of Sant Pere and the old Jewish Quarter. Figueres is situated just off the AP-7 (E-15) motorway between the provincial capital Girona and the French border, the closest airport is at Girona some forty kilometres away. Figueres Map.