Empordaguia

Boats, ports, fishermen, and pinewoods accompany us on this easy urban trail that reveals both the spirit of the sea and the beauty of the Mediterranean.

Calonge is a town with a long history. The Castle, Can Savalls, Can Xifró, or the church of Sant Martí are proof of the passage of time in the old centre. On the seashore stands a solitary and robust stone tower that resists the waves and windy Eastern storms. This Torre Valentina was built in the 15th or 16th C. as a defence against the almost yearly pirate attacks that Calonge suffered just like every other coastal village. We set out from here along the palm-lined seafront avenue that takes us to the Calonge River separating Torre Valentina from Sant Antoni. The river is full of water when storms hit the Gavarres range. Today, the calm and muddy water is like a mirror. From the bridge we head north. Ahead, we find the beach of Sant Antoni, the widest one in the borough, and follow the deep blue sea for the rest of the trip. The Avenue Josep Mundet is wide, the paving smooth, and the trees give us shade. The breeze from the sea makes this an ideal place for walking or cycling. We find the three breakwaters built in the 70s that limit three half-moon shaped beaches. The walls create cosy corners and given the beaches their personality; this is a typical picture of Sant Antoni. Wooden boats painted white with lines in green, blue, or red lie in the sand. Their naked masts need carry no sail in winter. From the sea, other boats arrive carrying nets and fish. They approach surrounded by clouds of gulls that feast of that part of the catch that is rejected.As we enter Palamós, we continue along the beach; the railing along the seafront is outlined against the sky. By one of the arches we find an iron canon, its rusty mouth aiming at some point on the Mediterranean horizon. This is a famous, pacifist canon that reminds us of the fishermen’s tunes of Havana. It is a silent canon that could teach all the cannons in the world a lesson. “No more wars, no more death, no more bombs and no more fire. I am the cannon of Palamós.” We follow the terraces on the seafront to the harbour. We pass the Fishery Museum, the marina, and the La Fosca Street, which we leave at the roundabout to the right, on Tamariu Street. Here we find the Cap Gros Park. It’s worth leaving our bicycle to climb the hill in the park on stairs built with sleepers through the pinewoods. The top rewards us with wonderful views of the beaches of Castell, La Fosca, and Palamós. In the distance we can make out Sant Antoni and Torre Valentina. We continue uphill to Sa Tamarida Street. Below we recognize the beach of La Fosca; it is small, secretly hidden among greenery, a wonderful placed to end our urban seafront ride.// ISIDRE PALLÀS