Along the western Mediterranean coast, two easygoing 鈥� and easy-to-enjoy 鈥� beach towns stand like sister cities on each side of the Franco-Spanish border.
Both Collioure, in France, and Cadaqu茅s, in Spain, are off the grid when it comes to glitzy resorts.
And each has a delightful ambience 鈥� with welcoming beaches, quaint back streets and scenery that inspired many notable 20th-century artists.
Collioure, on the French side, is where I like to unwind and regroup. When I鈥檓 here, I enjoy a slow coffee on la Med, lose myself in the old town鈥檚 streets, compare the gelato shops on Rue Vauban, relax on a pebble-sand beach and take a hike.
The hills above Collioure deliver fantastic views of its bay and the sun-bleached, terracotta-roofed village below.
Most of Collioure鈥檚 shopping, sights and hotels cluster in the old town 鈥� an area that鈥檚 most romantic in the evening, when yellow lamps reflect warm pastels and deep blues.
By Mediterranean standards, this seaside village should be slammed with tourists 鈥� it has everything. But, outside of peak times, it is remarkably quiet.
Collioure is blessed with a privileged climate and an enviable setting. For more than 2,500 years, empires have battled to control its position on the Mediterranean at the foot of the Pyrenees.
The mountains rising behind Collioure provided a natural defence, and its sheltered port gave it a commercial edge.
Today, it鈥檚 a pastel treat with six petite and pebbly beaches, leafy squares under a once-mighty castle, and a lighthouse to mark where the Pyrenees meet the sea.
It鈥檚 no wonder that artists such as Henri Matisse, Andr茅 Derain, Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Raoul Dufy and Marc Chagall all painted here at one time or another.
Just 24 kilometres from the border, Collioure shares a common history and independent attitude with its rebellious siblings across the border in the Spanish province of Catalunya.
Undeniably French yet with a proud strain of Catalan culture, it flies the yellow and red flag of Catalunya, displays street names in French and Catalan, and sports a few business names with el and els, rather than le and les.
Less than a century ago, most locals here spoke Catalan; today that language is enjoying a resurgence as Collioure rediscovers its roots.
About an hour-and-a-half drive away, Cadaqu茅s is a seaside gem at the easternmost tip of Spain. With whitewashed buildings, a gentle ocean breeze, and dreamy bay views, Cadaqu茅s is idyllic and remote.
It has no train service and only a tiny access road that dead-ends. If you want a peaceful beach escape near Barcelona, this is it.
Since the late 1800s, Cadaqu茅s has served as a haven for intellectuals and artists.
The fishing village鈥檚 craggy coastline, sun-drenched colours and laid-back lifestyle inspired Fauvists such as Matisse and Surrealists such as Ren茅 Magritte, Marcel Duchamp and Federico Garc铆a Lorca. Even Picasso painted some of his Cubist works here.
Most travellers in Cadaqu茅s are here to see the home of Surrealist artist Salvador Dal铆. I consider it the most interesting home of a deceased personality in all of Europe. (It鈥檚 very popular and only allows eight visitors at a time for escorted tours, so you must get reservations online in advance.)
Dal铆 was raised in nearby Figueres and brought international fame to this sleepy Catalan port in the 1920s.
As a kid, Dal铆 spent summers here in the family cabin, where he was fascinated by the rocky landscape that would later be the backdrop for many Surrealist canvases.
He and his wife (and muse) Gala converted a fisherman鈥檚 home 鈥� about a 20-minute walk from the city centre 鈥� into their semi-permanent residence, dividing their time between New York, Paris and Cadaqu茅s. It was here that Dal铆 did his best work.
Beyond the Dal铆 House, Cadaqu茅s offers little in the way of sights, but the old town is remarkably characteristic.
I like to stroll along the water from the Dal铆 statue on the beach, past the casino where time stands still, and admire the 鈥渆lephant trees鈥� imported from Cuba (many Catalans temporarily relocated to Cuba when it was under Spanish rule in the 19th century).
Uphill, the Jewish Quarter is still rich with vestiges of the strong Jewish community that thrived in Spain until 1492.
That鈥檚 when Christian fanaticism (gone wild with the final victory over the Moors) led to the expulsion of Jews and Muslims from Catholic Spain.
At the top of town, the Church of Santa Maria offers commanding views of Cadaqu茅s. Inside, an opulent Baroque altar features 365 carved figures covered in gold from the Americas.
In spite of its fame, Cadaqu茅s is mellow and feels off the beaten path, much like its French counterpart, Collioure.
In these two sister towns, time seems to move a little slower, and that鈥檚 exactly what makes them so enjoyable.
Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at [email protected] and follow his blog on Facebook.
