One of our favourite things to do is to visit Port-Vendres.  You can walk from Collioure along the main road to this next town or it is an easy drive of only 5 minutes.  As you come over the hill, it is obvious that Port-Vendres is a working fishing village.  Being a deep-water port, you will see a variety of ships – everything from small fishing vessels to freighters to cruise ships.  Many use this location as their access point to the Côte Vermeille.

The Romans, who called it Portus Veneris after the goddess Venus, originally developed port-Vendres.  It went on to be ruled by the Kingdom of Majorca and was used as a mainland port between the Balearic Islands.  The French took it over in 1659 when the Roussillon area changed hands.  In the late 1700’s there was extensive work done to open up, enlarge and modernize the area.   As a result it is the only natural port along this rocky coastline.

Port-Vendres offers visitors much to do.  There are numerous sea activities including fishing, scuba diving, boating, jet skis and swimming.  The wonderful Banyuls wineries sit in the hills atop Port-Vendres and are a must do for anyone enjoying the sweet unique wine of the region.  Port-Vendres also enjoys many festivals during the year including fishermen and Catalan celebrations along with painting and artist’s exhibits.  But one special thing about this town is that they are really known for their excellent seafood restaurants.  Having the benefit of the catch of the day literally at their doorstep, many small restaurants line the streets and water’s edge.

One place in particular that we enjoy – isn’t a typical restaurant but a café that is located above the fish market.   When we first visited this location, it was in the back of a warehouse with simple counters where you could choose from a menu on a blackboard.  Recently the Port-Vendres fish market has built a new building just to house their seafood storefront and they created a stylish café on the second floor with wonderful views of the harbour.  The store has absolutely everything you would ever want to purchase.  All freshly caught that day.  Fish, seafood and delicacies that are unique to the region and incredibly tasty!

We love to order fresh oysters along with a flute of sparking wine and sit for a casual snack.  We tell everyone that visits Collioure to add this to their list of things to do.  It is a real treat to experience the tastes of the area.

Check out the Port-Vendres website for all the things you can experience in this small but bustling fishing town.

It’s time for another restaurant review! One of the things we love about Collioure is the pride of ownership that is evident within so many of the restaurant owners.  In France, it is difficult to start a business and make a living from a sole proprietorship.  So when you see someone making a go of it, you can really feel their individual pride when they serve you something special that they have created.  We felt this when we visited Casa Gala, a terrific tapas place.  The restaurant is located on a very pretty artist's street – rue de la Fraternite. It is a little way back from the main road but that is part of its charm. It is a tiny little place with only 8 tables inside and a few outside.

We arrived early and were seated immediately at a high top table inside.  The owner, who also makes the food and serves the wine, served us.  They have a good selection of tapas plates that he described in detail so you know exactly what you are ordering.

After placing our order, the owner then suggested wine that would compliment the specific dishes we had ordered.  He was quick to make some lovely suggestions that fit both our tastes.

We enjoyed sharing the small plates of each dish since they were so flavourful and so carefully prepared. We had the tomato bread, manchego cheese, garlic chicken wings, a charcuterie plate, ham croquettes and the house specialty fideua negre (a Catalan black noodle dish). All the dishes were terrific.

It was a lovely evening in a wonderful atmosphere.  We quite liked it and will definitely being going back again.  This is one of those places we would recommend to our guests if you would like to experience something that is Catalan inspired with an additional hint of Spanish influence. 

Be sure to check it out when you are next in Collioure.