Each morning when we wake up, we throw open the shutters covering our bedroom window and look out at the incredible view.  To see the Mediterranean each day is truly a wonderful sight.  The sunrise from Saint Vincent beach is stunning and no matter the time of year, it is lovely to watch the brightening of the sky with the quaint Chapel of Saint Vincent in the foreground.

The tiny Chapel was originally built on an island in 1701.  The main purpose was to shelter the relics of Saint Vincent, the patron saint of Collioure.  Legend has it that Saint Vincent was martyred on this very rock in 303.  It is a very nice spot to sit and enjoy the views of the Cote Vermeille and out beyond to the bright blue sea.

From the Chapel, stretches a peninsula that was created to help protect the inner u-shape of the Collioure bay.  You can walk along this narrow stone structure right to the end, however, make sure it is not too windy when you go!  On a calm day the view is spectacular and a perfect spot for taking pictures of the whole town.   It is especially beautiful at sunset.

Each year during the middle of August, Collioure celebrates the Festival of Saint Vincent.  Many events and activities take place over several days including demonstrations of Catalan boats, dances, concerts, street music and a fabulous fireworks display.  The Catalan Procession on the Sea is the highlight – it is quite an amazing ceremony.

We are fortunate to have a home in a town that is so colourful and packed with amazing culture.  The memory of Saint Vincent Chapel and the sunrise on the beach is certainly something that we keep close in our hearts between visits to Collioure.    

The French certainly do take pleasure in celebrating holidays.  It seems they are always enjoying a break to acknowledge special customs and traditions, participate in festivals and events and often take days off to celebrate with family and friends.  With Easter approaching this week, I thought it appropriate to highlight this holiday in particular, as it is recognized in many countries around the world.  As usual the French don’t celebrate in a simple manner - they always do things in a grand fashion and Easter is one celebration that is acknowledged in fine style. 

During March and April, stores begin to be decorated and the festivities begin.  The eggs and bunnies that surface during this time have been known to be a symbol of rebirth and spring.  Chocolate has become part of those traditions due to Easter being at the end of a 40-day period of Lent.  During this time period, Christians have “given up” especially rich or animal foods.  Once Good Friday arrives, they enjoy the foods they sacrificed by preparing them in traditional dishes.  And since chocolate is known as a luxury item it was given as gifts during the celebrations. 

The French have expanded this concept and have incorporated it with the Cloche Volant or “flying bell”.  Tradition dictates that church bells are silenced on Holy Thursday and not rung on Good Friday or the Saturday following.  The legend suggests that the silence took place as the bells flew from their steeples to Rome, to visit the Pope.  While they are there, the Pope blesses the bells and fills them with chocolate treats.  The bells return from Rome in time to declare with music that Jesus has risen and scatter the chocolates amongst the gardens.  This contributes to the idea of Easter Egg hunts should be conducted outside.

Decorated eggs play a large role in the Easter holiday.  France is well known for its astounding chocolatiers who create intricately carved and bedazzled chocolate eggs that resemble works of art.  Often the windows are elaborately decorated for the holiday with eggs, chickens and fish, so incredibly designed that it is almost hard to ruin them by consuming them. Hard….but certainly not impossible.  Since chocolate is one of our very favourite things, we are definitely looking forward to enjoying that custom during an upcoming Easter holiday spent in Collioure.

Approximately 5 kms up the coast from Collioure, is the happening town of Argelès-Sur-Mer. This laid back place is a much bigger town (population around 10,000 people) and has numerous activities, interesting sights and incredible sandy beaches. The main part of town has a lovely village however as you move out from the village centre, you have access to large shopping malls, chain type restaurants mixed in with traditional ones and tons of family oriented things to see and do.

For instance you can find two different amusement parks – Luna Park, a more traditional ride and theme park and Argelès Adventure that highlights zip lines and obstacle courses. Both can provide a full day worth of fun and excitement.

There is also miniature golf, mountain biking, go karts, cycling excursions and horseback riding. For those wanting to enjoy the sea, you can head to the beach and participate in sea kayaking, snorkeling, scuba, sailing, fishing, wind surfing, and tubing. As you can see there are numerous options to keep you busy.

Argelès has a bustling seaside promenade that winds for kilometers and has beach shops and bars along with restaurants of all kinds. It is similar in feel to a Myrtle Beach with everything available for enjoying a vacation focused around the beach. We visited the area and were astounded by the wide, white sand beach that stretches for more than 7kms. One could spend an entire day lounging on the sand, enjoying the beautiful water and relaxing while soaking up the sun.

If non-stop activities or the beach aren’t your thing, it is still worth visiting this town for the many Romanesque ruins, buildings and heritage sights dating back to the 12th century and the gorgeous Valmy Park. And if you are a nature lover you will want to plan to explore the Albères Mountains. This is an area of deep valleys and multiple large summits (some reaching to 1000m) that is perfect for walking or extensive hiking. Various types of trees and vegetation cover the hills and there is also a protected nature reserve that includes a beech grove. You can travel on the trails, imagining as you go, that the smugglers from the past may have also taken these same routes.

While staying in Collioure, if you are looking for a place close by with activities to please everyone, be sure to include a trip to Argelès-Sur-Mer. It is a quick drive or can be accessed on the municipal bus for only €1.

Check out the tourism website by clicking here.

We've had many people ask us for a suggestion of something fun to do in Collioure.   Among numerous others things, we always suggest that they take the little tourist train.  While some may think this cute, yellow train is corny – we quite enjoyed taking the trek through the hills over into Port-Vendres. 

You can board the train from the main street in the centre of town – rue de la Republique right in front of the main parking lot.  The cost is just €7 per person for a round trip.  From the spring through the fall, the train travels every hour on the hour from Collioure.  The commentary delivered by the driver is in French however you can request head phones to hear English, Spanish, German, Dutch and Catalan.  This workaround functions just fine.

The train departs Collioure and drives up into the lower Pyrenees where you wind through the vineyards, along picturesque roads, giving you stunning views of Collioure below.  The driver’s commentary is well written and keeps everyone entertained while learning some of the history and background about the town.  The roads are narrow and there may be a tight squeeze as lost tourists try to navigate the tight route.  Definitely keeps it interesting….

There is a scheduled stop up by Fort St Elme where you can disembark to admire the beautiful view of the town and from this vantage point you can see all the way up the coast.  The scenery is gorgeous!  After stopping for 10 minutes, the train continues its trek back down the hills into Port-Vendres.  This is a wonderful fishing village that is a working port and a nice place to spend an afternoon.  It offers great restaurants, a terrific market on Saturdays and a fantastic fish market that shouldn’t be missed.  We’ve enjoyed fresh oysters and champagne in the back of the fish market served by fisherman still in their rubber boots!

You are free to wander the streets of Port-Vendres and whenever you are ready, you pick up the train on the half hour, back to Collioure.  On the return trip it takes the coastal route where you see the rocky cliffs and beautiful seaside.  It brings you right back to the parking lot where you originally started.  I should mention that if you decide you don’t want to visit Port-Vendres, you could just stay on the train for the round trip, which takes approximately 45 minutes.

This is a very relaxing way to visit Port-Vendres and also enjoy the sights surrounding the town.  Be sure to check it out!

For more details see the 
Le Petit Train website