Historic Collioure Beach town with Fortresses

About Collioure Beach Town in France

Collioure is a French-Catalan town on the Côte Vermeille once being part of Spain. The town has multiple fortresses and is known for its outstanding beauty, rich cultural and artistic heritage.

Known as the City of Painters, artists, poets and writers have always been inspired by this pretty harbour town with its magical light and unique sunsets. Picasso, Matisse and many others have produced paintings of this town. Today Collioure has about 30 art galleries and small botique art shops.

Collioure is a historic walled city and former important Mediterranean trading port. The harbour has a pier with a stone lighthouse and plenty of seafront restaurants. Whenever I go to Collioure I eat in Chez Simone which is a small tapas restaurant with outside dining on the promenade offering views of the Royal Chateu, church and port. My favorite dish is the Patatas bravas sauce revisitee and a few glasses of wine.

Behind the walled part of the seafront is the El barri de Moure, the fisherman's village with small art galleries, boutique shops and beautiful houses in cobbled streets. I recommend exploring this part of town.

Collioure can be visited as a Long Day trip or as a Weekend break by train from Barcelona.

Collioure Fortreses and historic attractions

• Chateu Royal is in the centre of the town on the edge of the historic port. it was built on the site of a former Roman castrum and converted between 1266 and 1344 to be home of the court of the Kings of Majorca. Occupied by the Spanish until 1642, the fortress then passed into the hands of the French. Listed as a historic monument in 1922, today it belongs to the Conseil General des Pyrenees Orientales, and is open to the public as well as being a setting for exhibitions and events.
• Fort Saint Elme is a fortress situated on top of a hill overlooking the town of Collioure and offers spectacular 360 degree panoramic views. The castle contains an impressive collection of Renaissance armour, helmets, halberds and cannons. Additionally Ottoman weapons used by the Turkish sailors who ravaged the Spanish and Catalan coasts. The Fort is about a 40 minute walk through vineyards from the town centre.
• On the way to Fort Sant Elme the path is via the stone windmill. The mill was built in the 14th century to grind grain into flour. It ceased activity in the 19th century and fell into ruin. The windmill was restored in 2001 and today is used to press olives to make Colliure olive oil.
• Notre Dame des Anges Church is a beautiful stone church located just next to Boramar beach. It was originally built to serve as a lighthouse for the port with later additions over time to add the bell and dome. The original church of Collioure was within the chateu Royal but it was raised to build the outer ramparts. A new gothic church was built, reusing the lighthouse tower as the bell tower.

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