One of the best descriptions of the French Catalan town of Collioure is that it’s “like St Tropez before it got too crowded”.
It’s not entirely undiscovered, of course. In fact you’ll find lots of tourists here all through the summer, with many of them Irish people going on holiday to France and availing of the various flight connections that this area enjoys on both the French and the Spanish side of the border.
Cute yellow and russet-coloured houses descend in a cluster to the darker-stoned harbour. The large mediaeval Royal Castle that was formerly the summer residence of the King of Majorca dominates the lower-level fortifications while square fortified look-out towers complete a stunning vista on the higher ground of the town. The harbour is magnetic and beautiful from all angles, with its 17th-century church Notre Dame des Anges and its picturesque Mediterranean-Baroque clock tower. There are also some good stretches of sandy shoreline, where sunbathers and families bask in Collioure’s magnificence.
The market is held here all through the year on Sunday and Wednesday morning from 08:00 to 13:00 beneath the shade of the plane trees on the little Place Général Leclerc. The tight size of the square makes for a very atmospheric market that sells mostly wonderful local food produce. It extends down along the length of Quai de l’Amirauté, where the stalls are more concerned with non-edible items such as clothing and objets d’art.
Tootlafrance Market Guide Map
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