Spain – Llanca (En)
We went to Llançà because it’s 20 km from the French border and has a free motorhome area. The town is very small but very pretty. Highlights include the old town, with the Church of Sant Vicenç and its Romanesque tower; the seafront promenade, with its restaurants; the coves; and the views from the Castellar Islet.
Where to stay
We stayed in the free motorhome area in the town (42.36685, 3.155052 latitude, longitude). It’s a dirt parking area with some shade; there are no facilities, but there are rubbish bins at the entrance. The location is great: it’s a 5-minute walk from the old town, with a supermarket a minute away, and a 10-minute walk from the port and the islet of Castellar. It’s quite safe, and you can sleep well at night. When we were there, it was Carnival, so there was music until midnight on Saturday night, but otherwise, it’s fine. The area is small and quite busy, so I recommend arriving early in the morning.
What to see
On Saturday morning, we decided to visit the old town. Leaving the area, turn right and you’ll see the town hall. Opposite it is the Marly House, which housed the anarchist children’s colony from the end of 1936.
Continuing straight ahead, before reaching the old town square, you’ll come across a really cool mural. In the square, you’ll find a centuries-old tree, a Romanesque tower from the 13th-14th centuries, and the Church of Sant Vicenç, from the mid-18th century, which has a very simple interior. On one side of the church, you can see the keep. The square is lively, with bars full of people and a busy little vegetable stall. Next to the church, you can see the Sòcol de Pedra, a traditional 17th-century stone foundation.
In the afternoon, loud music and noise woke us from our nap; it seemed there was a party next to the campsite. As we got out of the campervan, I was told it was the carnival, so we went to watch and have a drink.
The party lasted until the early hours, making it difficult to sleep in. The next day we went to see the port. On the way, we passed a street market, a very pretty chapel, and a statue of the sardana, the traditional Catalan dance.
When you reach the promenade, you’re greeted with an incredible view of the Castellar Islet. We had no idea there was an islet there. We took a few photos with the islet in the background and some of the port.
We went up to the islet and explored it. From the top, there are incredible views of the port, the town, and the surrounding coves. On the islet, there’s a bunker and a memorial to the fishermen. We met Abraham there, visiting his brother, and he told us he leads spiritual retreats where they practice and teach Reiki, meditation, and other practices. If you’re interested in energy healing and related topics, you can contact him. We have his contact number. He offered to take some photos of us with the best views.
We climbed down from the islet and walked around the cliffs, where there are incredible views of the coves. You can continue walking along the cliffs for miles.
The next day, we went to France, where our first stop was Port-Vendres, a typical Mediterranean fishing port, famous for its many fish and seafood restaurants, which you can see in the next blog.
