Roses

Population: 17,173

Despite being one of the major resorts of the northern Costa Brava, Roses has a great deal going for it. During the high season it suffers from a predictable population explosion and it can be hard to find a space on the beach, but with 139 restaurants it’s surprisingly well-equipped to deal with the mass of tourists, and is sufficiently large and historical for you to be able to find quiet spaces away from the madding crowds.

Roses is also about as solidly historical as you can get around these parts. Its location on the Bay of Roses meant that it has always been an attractive site for foreigners. The town was dubbed Rodes by the Greeks who founded it and its neighbour, Empúries, in the 8th century BC, and it was on this bay, only 30km south of the French border, that civilisation in Catalonia took its first steps.

The easiest way to get an idea of Roses’ historical importance is to visit its impressive Renaissance Ciutadella. Inside you’ll find remains of Greek and Roman civilisations and the Romanesque monastery of Santa Maria. Although these ruins are not quite as impressive as those at Empúries across the bay, they’re certainly well-worth a visit. Further out of town you should also make time to see the Conjunt Megalíthic, which includes the dolmens Creu d'en Cobertella, el Llit de la Generala and el Cap de l'Home. These all date from around 3000BC and definitely give the idea that when the Greeks arrived, they weren’t exactly settling in virgin territory.

Rather than doing all the history stuff, you could of course just stay on the beach, which is excellent. The town beach is of fine sand with a nice shallow incline into the water making it perfect for families with children. Outside the town towards the Cap de Creus Nature Reserve there are lots of lovely coves that are ideal for diving and other water sports, which can be organised through a number of companies in Roses itself.

Finally, although the offers on food and drink in Roses are excellent, real foodies should take the road out to Port de la Selva and visit Ferran Adrià’s world famous El Bulli restaurant. Unless you’re royalty, you certainly won’t get a table and even if you are it’s not a foregone conclusion, so if you’re really serious about sampling the food designed by possibly the world’s most famous chef, I’d book now if I were you (www.elbulli.com Tel 972 150 457). Adrià’s cooking breaks all moulds, and places food in the realm of both science and art. As he says himself, ‘Cooking is the only creative work, other than sex, that uses the four senses: sight, smell, touch and taste. Think about it; when you look at a work of art you don’t usually taste it or smell it. But the sensations that cuisine can give you are incredible.’ I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Ajuntament de Roses, Pl. Catalunya, 12 Tel. 972 25 24 00