Our experience

We fell in love with Collioure when visiting with friends. So much so, that we bought this apartment. Collioure is a small town sitting in the foot hills of the Pyrenees as they meet the Mediterranean Sea. In the Middle Ages it acted as the port for the regional capital of Elne but became forgotten and was just a sleepy fishing village until discovered by Matisse, Derain and their artist friends at the end of the 19th century. Now, during the summer it bustles with holiday makers who fill the narrow streets and numerous galleries but in the spring and autumn its pace slow down and relaxes. We have stayed in April, June, August and October and have enjoyed the different moods of the town at these times. In the spring and autumn the streets are quieter and it is lovely to be able to stroll along them and enjoy the warm sun, or to sit on the front drinking coffee and reading a book. In the summer the town is vibrant and reaches its peak during the Fete de St Vincent on the 15th August when roads into the town close, pastis is sprayed into the streets, bands play on street corners, the locals dance the Sardana, St Vincent’s remains are taken for a trip in a boat, and there is a huge firework display. Be prepared to eat pizza on the beach to get a good view before collapsing with exhaustion!