Sweet getaway to Maresme

Carme Ruscalleda’s Michelin starred-restaurant is no longer there, but you have many reasons to visit Sant Pol de Mar. You can get there comfortably by train – like all the towns along the coast – and as soon as you arrive you’ll be entranced by the presence of the sea and the white terraced houses. Wander its streets, admire the modernista façades and walk slowly up to the peak, where the Shrine of Sant Pau awaits you with fantastic views over the Mediterranean. And find out where the expression “Sant Pol, quina hora és?” (Saint Pol, what time is it?) comes from, which, they say, still annoys some locals. Do all of this and lots more, but save time to visit the company Melmelades Calada, which produces jams using 100% natural and local products. By booking ahead, you can join a workshop to learn how to make your own jams. And, while you’re there, ask them why toast always falls on the buttered side... A finger-licking experience!

If you want to have lunch in Sant Pol de Mar, check this link to discover the culinary delights in the town.

Just a few kilometres away is neighbouring Calella, also known Calella de la Costa to differentiate it from Calella de Palafrugell. With tourism activity dating back decades, you can find lots to do here apart from its excellent beaches. But we want to suggest some visits that perhaps are not the most common among those who travel many kilometres to reach the town. For instance, discover the optical telegraph towers, dating back to the mid-19th century and that fell into disuse a few years later with the arrival of the railway and the electric telegraph. From a more recent past is the Parc Dalmau air-raid shelter, one of the three built in Calella to provide shelter from air raids during the Spanish Civil War. The Parc Dalmau shelter is open to visitors and provides information about the site. It has a main gallery measuring 66 metres long by 2 high and 2 wide, and three cross-galleries of 20 metres long. It forms part of the Xarxa d’Espais de Memòria de Catalunya.

Also very interesting in Calella is the multidisciplinary Museu-Arxiu Municipal J. M. Codina i Bagué, with over 15,000 items that reflect the history and heritage of the town. Perhaps the most outstanding parts are the Pinacoteca Gallart, with around 200 paintings, and the modernista Barri pharmacy, on the second floor.

And, as we told you, the tourism sector has for a long time been one of the economic drivers of the town. That’s why a few years ago it was decided to open the Museu del Turisme, MUTUR, which through new technologies and using a participatory and educational approach shows the history of tourism from the early travellers until the present and its socio-cultural and economic effects at a global scale.

You’ll also find many places to eat in Calella. The range, as you can see here, is wide and varied. Bon appétit and safe journey back home!