There’s an abundance of charming beach towns along the French Mediterranean coastline—some famous, others hidden gems. One of those hidden treasures is Collioure. I first heard about it through my wine studies, as it is one of France’s notable appellations, but it was a conversation with a French colleague, who was from nearby Pérpignan that made me curious. He described Collioure as dreamy and ethereal, and I always knew I wanted to go there.
For this trip my husband was traveling with me and from the moment we arrived, the town took our breath away. When we got to our hotel we were so excited to see how amazing the location was. It sat right out on a low cliff looking out at the water, with the village just over to the left. Hotel Roches Brunes is one of the nicest hotels I’ve ever stayed in. It’s simple yet elegant, clean and luxurious at the same time. It definitely has the best views of Collioure and the Mediterranean Sea 🌊 Our room wasn’t ready yet and one of the staff members asked us if we wanted to have a glass of wine and a snack out on the terrace while we waited. We said “yes”! We also ordered a cheese and charcuterie board to go with our wine. We didn’t have to wait too long for our room, but we wouldn’t have minded if we did. The views were sublime.
There were only three things I wanted to do during my time in Collioure: relax, eat amazing food and drink exceptional wine, and swim in the Mediterranean. That’s exactly what I did for three days—three of the most glorious days of my life.
Mornings began with a run into town, and the streets were empty, except for the shopkeepers preparing for their day. Afterwards, I would return to the hotel for an incredible breakfast out on the terrace with my husband. Soon after we would take a short walk to the nearest beach. A small cove in the center of town was already full of swimmers. The cove stretched from the hotel into town, giving us an abundance of choices as to where we wanted to jump in. The water was surprisingly warm and inviting, perfect for long swims.
In between eating and swimming, we would walk into town (less than 10 minutes on the paved path along the beach) and check out all the cool things to see there. There are shops, cafes and restaurants and an abundance of art. The famous painter Matisse loved the way the light reflected off the sea in this little village, and he spent time here in the early 1900’s painting his Fauvist style paintings. Since then the town has become a true artists hub. You can find outdoor frames along a little art trail that have been lined up to see the exact view of some of Matisse’s paintings. There is a fabulous Museum of Modern Art here, and it’s only a ten minute walk from the hotel. You can see many of the Fauvist artists paintings there as well as other artists who painted or lived in Collioure.
Collioure is very close to the Spanish border and is part of the French side of Catalonia. You can see the Catalan flag on some of the boats in the cove and many locals still speak Catalan.
The town has a medieval feel, with narrow streets, cobbled pathways and ancient walls that reflect centuries of history and culture.
There is another wine village just down the coast from Collioure called Banyuls-sur-Mer. This little village is also one of France’s wine appellations. It’s definitely worth a day trip down the coast, especially if you tend to lean a little towards the wine-geek side of travel. There is a bus that goes from Collioure to Banyuls-sur-Mer several times a day. There’s even a bus stop right by the hotel. Banyuls was actually one of the first AOC’s in France, getting its recognition in 1936. The appellation of Banyuls produces sweet fortified wines made predominantly from Grenache grapes. These wines are rich and full bodied, with notes of chocolate and coffee or honey and vanilla. Even if you don’t like sweet wine, you might really enjoy these, they are absolutely delicious. They are low-yield and low-production, so not always easy to find, especially in the U.S. If you see them on a menu, I encourage you to try them. They pair great with desserts.
Another thing to note about the town of Banyuls Sur-Mer, is that it’s where the famous sculptor Aristide Maillol was born and raised. You will see some of his sculptures around town, especially along the path near the harbor. When I first saw the sculptures, I was confused, because they were so familiar. I knew I had seen them before, but I’d never been here before. Then it dawned on me that these were the same sculptures that are scattered around the grounds of the Louvre. Most of his outdoor sculptures, the ones in Banyuls and the ones at the Louvre, are authentic bronze casts made from Maillol’s originals. The town also has a Maillol museum that is located at his former home and studio. Here you can see some of his originals. The studio has been preserved to show where the artist worked and lived and you can feel his presence amongst several of the personal items that have been left in place.
Later in the evenings we would usually dine at the restaurant at our hotel, Le Mamma. This is not your typical hotel restaurant. This is a restaurant that people travel to from other towns and other hotels. People staying at the hotel were given the best tables, right in the edge of the terrace, looking out at the sea, and to the left, the view of the town and the sailboats in the cove. My husband and I decided to do the seven-course tasting menu one evening, with wines paired by their Sommelier. The food and the service were Michelin quality in my opinion. I’ve eaten at three star Michelin restaurants and this experience was just as exquisite and even a little better due to the setting.
Collioure is a wine AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée), and I highly recommend indulging in their local wines during your visit. The wines produced here are mainly dry reds, typically GSM’s, Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre, and rosé. Only about 14% of the wine is white, mainly from Grenache Blanc. When the weather is hot I tend to drink white wine, and theses whites became my daily indulgence. They were dry, crisp, and mineral driven with a salinity that I love in a white wine.
After dinner we sat on the cliff-side patio at the hotel, we could hear sultry music off in the distance. The voice of a female jazz singer accompanied by a saxophone. The clanking of masts from the boats anchored in the cove, and the chatter from people on the boats carried across the water and added to the ambiance. The ever-present scent of jasmine seemed to always be in the air. There’s literally jasmine growing everywhere down here. All of these things created a sensory experience that I will never forget.
Collioure is more than a picturesque coastal town; it’s a place where art, history, beauty, and the Mediterranean Sea converge. Every corner feels like a best-kept secret. It’s a place to get lost, but also a place to find yourself. I highly recommend Collioure for solo travel. I don’t have any hard data on the crime rate here, but my instincts tell me that it’s likely close to zero.
One of the best things about Collioure is how easy it is to get there by train from Paris. Trains depart from Gare de Lyon. You will want to catch an early morning train, since the first leg is about a five hour ride to Pérpignan. These tickets you can purchase in the SNCF app, the cost is between $125 and $150 round trip. The night before, I recommend staying at either the Parisianer which is just across from the train station or the Zazie, about 1/4 of a mile away, to make it easy in the morning. Then, from Pérpignan, you catch another, very short train, to Collioure. It’s only three stops, and about a 20 minutes. Hotel Les Roches Brunes is under a mile from the train station so depending on how much luggage you have, it is walkable, but you can also easily get a taxi or an Uber. If you’re staying closer to town it’s definitely walkable. For a more detailed description of the Paris hotels, click here.
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9 Responses
As I said on Instagram, I am here now and completely agree with everything you have said, except I couldn’t leave Collioure for other places, it’s just too beautiful to ‘miss out’ on it.
I am only here because it was recommended to me by a hotel manager in Carcassonne and I am so glad I listened to him and my gut to come and spend a few days here.
I’m leaving tomorrow, but already know I’ll be back here in the future. It’s such a special place!
Ah yes Carcassonne is not far from Collioure! So glad you found Collioure and got to experience it for yourself!