Instead of the Cinque Terre: Collioure, the Village of Light and Colour

Why choose Collioure over the Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre have become the emblem of Italian overtourism: trails with entry limits, packed trains, impossible beaches, and a borgo like Vernazza that receives more daily visitors than it has residents. But cross the border into France, on the Catalan coast of Roussillon, and you find a village that possesses the same chromatic magic, the same light on the sea, and a tenth of the visitors.

Collioure was the cradle of Fauvism: in 1905 Henri Matisse and André Derain arrived here and were so overwhelmed by the light and colours that they invented a new way of painting. Since then, the village has changed very little. Pastel-coloured houses are reflected in the water, the church bell tower rises directly from the sea, and the anchovy fishermen's boats rock in the little harbour.

What to see in Collioure

- Church of Notre-Dame-des-Anges — with its round bell tower that was once an ancient lighthouse, it is the symbol of Collioure. It stands on the beach, the waves lapping at its foundations

- Château Royal — fortress of the Kings of Majorca, later of the Kings of France. It dominates the harbour and hosts contemporary art exhibitions

- Chemin du Fauvisme — an open-air trail featuring reproductions of Matisse's and Derain's paintings placed at the exact spots where they were painted. Comparing the canvas with reality is an unparalleled thrill

- Quartier du Mouré — the medieval lanes with their coloured houses, cats on windowsills and laundry drying in the breeze

- Fort Saint-Elme — star-shaped fortress on the hilltop with panoramic views along the coast

Collioure's anchovies: a gastronomic heritage

Collioure is France's anchovy capital. The salting tradition dates back to the Middle Ages, and the Anchois de Collioure still carry a protected designation of origin. The Maison Roque, in business since 1870, opens its doors for guided visits where you can witness the artisanal process. In the harbour restaurants, anchovies are served in a thousand ways: marinated, fried, in salads, as anchoïade spread on bread.

The Vermillion Coast: beyond Collioure

Collioure is the jewel of a coastline that deserves to be explored in its entirety. The Côte Vermeille (Vermillion Coast) takes its name from the reddish colour of the rocks and encompasses magnificent villages:

- Port-Vendres — an authentic fishing port with a fresh-fish market on the quayside

- Banyuls-sur-Mer — home of the sweet Banyuls wine and of the sculptor Maillol

- Cerbère — the last village before Spain, with a hidden beach among the rocks

The Sentier du Littoral connects these villages on foot along the coast, with breathtaking views and swims in deserted coves. It is the coastal path that the Cinque Terre were thirty years ago.

How to get there

The nearest airport is Perpignan (30 minutes by car or train). From Barcelona the drive takes about 2 hours along the coast. The TER train connects Perpignan to Collioure in 25 minutes with frequent services. From Italy, low-cost flights to Perpignan or Barcelona make the journey easily accessible.

Where to eat

Le 5ème Péché is the gastronomic restaurant with a terrace overlooking the harbour, holder of a Michelin green star for sustainability. La Balette offers refined Catalan cuisine. For a simple lunch by the sea, Les Templiers is a historic bar-restaurant whose walls are covered in original paintings donated by the artists who drank there over the course of a century. Dinner costs €20–30, half what you'd pay in the Cinque Terre.

When to go

April to June and September to October offer perfect weather and a liveable village. July and August bring more people but remain far more manageable than the Cinque Terre. The Banyuls grape harvest in September is a special occasion.

The sea and water sports

The waters around Collioure are ideal for water sports. The Cerbère-Banyuls Marine Reserve, a few kilometres away, is one of the richest protected marine areas in the Mediterranean: snorkelling along the marked underwater trail reveals grouper, barracuda, gorgonians and beds of posidonia. Local dive centres offer outings for every level, from first dives to deep dives.

Sea kayaking is a magnificent way to explore the coast: leaving from Collioure you can reach coves inaccessible by land, enter sea caves and admire the red cliffs from the best possible angle. Sailing schools offer catamaran and windsurfing courses at modest prices, taking advantage of the tramontane that blows steadily from the north.

For those who prefer dry land, the hills above Collioure are crossed by trails through vineyards, Mediterranean scrub and the ruins of watchtowers. The path to the Tour Madeloc, a medieval watchtower at 652 metres, rewards you with a view that sweeps the coast from Perpignan to Spain. At sunset, with the sun setting the red rocks ablaze, it is one of the most beautiful panoramas in the western Mediterranean.

How much you save

Collioure costs significantly less than the Cinque Terre: accommodation from €60–90 a night, meals from €15–25. But the real value lies in the experience: here you can still sit down at a harbour-side table without a reservation, swim without crowds, and lose yourself in the lanes without feeling you're inside a theme park.