tapas

THINK Spain, think tapas. A little taste of everything that comes together perfectly.

And Empuriabrava on the Costa Brava is the tapas of Spain.

This beautiful town built on a network of canals just 90 miles north of Barcelona and 25 miles from the French border is a mixture of many flavours.

Throw in a pinch of Venice, a spoonful of France’s Port Grimaud and a generous dollop of Florida all with the unmistakable taste of Spain in the background and you’ve got yourself a feast.

The 24km of inland waterways give the Venice vibe, glass-fronted luxury villas on the canal bank nod to the Cote d’Azur and the moored Miami Vice-style powerboats lend the Florida feel.

This didn’t all happen by accident. Until the 1960s, this area was all rice fields and swamps. Some well-off locals decided to create a purpose-built luxury holiday resort bringing all these influences together.

WAIL OF A TIME

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TEMPTED?

Tiny ‘Bali of Europe’ town with stunning beaches, €3 cocktails and £20 flights

Now officially the biggest residential marina in Europe, it’s fair to say they got it bang on.

We flew from Gatwick to Girona. The flight time was only two hours and the transfer was around 45 minutes — so it’s perfect for a long weekend.

Arriving in the morning, a little early for check-in, we dropped off our bags at the hotel and headed straight out to hire an electric boat for an hour to explore the canals.

No licence or experience is required — the boat barely gets above a gentle walking pace, so it’s like driving a very slow dodgem car.

And it’s a perfect way to get a feel for the town and enjoy a bit of lifestyle envy looking at the luxury homes and boats.

But you don’t need to be a millionaire to enjoy the same views. The 4H Port Salins hotel by Pierre & Vacances sits on Salins canal a five-minute walk from the beach, giving you the best of both worlds.

The hotel has its own pool built out over the canal, perfect for lying on your sunbed and watching the boats come and go, as well as a lovely rooftop terrace.

Opt for one of the renovated canal-side rooms and you’ll be rewarded with a ­spacious, tastefully decorated space. Most of these also have large balconies overlooking the canal. The hotel even has four moorings reserved for guests’ boats.

In the evening we sat on the hotel’s rooftop terrace sipping a cocktail or two watching the nautical world go by six floors below.

Dinner is served in the Noray restaurant overlooking the pool. The Mediterranean menu is packed with fresh, local produce. The prawn and monkfish risotto to share for two was a real highlight — as was the excellent service.

There are plenty of other dining options in town and on the beach. We loved Oliveri, where we had fantastic locally caught grilled prawns. Yeti beach bar is perfect for chilling with its amazing tapas after a morning dip in the Med.

At the front of the town is a huge beach which stretches all the way from Gulf of Roses in the north to L’Escala to the South. This continues the Florida vibe with colourful lifeguard huts dotted along the sand and, like the town, is immaculately clean. It feels like the locals are very proud of their Costa Brava gem.

For a slightly more active holiday there are plenty of options. It’s easy to hire a speedboat or jet ski and just a short canal trip to get to the open sea, where you can open the throttle and bounce across the waves.

If you’re seeking even more daring thrills, Empuriabrava is home to Europe’s largest skydiving school, offering group or solo lessons. You don’t even have to leave the ground to experience the thrill of the jump with a go in its simulator.

Even that seemed a bit too much for me so I settled for watching skydivers dropping down to earth, as I sat in the bar with a cold beer in hand.

The marina is the place to go if you enjoy gazing at luxury power boats, as it’s crammed fender to fender with the most stunning collection of them.

If you’ve got a spare £800k you could even grab yourself a bargain at the local ship shop. Unfortunately it was closed while we were walking around so we settled for just looking and dreaming.

For a taste of culture, travel to nearby Figueres to visit the Salvador Dali museum. The artist was born here in 1904 and he designed and conceived the museum himself. It houses the most extensive collection of his work.

Figueres is also the birthplace of Narcís Monturiol, the inventor of the first machine-powered submarine. But unfortunately he is slightly overshadowed by the more famous moustachioed surrealist.

Back in Empuriabrava it was time for another great meal, tapas, obviously. After sampling all the flavours this hidden gem in the north of Spain has to offer, I’ll definitely be back for second helpings.