GO AH AND JUMP Chris Rae takes a trip to the town of Empuriabrava on the Costa Brava, Spain’s North-East coast. An area where the land of sun, sea and sangria neighbours the South of France and discovers an extreme hobby not for the feint-hearted tourist...
HEAD There aren’t many places in
the world where the locals will boo the national football team, but Catalonia is definitely one of them. Sitting in the ‘Captain’s Cabin’ bar on the main strip of Empuriabrava, you get the impression of being a million miles away from the land of package holidays and ‘Brits Abroad’, rather than a couple of hours on a train. Located in the very North-West of Spain and home to the city of Barcelona, Catalonia - along with its neighbour the Basque Country - has always considered itself a separate entity from Spain. The Catalans have their own language - well, more of a dialect, or variation of Spanish, as well as their own flag, which forms parts of the Barcelona Football Club crest, and a tradition and heritage that the locals are fiercely proud of and determined to protect. In the very north of the region is the Costa Brava, most famous in the UK for the resort town of Lloret de Mar, this stunning, yet somewhat undiscovered, coast line ends where Spain meets France, 30 minutes-drive from the marina town of Empuriabrava.
Empuria as it is known locally, serves as a base for the hundreds of private yachts which park in the town’s street-like canals and is renowned in the boating world for having the largest marina in the world. The canals run parallel to almost all of the town’s streets, as cars and boats drive side by side. The town’s beach front area provides spectacular views across the Bay of Roses, named after the small town of Roses which lies 5 minutes to the north of Empuria, and on a clear day, as far away as the island of Corsica. Locals and tourist - mainly of German origin - alike take to the water on water skis, jet skis and even pedal boats to compete, or simply to relax. Sitting on the terrace of the Marbar, which is located right on the beach, the town’s links with the sea are clear to see. From the small buoys that bob in the water, their colour fading after years in the hot Mediterranean sun, signalling the location of shellfish pots, to the multimillion pound cruiser yachts that come and go as naturally as the cars in the streets nearby.
ADVERT 1/2 PAGE There is, however, another, more extreme pastime that attracts crowds from across the world to this otherwise quiet sea side town and is always there, and always gets the locals talking. An hour’s walk, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of this wonderful little corner of Spain, brings you to the opposite end of town and Sector Aeroclub, home to Skydive Empuriabrava, Europe’s largest parachuting ‘Drop Zone’.
newbies the chance to learn to skydive, through Accelerated Free Fall (AFF) courses, either with an in-house or independent instructor. The instructors will take up those brave (or stupid) enough to take to the skies, to the point of jumping solo. The centre offers ‘Bunkhouse’ accommodation in a group of purpose built wooden chalets, providing mixed sex dorms for up to six people in each.
international influence on the town becomes astounding; most of the full time residents of Empuria are multi-lingual to the point of putting the most talented of translators to shame. Catalan or Spanish are the most commonly spoken tongues; however, Italian, German, French and English are all spoken. This makes having a conversation with the street vendors and café owners a delight.
The centre acts as a training camp for professional teams from Spain as well as the UK and as far afield as the USA and Canada, as well as being a must-visit attraction for tourists. Although, not all are brave enough to try a tandem jump.
The chalets offer the best value living for those visiting on a budget, which, with the cost a course exceeding £1000, will be most people. Walking through the town, passing the pizzerias and gelateria’s, the English pubs and Chinese restaurants, the
For those not wanting to rough it in the bunkhouse, Empuriabrava, Roses and the medieval town of Castello d’Empuries provide plenty of other options when it comes to accommodation. From four star hotels, to canal side camp sites. There are also a number of private apartments for rent,
Skydive Empuriabrava offers
most of which can be found on the Drop Zone’s website. The Costa Brava and particularly the area around the Bay of Roses, is a welcome break for those used to the typical Spanish holidays. There are no gangs of rowdy, drunken tourists roaming the streets at all hours and all tastes are catered for. Whether you’re just looking for a quiet and relaxing beach front holiday, with plenty of places nearby to explore or wanting something a bit more high octane. The Bay of Roses has a lot to offer, but with generally lower prices
than areas closer to Barcelona and with an added charm that only comes from somewhere that has still retained the majority of its original character. A worthwhile use of a morning is a short bus trip around the bay to the town of Roses. A small community, built along the beach and up into the steep hillside at the mouth of the bay, much more relaxed that Empuriabrava and perfect for walking about in and getting lost amongst its winding streets. Not far from here is a small water park, so there’s something for kids to do too...
or the parents after enough sangria! Like, Empuria, there are plenty of little cafés, perfect for a spot of al fresco lunch, and lying on the beach, and watching colourful parachutes circle overhead just adds to the areas magic. On the plane home, be careful not to get too freaked out when you realise this plane has a door and you don’t have a parachute.