Casa Cadaqués

Vivid Geometry in the Land of Surrealism

Whitewashed and topped by tile, this newly built, stacked sugar cube residence is defined by its sharp angles and unique openings and passages, framed by raw stone accent walls, with subtly hued flagstone flooring underfoot and a turquoise pool at its heart.

Oversized windows angle sharply across the 1970s-inspired floorplan lined by these veritable walls of glass, many of them operable doors. Mortared flagstone spreads out across the villa’s several split levels, and open stairs zig zag upwards, both indoors and out, Escher style. Back inside, primitive, organic ledges and built-in benches continue the earthy design palette. The interiors show off a distinctively groovy vibe with their conversation-pit-styled built-in sofas, minimal furnishings, and an abundance of earthy stone slabs showing up as table and countertops, seating slabs, and mortared as patios and landings both indoors and outside around the pool, even covering a rooftop deck.

The home’s ground floor features a large living room with a built-in sofa seating pit and fireplace, a generous galley-styled kitchen and a bedroom and bath. Upstairs, a large bedroom and bath also features a dressing room and terrace with sea views, connected to the pool by an exterior staircase. Lush landscaping surrounds the pool deck area and insulates the home, that also comes with a SUP and bicycle, a security system and alarm.

Around

A bayfront city on the Cap de Creus peninsula, Cadaqués sits on Spain’s Costa Brava, along the shimmering Mediterranean’s rocky coast. Perhaps best known as an artistic haven that was once home to Salvador Dalí as well as Picasso, Chagall, Matisse, and Hockney, the red-tile-roofed community’s historical quarter has served as inspiration to decades of artists, painters and poets. At the head of the bay, the  old town rises from the sea, all cobbled and narrow, and Dalí’s house-museum sits slightly north of the area, adjacent to Port Lligat Bay.

The village has beautiful beaches and tranquil coves, and a natural harbor alive with watersports such as diving, sailing, and windsurfing. Its artistic heritage means the town brims with galleries and modernist museums, such as the Municipal Art Museum, and the Perrot-Morre Museum of Graphic Art. Set in the greater region known as Alt Empordà, the coastline offers a variety of charming waterfront villages, like Colera with its Garvet and El Morts beaches, Llançà, with its buzzy marina area, and Port de la Selva, where a medieval monastery stands. An ancient citadel also marks the town of Roses. 

Spending time outdoors is a must in this sun-drenched coastal area. The Gulf of Roses is home to the Aiguamolls de l'Empordà Natural Park full of aquatic bird life. The Cap de Creus Natural Park is seductively beautiful—wild, rocky and Mediterranean. Before the one road in and out of Cadaqués was built, water access was the only way to reach the village, making it susceptible to pirates, marauders, kidnappers and raiders. Cervantes (of Don Quixote fame) was reportedly kidnapped near the town, and the outlaw vibe continues today, albeit tamed. There’s a wildness to Cadaqués, a welcoming, “anything goes” hippy feeling to the place that draws a more polished crowd of jetsetters, artists and musicians, along with well-heeled locals from the nearest big cities of Girona, Barcelona and Perpignan, France.

Location

Cadaqués, Costa Brava, Spain. Nearest airports: Perpignan (60km); Girona (60km); Barcelona (150km)

Best time to visit

April to November