Markets

Collioure’s Wednesday and Sunday markets, at Place du Maréchal Leclerc, operate all year round. A range of regional speciality foods as well as local farmers produce, art-works, crafts and clothing are sold.

Just 20 minutes walk south of Collioure is the Port Vendres market in the main village square on Saturdays. Or take the bus or a car to Argelès village centre and experience its Wednesday or Saturday markets or visit Banyuls-sur-Mer on Thursdays and Sundays.

Most markets operate mornings only. During the warmer months many villages also run night markets or speciality food or craft markets.

Fauvism Trail

Collioure is known as the birthplace of Fauvism, as a result of the innovative and prodcutive summer of 1905, that Matisse and Derain spent in the village.  Matisse, captured by Collioure’s quality of light, returned many times over the next decade.

Join a guided tour from L'Espace Fauve to experience this outdoor museum, or buy the Fauvism Booklet and wander at your leisure. The Booklet illustrates some of Matisse and Derain's artworks and the places in the village, where they were painted. Twenty signposted in situ reproductions of these art works are located around the village, particularly along the waterfront.

L'Espace Fauve is a beautifully renovated former fishing-net cellar where the nets were dyed, complete with a magnificently curved Catalan brick ceiling.

Colloure’s contemporary art museum, founded in 1930 by the artist Jean Peské, is open to the public for much of the year.

The village has an established reputation as a supporter and promoter of contemporary artists. Annual scholarships and prizes support artists-in-residence who showcase their works through public exhibitions in Collioure.

Today the Modern Art Museum houses a collection of contemporary artwork and often hosts major exhibitions and events in the beautifully restored stone home of former Senator George Pams.

The Museum is in a beautiful setting below the windmill and is worth visiting.

Artists in Collioure

Inspired by its beauty and light for well over 100 years, Collioure is now intimately linked to the world of art.

1880/90s - Some of the artists of note who painted in the small fishing village during the late Victorian period were the pointillists Paul Signac who loved painting sailing and coastal life, and his contemporary Henri-Edmond Cross.

1900s - The early 20th century saw Etienne Terrus, an Elne resident, painting in the village. He became friends with Henri Matisse and André Derain who, influenced by Signac, spent the summer of 1905 in Collioure. The works from this successful period are credited in creating Fauvism (see Fauvism Trail entry). Other Fauves followed, including Georges Braque.

1910s - The years before and after World War I saw visits by cubist Juan Gris and also Japanese painter and printmaker Foujita Tsuguharu.

1920s - Friends, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Rudolph Ihlee, moved to Port Vendres and Collioure respectively with their wives in the early 1920s. Both artists painted exquisite geometric landscapes, clearly illustrating their architectural and technical drawing backgrounds. Augustin Hanicotte, a pastel watercolourist, was also active in Collioure as this time, as was Léopold Survage, who completed a range of drawing and paintings around the foreshore.

1940s - Raoul Dufy, the colourful fauvist painter, was productive in the village during and after World War II and his lifelong friend Othon Friesz also painted there.

1950s - Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali both stayed and painted in Collioure, often bringing their ‘entourage’ of fellow artists and followers.

Today the village remains a centre of artistic activity with streets and laneways full of studios, galleries and with artists painting and selling their works. The Modern Art Museum and Galerie Tenyidor both showcase contemporary artists, adding to the long and rich heritage of the village as an artistic haven in the south of France.

Join the Fauvism Walk or purchase the Fauvism booklet and wander at your leisure to discover the points of view and in situ reproductions of works by Matisse, Derain and Mackintosh throughout the village and beyond.

Anchovies

For hundreds of years Collioure supported Europe’s largest anchovy fishery with over 30 factories in the village. 150 years ago the village supported nearly 130 boats and 800 fishermen! Its beaches were covered by traditional barque boats with fisherwomen, dressed in long black dresses, sitting in the midday sun mending the nets. The odour of fish was strong!

The village’s reputation dates back to the Middle Ages where it specialised in salting anchovies and sardines.  

Today you can learn about its anchovy past and even watch workers gut, fillet, pack and conserve the tiny fish by hand at two of the remaining salting outlets. They are Ets Roque and Ets Desclaux.

Anchovy fillets and other products are sold in specialty shops throughout the village.

Wine

The French Catalan coast has a rich wine making history dating back more than 2,000 years.

The steep hillsides are lined with ancient terraces supported by hand-built dry-stone walls, and networks of stone channels which protect the soil for the vines. The vineyards are worked by hand.

It is hot dry work, but the views are breathtaking! Luckily the sunny, windy slopes prevent the build-up of mildews and other pests, so only limited spraying is needed.

The sun-baked vines are heavily pruned to protect them from wind and maximise the reflected sunlight from the rocky ground.

Collioure, and the neighbouring villages of Port Vendres, Banyuls and Cerbère, locally produce a range of quality accredited wines. The most well known is the sweet dessert or aperitif wine, called Banyuls, fortified using a technique developed in 1285. It is aged in the sun in glass containers called bonbonnes, and in oak barrels to produce a vibrant, sweet, garnet coloured wine.  

The Collioure AOC produces a rich red wine from grenache noir, syrah, mourvedre, carignan and cinsaut grapes, a light and refreshing rosé from the same grapes plus some grenache gris, and a crisp white from grenache blanc and gris blends.

Collioure has many wine cellars promoting a range of local and regional wines with free tastings, or dégustations, to whet your appetite.

Tourist Train

Departing from the car park beside the post office, the little train (bus) takes you up to the hill behind Collioure and Port Vendres and back again.

It works its way through the ancient vineyards up to the spectacular Fort St Elme. From here you can get off, visit the fort and perhaps catch a later train if desired. This vantage point overlooks Collioure Bay and also captures panoramic views both north and south of the two medieval warning towers and of Mount Canigou at the end of the Pyrénées and some of the northern villages.

The train continues into Port Vendres and then returns via the coast road that links these two ancient fishing villages. The trip takes 45 mins and runs from April-November, with out of season bookings by appointment.

Local Boat Cruises

Explore the beauty of the surrounding coast on one of the cruise boats based in the village.

A range of short to full day trips are offered, which include exploring neighbouring villages, coastal caves and rugged coves, an ancient coastal castle, as well as fishing trips.

Consider using the boats to shuttle back and forth to other villages for a convenient and spectacular day out (operates during the warmer months).

See what trips are on offer at the waterfront quay (season and weather dependent).

Water

Collioure has four clean and safe beaches that are ideal for swimming and snorkelling, two of which are patrolled in the high season.

For those who prefer to be above the water, paddleboat, sailboat, windsurfer, larger boat and sea kayaks are all available for hire during the warmer months to explore the bay or beyond for a few hours or a whole day adventure.

Collioure and Banyuls both have a Scuba diving school, with a range of diving related activities and supplies.

Most local coastal villages also offer sea and boat fishing day or half day trips, weather permitting, which may require advanced bookings. Jet Skis can also be rented by the hour in Argelès. Windsurfing centres can be found in driving distance at Canet, St Cyprien, Port Leucate and Port Nautique near Narbonne.

Aqualand at St Cyprien, just north of Collioure, is a great way to entertain and exercise the whole family. It is well organised and worth visiting if you enjoy a theme park atmosphere.

Land

Tennis can be played on any of the two artificial or four hard courts at the Collioure village club. For golf enthusiasts, there is a course just north of Collioure at St Cyprien and another at Falgos, a spectacular location and an hour inland from Collioure.

Extreme sports are well catered for in and around Collioure. From the village (Faubourg side) you can rent mountain bikes, scooters and quads. Again, experienced staff from Collioure and other villages provide popular and well organised canyoning, climbing, rafting, adventure courses and other mountaineering style activities. Usually run from March to October they cater for beginners through to experienced extreme sport adventurers.

Paragliding can be done along the coast near Canet-Plage or up in the mountains at Font Romeu. Horse-riding including pony riding tours takes place all year round from Argelès sur Mer.

Nightlife

Collioure has a wonderful mix of French and Catalan cultures and a lively festival and events calendar.

Throughout the summer there is free nightly entertainment centred around the waterfront. You experience all forms of entertainment from solo performers to jugglers and carnival street performers to the renowned Catalan Sardana dance performers and choral groups, plus many art events and exhibitions. The streets and warm summer air fill with music and dance.

The village is also well known for its spectacular fireworks displays during festival events in August and on New Year’s Eve. And if you like to dance all night long, there is also the large Indigo open air discothèque and nightclub above the village.