Argelès
Argelès-sur-Mer
At the foot of the Albères mountain range, just a short drive away from the Spanish border lies Argelès. ARGELES VILLAGE (the town
itself) is slightly inland with a charming
centre, a XVI century church and a market on
Fridays. ARGELES SUR MER is a lively seaside
town whose beautiful long and sandy beach
is backed by a promenade with well kept gardens
and villas. Loads of boutiques, fast food restaurants,
slower food restaurants, bars and a sparkling night scene
ensure that it is popular with holiday makers of all ages,
particularly the young.
Hard to imagine how it must have been in 1939 at
the time of the Retirada when thousands of Spanish
refugees fled Franco’s Spain and camped in freezing
conditions on the sands. Small wonder they were so swift
to volunteer to serve in the French army in the autumn of
that unfortunate year.
Argeles Port,
built in the
late 70s and early
80s is now an established
yachting and
pleasure boat port
with all the amenities
a yachtsman could
re q u i re .
B e twe e n
PORT ARGELES and
the Côte Vermeille
is LE RACOU. At the
beginning of the XX
century just a collection of fishermen’s huts
and the odd beach hut built on the sand,
it has grown into a much sought after
seaside village. Indeed, in the 60’s, the
inhabitants declared their village “independent”.
The “free village of Le Racou” was never
recognised but, when the old huts change hands, and
they seldom do, it is for large amounts of euros.
This is the last stretch of sand before the rocky coast
begins. The sea gets deep quickly, the swimming
is easy and the whole place has a 50’s California feel
about it.
You half
expect to see Ava
Gardner washed
up on the shore.
All the wide sandy beaches have safe and supervised bathing during the season, whilst the numerous little rocky creeks provide a perfect base for those who wish to scuba dive or get away from the crowds. The Tramontane and Marin winds makes windsurfing and surfing more challenging than in many resorts and all manner of water sports are available here.
Argelès earnt the title of ’Handiplage’ due to its many facilities for the disabled. The town is undertaking a special programme in order to make the resort more accessible to disabled visitors, including training the staff in the tourist office and the ’police munipale’ to better understand the needs of the visually impaired.
Fête de la St Côme et St Damien
Every year, towards the end of September, Argelès-sur-Mer pays hommage to its patron saints, Saint Côme and Saint Damien. According to legend, Argelès was struck by plague in the 17th century, an epidemic which disappeared on 27th September 1652 - the feast of the patron saints - and on which day the population made a vow to carry out a solemn procession to honour them every year...
A variety of different events and entertainment punctuate several days of festivities, crashing to a grand finale with the parade through the streets of the Argeles giants.
Markets
Village - Saturday and Wednesday a.m
Beach - Everyday during high season
[Tourist office
website
Argelès
