Chaplains’ Cove

When I first discovered this cove in Catalonia I called it ‘The Cove with the Praying Man’ because when the sun is in the right position the light and shadows on one of the rocks creates an impression of a man up to his waist in the sea with his hands clasped in prayer. I later learnt the cove was called Cala dels Capellans. In Catalan this means ‘Chaplains’ Cove’. The roots of its name have nothing to do with the rock, it dates back to a time in Spain when beaches were segregated to separate the genders. This cove was presumably reserved for the use of the clergy.