Friars’ Cove

I’ve mentioned before that Catalonia has some fantastic coastal scenery. Here’s another example. The cove is called Cala dels Frares, or in English, Friars’ Cove. The rock just to the right of centre does suggest a friar bent over with his cowl pulled over his head. The cove is only a few hundred metres along the GR92 - the Costa Brava Way hiking trail - as you leave the tourist resort of Lloret de Mar. The location is a total contrast from the ‘Brits in the Sun’ feel of Lloret de Mar. I suspect most holiday makers don’t venture that far from the KFC/Beach area in Lloret when on holiday there and are totally unaware of the cove’s existence.

The cove is right next to the GR92 hiking trail but getting to the precise spot where the photo was taken requires a difficult scramble over a rocky shore but it was worth it. Some of the smaller boulders are shown in the foreground but there are many larger boulders to scramble over before you get there. I used a long shutter speed of 30 seconds to help smooth the sea and create a sense of calmness. The slow shutter speed also softened the clouds a little as they moved slightly across the frame during the exposure creating a softer look in the sky which contrasts with the rugged profiles of the rocks.

Unfortunately the location for the photo isn’t accessible in Winter when the sea is rougher and it covers the narrow shoreline. If it was accessible then, there would be some great opportunities for images illustrating the power of the sea and the force of Nature the rocks have to resist before the calmness of Summer returns.