The colours of Collioure fist attracted Matisse here in 1905; brightly stuccoed houses sheltered by cypresses and gaily painted fishing boats, all bathed in the famous luminous light boats, and washed by a gentle sea.

Other artist including Andre Derain worked here under Matisse’s influence and were dubbed fauves (wild beast) for their wild experiment with colour. Art galleries and souvenir shops now fill the cobbled streets, but this small fishing port has changed surprisingly little since then, with anchovies still its main business. Three salting houses are evidence of this tradition.

The Eglise Notre-Dame-des-Anges on Collioure’s quayside was rebuilt in the 17th century to replace the church that was destroyed by Vauban. A former lighthouse was incorporated as belltower. Inside the church are not fewer than five Baroque altarpieces by Joseph Sunyer and other Catalan masters of the genre.
Be warned that Collioure is extremely popular in July and August, with visitors cramming the streets. Long queues of traffic are possible, too, though the building of another route, the D86, has helped to ease congestion.