Hotel Playa Sol, Cadeques

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

One of the many little secluded beaches to be found along the coast of Cadeques, and a great location for this Hotel with its' balconies overlooking the bay in front.  Known as the Spanish Saint Tropez, it's not too far from the French border, but has still been able to maintain it's Mediterranean 'fishing village' charm without feeling like a resort.

Cadeques Town Centre looking towards the hills

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

Cadeques on the Costa Brava, looking towards the centre of this town and the hills beyond that surround and shelter the location.  I think the church tower silhouetted against the darker mountains worked well as do the understated white washed buildings in the middle ground left.  Might have controlled the washes or altered the timings on the clouds ad mist coming into the hill tops.

Cadeques 5

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

The Casino L'Amistat in Cadeques, a cultural and heritage centre for the town. And more of an unusual view, looking at the side of this large square white neoclassical building from across the square, and the dominating bell tower of the Santa Maria church high up on the hill in the background.

Santa Maria Church, Cadeques

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

With a commanding view over Cadeques, stands the 16th century white-washed Santa Maria Church.  The original church was destroyed by the infamous Turkish pirate Barbarossa.  The 'new' church has many ties with Salvador Dali with pieces of his work inside.  And being so high up above the town, there's a pretty challenging walk up to it through the narrow streets, but the views are well worth it.

Cadeques Spain 4

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques Spain, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

The bay in the pretty seaside town of Cadeques, Spain, looking up to the misty tops of the Peni Mountain. Cadeques is extremely well sheltered with a range of mountains (the Cap de Creus) protecting it form the North and the West, but makes for an interesting and twisty drive into town. One thing that sets Cadaques apart from so many other towns along the Costa Brava is that its natural setting and rustic buildings have been untouched by mass tourism.

Cadeques Spain 2

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, Spain, 15" x 11" on Saunders Waterford Rough Paper 140 lbs

I definitely like my move to Saunders Waterford paper from previous use of Bockingford.  The washes behave themselves and the colours seem to be more vibrant on Saunders.  The only slight drawback is the paper takes longer to dry than Bockingford so you have to be a little more patient or have a hair dryer handy.

Cadeques - Sunlit roofs

Landscape Watercolour of Cadeques, Spain, 15" x 11" on Bockingford NOT Paper 140 lbs

Cadeques in Costa Brava, Spain, is a pretty village with white washed buildings and a popular place for tourists with it's association with Salvador Dali.  In this sketch I tried to capture the sulight on the roof of some large villas across the bay and the glistening sea as it reflects the mid afternoon sun.  Definitely best to attempt this sparkling of the water with rough watercolour paper and not NOT as I did!