Beaches and fishing arts itinerary

Through different interpretative panels placed in the most important beaches (Cap de Ras, Grifeu, El Castellar, La Farella, Les Tonyines and Cau del Llop), we will discover the fishing arts practised over the years.

Llançà has always been a fishing town, and the fishing grounds to the north of Cap de Creus have probably been worked, over good years and bad years, from time immemorial.

1 - CAP DE RAS BEACHES

The Catalan word ras describes an open, low-lying area. As a place name, Cap de Ras denotes the contrast of the area with the surrounding high-lying promontories. This place marked the centuries-old boundary between the monastic domains of Sant Quirze de Colera and Sant Pere de Roda.

Lantern, long-line and gillnet fishing, batre and reganar were all practised off these beaches and coves.

 2 - GRIFEU BEACH

 Grifeu is a Catalan surname. A document referring to the drawing of lots for lantern fishing rights at Llançà in 1884 mentions a cove called after one Grifeu Altasó, possibly the local landowner at the time.

Seine net fishing such as l’artó, encircling techniques such as lantern fishing [Farella: 5] and other fishing techniques such as nanses and sepieres were practised along this stretch of the coast.

 3 - HARBOUR BEACH

The harbour area is the fishermen’s district par excellence. The port grew up as piracy declined. Houses belonging to fishermen from the village and storage sheds for fishing tackle are known to have existed in the shelter of La Miranda rock in the late 17^th century, but the port as a seafaring district really only began to develop during the 18^th century.

4 - EL CASTELLAR

 Castellar comes from the Catalan word castell meaning “castle”, “high place”, “observatory” or “look out tower”. El Castellar was originally an island off Llançà harbour, but is now joined up to the mainland by a new landfill used for nautical amenities and as a car park.

In this area traire fishing technique (big trident), trawler fishing, lantern fishing and “bou” trawling were all practised at Llançà since time immemorial.

5 - LA FARELLA

The name of the beach comes from the Catalan word farell, which can mean either a light to guide sailors or a place from where lantern fishing boats set out.

The place name La Farella thus recalls the type of fishing practised here in former times: lantern-fishing.

6 - LES TONYINES

Tonyina means “tuna fish” in Catalan. The place name Les Tonyines recalls the annual spring migration route of tuna fish from the Atlantic Ocean to their spawning grounds in the western Mediterranean. In former times, tuna were fished in the coves and creeks off Cap de Creus.

“Fleeting” trap-net fishing, together with driftnet fishing using sardine nets or tunny nets, were both practised from this beach, and are among the oldest recorded fishing techniques.

7 - CAU DEL LLOP

Cau del llop means “wolf’s lair” in Catalan and the name of this beach refers to the legend of a man called Pairet who used to live here in the company of a wolf.

 Driftnet fishing was practised along this section of the coast, with lanterns nearer the coast and tunny nets further out to sea. Also gillnet fishing was practised with trammel net and combined gillnet-trammel fishing.