Port Lligat-Cap-de-Creus (Catalonia)

During our project work on Comenius project "Let stones speak: rocking around our European heritage" we visited the Cap de Creus Natural Park.

Cap de Creus is a small peninsula in NE Spain north of Barcelona. It is a geological wonderland, a metamorphic (mainly dark-colored schists) area penetrated by light-colored pegmatitic magma which contains huge tourmaline crystals.This area, located where the Pyrenees reac the Mediterraean, has metamorphic rocks that show several phases of deformation, variously deformed pegmatite dikes, folds, refolded lineations and nice boudins and honeycomb or tafoni weathering patterns due to the action of salty water provided constantly by the Mediterranean sea.

One of the reasons that Cadaqués and the Cap de Creus is so stunning, is its beautiful geology. The rocks here were mashed up when the Pyrenees were formed, and are mostly metamorphic schists which turn a lovely golden colour in the Mediterranean sun.

On top of that, this is one of the wildest spots on the Costa Brava in the winter (Costa Brava means "wild coast "), and the migmatites and schists have battered and eroded by the Tramuntana wind and the sea.

A migmatite is a type of rock that formed under extreme pressure and temperature: a partial melt. Migmatites are halfway between an igneous and metamorphic rock. A schist is a medium grade metaphorphic rock that has been squashed into flakes or slabs. Schist is derived from the Greek meaning "to split").

Interspersed within this mash of schist is dazzling white blocks of pegmatite- basically molten rock that percolated up through the gaps in the rock at the end of the "orogeny" or mountain building.

The Cap de Creus is a popular destination for Structural Geologists. Because the detail is so clearly exposed in the rocks, thanks to wind and sea erosion, many scientists have mapped the area to determine how exactly the area was deformed. There were several phases of mountain building in the area, and the sequences have been recorded in the structure of the rocks, as the different

Apart from its geological importance, during the excursion from Cadaqués to Cap de creus lighthouse you will find a variety of examples of very nice man-made stone structures.

if you want to know mor about the area and its geology:

. Cap de Creus natural park
http://www.empordaturisme.com/data/docdespub/Fullet%C3%B3%20cap%20creus%20ENG.pdf

. Geological map (Cadaqués area)
http://www.cadaques.co.uk/images/geocadaques2.jpg

. Illustrated field guide to the geology of cap de Creus
http://publicacions.uab.es/pdf_llibres/DIV0049.pdf

. Cap de creus lighthouse excursion
http://www.tectonique.net/tectask/user/admin/outcropedia/Cap_de_Creus_Lighthouse.pdf

. Geological wonders at Cap de Creus
http://www.sandatlas.org/geological-wonders-at-cap-de-creus

. Metamorphosis (Cap de Creus)
http://blogs.egu.eu/geolog/tag/cap-de-creus/

Cheap places to stay near Cap de Creus:

. Camping Cadaqués (http://www.campingcadaques.com/en/camping-cadaques)

Other places of interest:

. Dalí museum in Portlligat
http://www.salvador-dali.org/museus/casa-salvador-dali-portlligat/en_index/

. Rocks and Waves: Finding Dali’s Natural Inspiration in Spain
http://landlopers.com/2012/10/16/cap-de-creus)