A narrow road whiplashes wildly up the mountain to the monastery, a hair-raising drive with steep cliffs on either side and increasingly spectacular views the higher you go. Spare a thought for the serfs and donkeys that hauled up building materials long before the road was built. (See below for directions.)

It’s not just a monastery you’ll be visiting but a sprawling complex of ancient buildings that cover the three crucial elements of feudal life: prayer, produce and defence. There’s even a 6000-year-old dolmen that’s worth stopping for on the drive up.

History

The origins of the monastery are buried in legends and lore.

Since its construction in the 10th century, it’s lived through splendour, wealth, wars, looting by pirates and bandits, and finally, abandonment by the monks in the 18th century. Restoration started before World War 2 and has continued on and off ever since.

Village of Santa Creu de Rodes

Park in the main car park and walk through the trees up the well-trodden path to the remains of a hamlet discovered during archaeological digs about twenty years ago. Careful dusting and diggings have exposed parts of houses and streets and give an exciting peep into medieval life. Most spectacular of all are the two gateways, which were the only way in and out of the village.

Next to the hamlet is the ancient chapel of Santa Helena, behind which is a perfectly positioned stone bench for picnicking. The vista over the bay of Llança and the peninsula of Cap Creus is breathtaking.

The monastery dominates the sea-facing flank of the Verdera mountain and has been restored with Spanish pizzazz. Concrete, glass and steel blend unconventionally with ancient stone walls, worn floors and vaulted ceilings and crypts. The building is a maze of interconnected rooms over three levels constructed into the steep terrain. Filtered light through arched windows creates a moody atmosphere of shadows and ghosts.

Castle of Verdera

Near the main entrance of the monastery, you’ll see signs to the castle. It’s a steep half-hour hike up a rocky trail but worth the effort as the views from the crumbling remains of the castle of Sant Salvador de Verdera are heart-stopping. It’s so steep that a cannon ball lobbed off its cliffs would probably hurtle all the way to Figueras.

Cadaqués twinkles in the sweeping curve of the bay of Roses and snow-capped Pyrenees glisten in the sunlight across the vast Empordà plains.