Llevant is in L'Escala

L'Escala is the seaside village of the Costa Brava worldwide well-known for its anchovies. Several producers of different levels crafts, sell their major production manufactured in the village itself and its surroundings.

L'Escala emerged in the XVIth century as a small fishing port between the beaches of Empúries and Riells as dependent village of the city of Empúries, formerly occupied by the Romans and Greeks. The town's name comes from the place name Scala, the old name used to designate the port itself. In 1766 l'Escala gets its status as an independent village and became the province capital because of its important maritime customs, and their exporting importance of wine and salted fish.

In the XIXth century l'Escala still holds an economy based on fishing and the wine, until a new phenomenon appears in the region: tourism. Since the beginning of 1960, we find many visitors captivated by the beauty of L'Escala, beaches, culture and traditions.

The specialty of the town are the anchovies with bread and tomato, a very nice toast consisting on applying Ampurdán tomato over the bread and also some salted anchovy fillets. Each September is celebrated the the anchovies day, when banquets with this popular exquisite typical fish are organized in a popular way.

L'Escala has the most important archaeological museum in Catalonia. Around it you find the ruins of Ampurias, an archaeological site of first importance on Greek and Roman cultures.

Another of the attractions of L'Escala is the marine cemetery, close to the seaside boulevard (you can walk along it through the beaches of the village and encounter the Monument dedicated to the Sailors). Located behind the Nieves Mar Hotel, a few meters from the sea, this unique cemetery keeps the tomb of one of the most international women writers of Catalan literature: Caterina Albert, who signed in the nineteenth century under the pseudonym Victor Català, because of prejudices of her time.

In the center of l'Escala there is its old town and, near the Puig del Pedró (a little mound), you can still find a watchtower against piracy, from which the whole bay of Roses is seen, with the Pyrenees behind in the background.