In the Footsteps of Salvador Dali: A Visit to Port Lligat

Hello dear travel enthusiasts. During our visit to the city of Cadaqués we visited Port Lligat, where the famous Spanish painter and artist Salvador Dali's house is located. We wanted to walk around and see how the renowned painter lived. The weather wasn't sunny, it was cloudy everywhere, but quite warm at 14 degrees. There was no rain, so we thought the weather was nice, though there was a bit of wind, which is always present in Cadaqués.

From the entrance we walked into Salvador Dali's library. These were the books that Salvador Dali read. His library had been moved to his museum in Figueres, but some of his books were preserved here in the same way. The books were original and there were many flowers that his wife Gala loved.

Inside there was a very interesting painting, a collage of Gala's photograph and a drawing by Salvador Dali. We asked our guide, who explained that it was a magazine cover. We continued exploring the house.

Then we stepped out onto the first terrace. This terrace had a panoramic window. This window was covered with glass and was a narrow window where we could observe what was happening in the sea, whether there were waves or if ships were sailing. Salvador Dali probably used this view like a bar counter, where he made cocktails, entertained guests and spent time. It was a beautiful terrace, where you could look outside through the panoramic window, go to the bar counter and have a coffee.

Here we saw the canes that Salvador Dali owned. Dali was often depicted with canes. The canes were very beautiful. There was also an umbrella here, with many stuffed animals above, including swans, a stuffed real bear and owls.

Everything was preserved here, including his chair, brushes, paints and canvases. He used a large structure to move his paintings. There was a special slot, where the painting could be lowered, allowing him to sit comfortably in his chair and draw the part of the painting he wanted. It was really ingenious. The hanger ropes operated by electric motors were preserved.

We went to Salvador Dali's paint and material storage, where there was also a photo of Gala. The house had a very complex layout because it was actually made up of several houses. These were old fishermen's huts that Salvador Dali gradually bought from neighbors to create this large house. Initially it was just a 22-square-meter house and Salvador Dali brought his wife Gala here. Over time it transformed into this large space, filled with complex rooms, turns and corners.

Then we went to the bedroom. There was a mirror here. Salvador Dali had placed this mirror specifically to watch the sunrise from the bed. In the bedroom Dali and Gala had separate beds. The room was very large, 20 square meters. From the bedroom you could pass into the bathroom. Gala's bed was close to the wall, while Dali's bed was near the window, so he could watch the sunrise through the mirror.

We saw Gala's wardrobe in one of the rooms. Each cabinet was decorated with shared photos from parties and events. Gala was 10 years older than Salvador, but they met and fell in love in Cadaqués. This room was specially designed for Gala. She hosted her guests here and the most important thing was the acoustics. When you stood in the center of the room, the sound bounced off the walls and only in the center could you experience this acoustic phenomenon.

Then we left Gala's room and headed to the terrace. This terrace was the most popular place where Salvador Dalí held all his events. Dalí invited very few people to his home. We could tour here now because we were paying, but during his lifetime, only a limited number of people were allowed into the house. Most events were held on the terrace. We walked around the terrace, saw the pool and explored more. Our guide gave us information in different languages, English and Catalan. There was also a film screening area here. We decided to watch it. There was a very fun photo shoot area. You could have fun entering and exiting from an egg. It was really enjoyable. Now it was time to look at other places.

There are various installations in this park. These installations had additional information. But with the fun eggs around, nobody cared about the information. Salvador Dalí owned a large piece of land here. There was a beautiful landscape and olive trees in this area. These olive trees were quite old and Dalí would walk here and watch the scenery. Meanwhile the sun came out and the weather became very nice. We were really lucky because our guide had mentioned that the strong Tramontana wind usually blew. But the weather was very calm that day. The view was really beautiful.

In 1930 Salvador Dalí bought a fisherman's hut in this village and, over 40 years, merged it with other fisherman huts, making significant renovations and lived here with his wife Gala. Gala died in this house's room in 1982. Salvador Dalí loaded her body into a car with his driver and took her to Púbol Castle, which he had given her as a gift. Gala wanted to be buried in this castle and Salvador Dalí fulfilled her last wish. If he had encountered the police, he could have faced a big problem because transporting a dead body was illegal. But Salvador Dalí did it and went to the castle with Gala's body. He never returned to this house. After a while he moved to his museum in Figueres and died there.

Now this house, Gala's castle in Púbol and the museum in Figueres are known as Dalí's golden triangle and are open to visitors. You can visit these places in one day, but it might be challenging during the winter months due to shorter daylight hours. Therefore it is better to visit in the summer. By the way Cadaqués is 2.5 hours away from Barcelona.

There were many terraces, roads and paths here. We went by the pool and explored more. Dalí designed and created many things here. There were also beautiful stones. Their colors were incredible under the sun. A human figure was drawn here, made from boats, roof tiles and stones. There was also another area. A film screening was being held there. There were a lot of people in the main building, but this place was quieter. There was also an interesting video screening here. Dalí himself was explaining something.

We headed towards the exit. There was a beautiful white terrace. According to our guide, Dalí and Gala had many interesting stories while spending time here. Of course, there wasn't enough time to tell them all. He said we could find these stories online. It took about an hour and a half to tour this house. If you watch the film, you can add another 25 minutes to this time. There is really a lot to see and do here.

We had a very enjoyable time in the house and then left to have a wonderful lunch.

That's all for today. Thanks for reading. See you on new trips.

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