Because enjoying your holidays also means enjoying life’s pleasures, it’s only natural to get together with family or friends over good food and indulge in a few gourmet treats. With its rich and varied landscapes, Catalonia invites you to recharge your batteries while savouring its local produce and fine wines.
Discover the local gastronomy during your vacations at Camping les Flamants Roses****
A colorful gastronomy
The Pyrénées-Orientales, a region of character located between the sea and the mountains, belongs to French Catalonia. Bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and close to the Spanish border, it benefits from a unique terroir, influenced by Catalan culture and Iberian culinary traditions.
The local cuisine is resolutely focused on conviviality and authenticity. On the savoury side, there are iconic specialities such as cargols (snails grilled over charcoal, often eaten at popular festivals), calçots (tender sweet onions cooked over a flame and served with homemade romesco sauce), and saffron rice, inspired by typical Mediterranean dishes, sometimes accompanied by seafood or local meats.
Charcuterie lovers will enjoy artisanal products such as Catalan fuet, longanisse, and botifarra, a traditional sausage with herbs or chilli. Mountain cheeses from local farms are the perfect accompaniment to these dishes, often served as an aperitif with a drizzle of Roussillon olive oil.
Added to this are Catalan tapas, revisited with a French twist, which showcase local produce: marinated peppers, Collioure anchovies, cracked olives and tomato bread.
And to ensure you don’t miss out on any of this culinary richness, your stay will be accompanied by a digital guide accessible on your smartphone, listing the best restaurants in the area – the perfect opportunity to savour local specialities in carefully selected establishments.
Catalan sweets: a region with sweet flavours
It is impossible to discover the Pyrénées-Orientales without sampling their sweet treats, the result of ancestral know-how combining Catalan traditions and Mediterranean influences.
Among the must-try treats are the famous rousquilles, small round biscuits coated with a lemon or aniseed-flavoured sugar glaze. Sweet and light, this typical pastry is delicious with coffee or as a dessert.
Another iconic speciality is pa d’ou, a slightly brioche-like Easter bread, often flavoured with orange blossom, which is served during traditional celebrations. In the same vein, tortell is a crown-shaped brioche, sometimes filled with candied fruit or cream.
In summer, it’s time for sunny frugality with local fruits, notably Roussillon apricots, vine peaches and black cherries, which are used in jams, clafoutis or simply enjoyed fresh at breakfast.
Don’t miss out on crema catalana, a cousin of crème brûlée, flavoured with cinnamon and lemon, with a creamy texture under a thin layer of caramelised sugar.
All these delicacies can be found in local bakeries, patisseries and markets, or as desserts in restaurants that you can discover with your digital guide.
Vineyards and wine reputation of Roussillon
The Pyrénées-Orientales region not only offers distinctive cuisine, it is also home to one of France’s oldest and most diverse wine regions. With 320 days of sunshine a year, 40 kilometres of sandy beaches, majestic mountains and vineyards stretching as far as the eye can see, the setting is ideal for growing grapes… and tasting their finest expressions.
The vineyards of the Pyrénées-Orientales (Roussillon) enjoy an exceptional reputation thanks to their climatic, geological and cultural diversity, and their wines, particularly the Vins Doux Naturels, are considered one of France’s finest.
At the same time, dry wines (reds, whites and rosés) are also improving in quality, thanks to the diversity of soils and grape varieties (Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, Macabeu, etc.).
Located between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains, Roussillon enjoys an ideal environment for vines, with a mosaic of soils (schist, clay, limestone, granite, etc.) that favour the expression of distinct terroirs.
The vineyard is structured around 14 AOPs (including Banyuls, Maury, Rivesaltes, Collioure and Côtes du Roussillon) and 3 IGPs (Côtes Catalanes, Côte Vermeille, etc.).
Natural Sweet Wines, produced using the traditional method of fortification (stopping fermentation by adding alcohol), represent the wine-growing soul of Roussillon, embodying a centuries-old tradition and a wealth of aromas.
Roussillon is now the French leader in Natural Sweet Wines and remains renowned for its ability to combine tradition and innovation in winemaking.
These wines have gained a global reputation, particularly for their complexity, their balance between sweetness and freshness, and their incredible diversity (Amber, Garnet, Grand Cru styles, etc.).
Visits & tastings: a few must-see estates
To discover the rich wine heritage of Roussillon, there is nothing like visiting iconic estates and enjoying a sensory experience.
Domaine de La Rectorie (Banyuls-sur-Mer): Banyuls PDO natural sweet wines and Collioure PDO dry wines.
Special feature: Family estate founded in 1984, run by the Parcé brothers, on land steeped in history.
Terres des Templiers (between Collioure and Banyuls)
Produces exceptional Banyuls wines, grown on steep terraces and cultivated entirely by hand.
Estate renowned for its rare wines (Grand Cru Président Henri Vidal, etc.) with deep, Mediterranean aromas.
Mas Amiel (Maury)
Speciality: Highly refined VDN AOP Maury.
The estate’s expertise lies in its rare precision in fortification, ensuring the perfect balance between sugar and freshness.
Cave coopérative des Vignerons de Maury
Offers excellent quality amber Maury wines, including amber vintages aged in casks.
Some notable vintages (reviews & press)
Domaine Fontanel – Maury Grenat: nose of black cherry and candied fruit, soft and silky on the palate.
Coume del Mas – Banyuls Rimage Galateo: nose of damson plum, cocoa finish, very harmonious.
Domaine Rière Cadène – Muscat de Rivesaltes 2022: citrus notes, delicate sweetness.
Terrassous – Rivesaltes Ambré 6 years: flower honey, apricot jam, delicate and round.
