I had visited that place fifty years ago when I was an adolescent. I never forgot the spot! I recently went back and enjoyed the restauration, the views and the explanations of the guide. Still research, of one of the most enigmatic places in Catalonia where the benedictine monks lived, is going on. The view of the Cape de Creus from here is one of the most impressive views I keep in my mind. It is the beginning of the Santiago Way for Catalans, which crosses all the northern part of the Iberian Penninsula.
The monks knew how to find peace and tranquillity when they built Sant Pere de Rodas.The restoration is impressive, but somehow steel beams holding up parts of the building seem out of place. Well sign posted inside and a good guide book in English given at the ticket office, 4.50 euros entry. Two car parks available, the second one I choose was still a 10 minute walk to the monastery, the other one about 20 mins walk. A good experience with impressive views.
Our accommodation was a fair distance from here, so a grey day in northern costa brava was enough reason to take the drive here. An exciting drive up a narrow and steep hill to the site adds to the fun, and you can drive down the other side of the mountain for a different aspect.The Monastery itself was intriguing, and incredibly well restored. It was refreshing to see the only language options for the audio tour were French Spanish and Catalan! €14 for a family ticket, well worth it!,
Go for the monastery built in the top of a Mediterranean deserted Hill coast, not much to see inside but fantastic views of the wild coast and Cape of Cresswell. Worth the journey through beautifully road
Beautiful monastery which has been sympathetically restored. Visited it probably 10 years ago and when we re visited I couldn't believe how much it has been improved.Lots of great views and when we visited there were pianists practising in the church which was magicalThe restaurant has a limited menu( not great for children) but it has to be the restaurant with the best view in Spain?The drive up to the monastery is not for the faint hearted and there is a 10 minutes walk from the parking area
A long 8 km uphill drive to this hilltop site is worthwhile. Recent renovations courtesy of the EU have made this a wonderful interpretation of the Benedictine monks use of the monastery for 8 centuries ( I think- the audio guides were not in English but the signage and the small guide were).The only disappointing aspect at the finale of our monastery experience was the cranky senior/older waiter or maître d' in the restaurant who was grumpy and indifferent from our entrance.we did ask for the menu to be explained in English politely and had a very pleasant lunch.Throwing our credit card down on the table after payment was our farewell - maybe he wanted more than the 10% tip he was very lucky to receive from us.But please enjoy this wonderful renovated medieval monastery but take some sandwiches.
After an exciting drive up a series of near-empty mountain switchbacks and curves, the Mediterranean Sea appears around a bend, with the ruins of the Monastery in the foreground. The walk from the parking area allows one to savor the incredible natural beauty. As the Monastery gets closer, you notice that it exists in a unique state of preservation - not a total ruin (ie just a few columns and foundations left), but rather as a partially-intact structure, but with large portions collapsed/missing and nearly all art and architectural details stripped away. The recent conversion into a museum artfully explores the monastery's history (what little is known about it) and offers visitors a look into a remarkably large portion of the grounds. Seeing the cloisters partially rebuilt and also partially excavated to reveal a buried, earlier set of cloisters was fascinating.Don't miss it if you're in the area - well worth the reasonable price of admission (cash only).
I cycled from our hotel up to the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes. It is only 9 km but very steep, but you have lovely views of the Med.
Great day trip. A bit of a crazy drive up the mountain but that was part of the fun. We did think it lacked signage or posters etc explaining things. Maybe an audio tour?Note: this is in no way wheelchair accessible.
We walked to this monastery..... Well worth the climb up the hill. There is a road for those not on a walking holiday. The restaurant looked good but was shut out of season. If you want an even better view you can scramble up the hill to the ruins above the monastery. Understand from husband that views worth the effort. I did the monastery tour instead.