In the little town of Cadaques, Catalonia stands the last home of artist Salvador Dali, the house itself a symbol of his artistic nature.
Who is Salvador Dali
I am sure you may have heard the name Salvador Dali somewhere along the line. Dali was born in 1904 in Figueres, Catalonia and is one of Spain’s most well-known artists. Dali was friends with the likes of Picasso (who incidentally is also Spanish) and was known for his eccentric lifestyle.
You can see a lot of Dali’s personality when you look at his house and the interior. I think my favorite thing about Dali is his crazy mustache, very quirky.
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Salvador Dali: My Neighbour
I observe Dali’s stark white house from my villa’s kitchen window as I prepare my morning coffee. I can barely make out one of his egg decorations.
Salvador Dali is my new neighbor – or at least he was for one magical day. He even invited me into his home which is as surreal as his artwork. Sadly he didn’t invite me to stay for dinner, although I’m sure our dinner conversation would have been unforgettable.
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I’m chalking up the lack of dinner invitation due to the fact that he passed away in 1989. Ditto for why a tour guide welcomed me into his house rather than him personally. But make no mistake, a tour of Salvador Dali’s house shows he is alive and kicking – even if only in spirit.
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Numerous sculptures Salvador Dali’s outdoor space including this one of 2 heads.
Salvador Dali was often described as “eccentric,” “unusual,” and “highly imaginative,” words that would also describe his house and decorating style:
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Inside Salvador Dali’s House
Walking through Dali’s house I can see the artists flair in everything. Some of the decor is … um … unconventional. As we continued on the tour we are shown 1 of Dali’s unfinished paintings. The art is unconventional and surreal, just like the man that created it.
One of Savador Dali’s unfinished works.
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What Are Dali Eggs?
While Salvador Dali may have preferred more conventional views, his use of sculptures was anything but. Dali used eggs, not only in his art but also in his house where numerous egg sculptures can be found:
To Dali, eggs were symbolic of love and hope and the world and its perfection. If your an art buff then you probably know that its not only the sculptures at his home that depicted the importance of the egg to Dali but also an entire collection of paintings.
To me, eggs are symbolic of breakfast, but after seeing so many egg sculptures I’m not in the mood for eggs.
I sip my coffee, stare at Dali’s house and try and make sense of Dali’s unconventional ideas…for a couple of minutes. It’s going to take a whole lot more coffee and contemplation before that ever happens. I turn my chair and decide to stare at the Mediterranean Sea instead….much better!
Know Before You Visit Dali House in Cadaques
- See the Portilligat House-Museum of Salvador Dali for more info about visiting the museum-house.
- Entrance is only available with a reservation unless you have booked a tour.
- Click the link to find out more about available tours.
- Thank you to Charming Villas for giving me the privilege of calling Salvador Dali my neighbor – even if only for a short time.
- Most tours go from Barcelona but you can stay in Cadaques which I highly recommend as it is beautiful.
Accommodation is Cadaques
Cadaques has some great accommodation with some of the best views of the Mediterranean in Catalonia. Stay at the Hotel Sol Ixent and enjoy the warm comfortable room interiors and the most amazing views of the ocean from your balcony. The hotel also has a restaurant that serves local cuisine which you should not miss.
The Hotel Octavia looks like something straight out of an old movie with its white walls and cute balconies. The hotel is just a short walk away from the pier where you can take in beautiful views of the ocean and watch the fishermen of the village work for a real Mediterranean feel.
It’s not every day that I get to have a neighbor as famous as Dali, but that was the case when I stayed in the luxurious villa in Cadaques, only a few minute’s walk from Salvador Dali’s house in Cadaqués, Catalonia.
What a cool visit! And the area as a whole looks beautiful. Love the view of the Medditerranean.
Thats what genius are made of… also, pas mal la beau view!
I just heard about this village yesterday, what a coincidence! The view is amazing… and so is the art of the great Dali.
This is a place I would love to visit. The views are really beautiful– what a nice stay you must have had at the villas!
I’d love to stay next door to Dali’s house. His work is such a strange inspiration.
Yay- I did a post on Dali too- all the animals that were everywhere! I loved that crazy house, and would have actually really liked living there in Cadaques. What a special little village.
Wow that looks amazing! Another place to add to the list of things to do and see.
Envious, I love Salvador Dali. I have been fortunate to see some of his paintings.
Very cool!
I’m really bemused by the egg sculptures. 😛 Do you know how many he had around his house?
I’ve seen some features on Dali’s place. I can’t say that his work really intrigues me but the views are beautiful!
We just visited the Salvador Dali Museum in Tampa, Florida. It is a bit tricky to figure out what he was thinking sometimes, but its interesting and always fun. Even the kids enjoyed it, although there were a few paintings that were hard to explain to the younger ones. 😉
“To me, eggs are symbolic of breakfast.” I laughed so hard reading that, I was thinking exactly the same thing! What a great experience, I wish I had cool neighbors like that. =)
This is so cool — I wish I could go check it out for myself!
Very cool! The egg sculptures look bizarre but I suppose it makes sense…
Did you watch the movie “Midnight in Paris”? There’s Salvador Dali in the movie and he’s quite eccentric there. 😀 Good post!
Wow, super place of Dali! I have been in his museum in Figueros (and have posted about it), but not in Cadaques. After Your post I regret.
Thanks for your comments everyone! I would highly recommend both Cadaques and Dali’s house in Catalonia and the villa is available for rent if anyone is interested. Not sure how many eggs there were, but 3 very large ones and several smaller ones come to mind. I wish I would have made it to the Dali Museum in Figueros – next time.
If there’s one artist everyone knows, it’s Salvador Dali. Great that you got to stay so close to his home. 🙂 There was an exhibition of his work in Istanbul recently but we missed it unfortunately.
Julia
Oh, I loved Dali’s home so much when I’ve visited it. And we had the pleasure to be welcomed by Antoni Pitxot, a friend of Dali. It was amazing and I always thought I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mad Hatter would come across the next corner. Really a magical place.