Well, not literary. And not anymore, but it used to be. They had quite a few explosions back in the days. Why, you may ask? Because they made dynamite here.

This factory was built in the bay called Paulilles situated in the south of France, located between the towns of Port-Vendres and Banyuls-sur-Mer, next to the Spanish border. It has the most amazing view of the Mediterranean. It is now a protected area and a museum, because the dynamite factory was closed in 1984.

This factory was built in 1870, during the French-Prussian War. It was set up in a place that was the farthest from the German border and sparsely inhabited. The only people that lived in the surrounding area of the factory were the workers. At the height of the production even close to 400 people worked there. They even had a church and a school. They were well taken care of and paid well, but their job was no walk in the park. In the century of the factory’s operation 50 people died in the 30 explosions over the years; and even more due to chemical poisoning.

Nowadays the beach is not so dangerous, actually it is completely safe. The area, around 32 hectares, was bought in 1998 by the Agency for Coastal Conservation and renovated. They have turned it into Paulilles Recreational Park, which was opened in 2008. The park and the museum are a very popular destination especially in the summer months. But if you do not like the crowds, you can always visit it in the winter, because it is open all year around.
This is a beautiful and interesting area. There are historical buildings that tell the stories from the past, there are wonderful little spots where you can rest, have a picnic, read a book or enjoy the amazing view of the Mediterranean Sea.

Sometimes is interesting to spend a day at an explosive beach.

Beach Del Mitg


Beach Del Mitg

Do you want to visit this beach? Here is some information.



This beach is in the middle of the bay Paulilles, called beach Del Mitg.
Length: 300 m
Width: 25 m
Beach type: fine gravel, brown sand and some rocks
Suitable for: families
Infrastructure: toilets, showers, café bar, parking, benches, trash bins.
GPS coordinates:
42°30'7.76"N
3° 7'28.70"E