The town of Collioure, in the Pyrénées-Orientales, is known for being a natural port and an ancient stronghold near the Spanish border.
It is surrounded by numerous forts and the old center is bordered to the east by ancient ramparts which face the sea.
From the point of view of exposure to winds, the city center is normally sheltered from the tramontana (northwest direction) by the natural topography of this bay.
On the other hand, the seafront is very exposed to the humid and gentle sea wind, from the southeast, which often brings abundant precipitation.
However, for easterly or southeasterly winds, the ramparts provide excellent protection for the city center and act as a windbreak.
In strong sea winds, tourists generally desert the seaside shops and therefore take refuge in the narrow streets of the city center, behind the ramparts.
Given the essentially defensive vocation of the town of Collioure, we are here in the presence of a coincidence: a military development also provides a windbreak function.
Although this city was not designed with the sea wind in mind, we nevertheless note that its defensive urban planning is well suited to protection against this climatic factor.
Observing the climatic adaptation of an urban or architectural choice does not mean that this choice was entirely determined by the climate.
Sources: G. Escourrou
Image: C. Gaillard, from Géoportail