Cadaqués is such a relaxing place to visit. There doesn’t seem to be a lot happening there in the way of tourist attractions, but we found that just walking through the village and along the harbor was entertainment enough.
and the views of the village
and of the Mediterranean are breathtaking. We split our harbor-side walk into two parts – the East Side Walk and the West Side Walk.
Cadaqués East Side Walk (North of the Bay)
The East Side walk takes you along the water’s edge
overlooking secluded inlets, tiny stretches of beach, and park benches where you can sit
and enjoy the marvelous views of Cadaqués and the bay. Though the inlets along the way are prone to landslides (warning signs are posted in some areas), you’ll still find locals – and a few tourists – sunbathing amidst the rocks or searching for sea glass in the shallow water. The main path, which starts out as a concrete promenade at the Platje Gran (the main beach), leads to other beaches along the coast, including Es Poal Beach and Platje des Pianc, around Punta de sa Costa to
Platja ses Oliveres, where you’ll find a snack stand/café, that probably does great business in the summer months, but was closed when we visited in October. The opposite side of this inlet is Platja Ros,
where we took a minute to watch the windsurfers on the water. Rounding the bend at Punta d’en Borroma, the path turns into a narrow strip of earth hugging the cliff side (it’s possible that this stretch of trail was once part of a wider path that was lost at sea). The more adventurous traveler will continue on along the rocky path,
hugging the wall at Sa Tortuga, and crossing the wooden plank bridge which leads to Platja d’en Pere Fet, where we discovered a number of people enjoying the sun and the water. (Note: topless sun worshippers are not uncommon here.) This was our stopping point since we decided not to follow the harbor-side path for its entire length, but it’s likely that the trail continues around the headland all the way to Portlligat.
Cadaqués West Side Walk (South of the Bay)
The West Side Walk takes you from the main beach of Cadaqués, Platja Gran, past part of the old city fortification (now the City Hall) at Punta des Baluard, and in the direction of Port d’Alguer Beach. Continue on through the arched arcade along the promenade to the beaches of
Llané Gran and Llané Petit. The main road veers off to the right just before Llané Petit,
but if you continue on along the water’s edge, you’ll come to
Pont de la Selva, which also offers nice views of the water.
You can cross this little bridge and walk out onto
Punta des Surtell,
which becomes a rugged tree-studded island at high tide. From here you’ll be rewarded with a nice view of Cadaqués. This was the stopping point for our walk, but if you backtrack to Llano petit beach where the road turned inland, you can follow the road south to Sa Conca Beach and eventually end up at the Cala Nans Lighthouse (Far de Cala Nans).
For more information on the various walking trails in and around the area visit the Cadaqués tourist office website. Here’s a handy printable brochure with a detailed map of Cadaqués (pages 14 and 15).
Summary
Reviewer
Mike Young
Review Date
Reviewed Item
Cadaqués Harbor-side
Author Rating