Log in with Google
Log in with Microsoft
5 sailors online
View on C-MAP

Catalonia best anchorages and marinas

Add a spot in Catalonia, browse sailor reviews and photos, connect with your local sailing forum, explore C-MAP’s free nautical chart, and contribute to a collaborative cruising guide for future generations of sailors. Read more

Spain #El Port de la Selva #Cadaqués #Roses #Palamós #Sant Feliu de Guíxols #Barcelona Forum

Anchorages and moorings in Catalonia

(Add a spot)

Keep an eye on the tide and weather forecast, zoom in to avoid seaweed fields, or switch to C-MAP’s online chart viewer for isolated dangers and soundings.

Nautical services in Catalonia

(Promote your activity)

Local shops and artisans are featured at all anchorages and marinas within a 10-mile radius. Fuel dock, ship chandler, boat mechanic, sailmaker, diver, laundry, supermarket, and more…

Website
Yachting.com 2 768x330

Marinas and boatyards in Catalonia

(Place your marker)

Browse sailor reviews and photos, find the phone number and VHF channel, or get a clear layout of marinas on Google Map before you arrive.

Costa Brava sailing itinerary

Spain #El Port de la Selva #Cadaqués #Roses #Palamós #Sant Feliu de Guíxols #Barcelona Forum

Sailing to El Port de la Selva

Tucked against the Cap de Creus peninsula, El Port de la Selva faces both the sea’s force and the mountains’ silence. The town itself grew around fishing, boats pulled onto the beach, nets stretched across alleys, and despite decades of change, that identity remains visible. Compared to the polished resorts farther south, El Port de la Selva is rawer, more elemental.

Visit

Head to the Sant Salvador de Verdera castle, above the monastery. Its crumbling walls command views across Cap de Creus, the Pyrenees, and on clear days even to France. Locals call it the best natural lookout in the region.

Trekking

The Cap de Creus Natural Park begins just beyond the town, with trails leading to hidden coves and rocky headlands. The geology here is striking, contorted rock formations shaped by wind and sea, the same landscapes that obsessed Dalí. Walks range from short coastal loops to long treks that push deep into the park’s wilderness.

Your 3 favourite anchorages and marinas near El Port de la Selva

(Add a spot)

Sailing to Cadaqués

In the 20th century, the town became a magnet for painters, poets, and bohemians. Pablo Picasso visited, Marcel Duchamp holidayed here, and Joan Miró sketched the coast. But it was Salvador Dalí who gave Cadaqués global recognition.

Visit

The house of Salvador Dalí, in nearby Portlligat, remains one of Catalonia’s most visited sites. A collage of oddities: stuffed animals, optical illusions, and patios arranged like stage sets. Visits are by timed entry, and stepping inside feels like trespassing into Dalí’s mind.

Hiking

Trails loop through headlands where wind has twisted rocks into animal shapes. Local legend says sailors once used these rocks as navigation points, giving them names still used today: “the camel”, “the lion”, “the eagle.”

Art

Small galleries line the streets, many run by local painters continuing the town’s creative lineage. The Museo de Cadaqués frequently stages exhibitions on Dalí and his circle, placing the town firmly in the story of European modernism. Marcel Duchamp, who vacationed here for decades, is celebrated with quiet reverence.

Your 3 favourite anchorages and marinas near Cadaqués

(Add a spot)

Sailing to Roses

The Greek colony gave Roses its name, though some scholars still debate whether it came from Rhodes or Massalia. What’s certain is that the settlement thrived on trade, anchoring this stretch of the Costa Brava long before tourism touched it.

Visit

Start with the Ciutadella, the walled citadel that houses archaeological remains spanning 2,500 years. Within its grounds you’ll find Greek foundations, Roman houses with mosaics, a 9th-century monastery, and the shell of a Renaissance bastion.

Things to do

Above town, the Castell de la Trinitat dominates the headland. Its restored star-shaped fort, originally built to guard the bay, offers views stretching from the Pyrenees to Cap de Creus; the same horizon that once determined the fate of kingdoms.

Beach

The beaches of Roses are wide, but beyond the main stretch lie smaller, wilder inlets tucked into Cap de Creus. Cala Montjoi and Cala Jóncols rewards with turquoise water and rugged cliffs. These coves are also where El Bulli once operated, a pilgrimage site for food lovers even after its closure.

Your 3 favourite anchorages and marinas near Roses

(Add a spot)

Sailing to Palamós

The town’s roots stretch back to the 13th century, when King Peter II of Aragon founded Palamós as a royal port. Its location mattered: deep water close to shore and protection from headlands. Merchants came, soldiers passed through, and fishermen stayed.

Market

Today, the heart of Palamós is best felt at the fish auction. Every afternoon, crates of glistening catch are unloaded, sorted, and shouted over in the market. The star is the gamba de Palamós, a scarlet prawn so prized it carries protected designation.

Cooking

The Espai del Peix, a culinary center by the harbour, teaches visitors how to cook traditional recipes once considered humble fisherman’s fare: suquet de peix (fish stew), fideuà with noodles instead of rice, and stews built from bycatch species.

Your 3 favourite anchorages and marinas near Palamós

(Add a spot)

Sailing to Sant Feliu de Guíxols

Industry put Sant Feliu on the map. Fishing gave families a steady income, but the real transformation came with cork. By the 18th century, factories here were producing stoppers by the million, exporting them worldwide. The Gavarres hills supplied the raw bark, while town workshops turned it into profit.

Visit

Begin with the Monestir de Sant Feliu, where Romanesque towers rise above Gothic chapels and cloisters. Wander through its layered architecture, then step inside the Espai Carmen Thyssen, which hosts annual art exhibitions pulling works from major collections.

Hiking

For coastline, the Camí de Ronda is essential. To the north, narrow paths lead past Cala Vigatà and Cala Jonca, both accessible only on foot. To the south, the route reaches Platja de Sant Pol, with its broad sandy arc and elegant modernista houses.

Market

Walk downhill into the Mercat Municipal, buzzing each morning with traders selling produce, cheese, and seafood. The anchovies here are famed, often sold in jars layered with olive oil and garlic.

Your 3 favourite anchorages and marinas near Sant Feliu de Guíxols

(Add a spot)

Sailing to Barcelona

Industry drove prosperity here. The textile mills of Poblenou and Sant Andreu once roared with looms; now their brick shells house galleries, tech offices, and cultural labs. Locals still call it “the Manchester of Catalonia”, but its factories now weave ideas instead of fabric.

Visit

The Castello San Giorgio was built in medieval times, reinforced by Genoese rulers, and later expanded. It now houses archaeological finds, including artefacts from the Lunigiana region.

Street life

Barcelona thrives on its street life. Plazas act as outdoor living rooms, whether Plaça del Sol in Gràcia, filled with students and musicians, or Plaça Reial, framed by arcades and palm trees.

Market

Markets form another layer: La Boqueria’s spectacle of colour draws visitors, but Santa Caterina and Sant Antoni show the city shopping for its daily bread, fruit, and salted anchovies.

Don’t miss

Start in the Gothic Quarter, but don’t hunt for a monument. Instead, wander its alleys where medieval guildhouses still lean into the street, laundry flaps overhead, and stone courtyards hide cafes. The cathedral dominates, but the details, the iron knockers, the sunlit cloisters with geese, bring the quarter to life.

Your 3 favourite anchorages and marinas near Barcelona

(Add a spot)

From the forum

All groups

  • This forum has 3 topics, 7 replies, and was last updated 11 months ago by .
Viewing 3 topics - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
Viewing 3 topics - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • You must be logged in to create new topics.