Cadaqués

Cadaqués is a coastal municipality on the Cap de Creus peninsula in Alt Empordà, with white houses lining a bay framed by rocky shoreline and olive groves. The church of Santa Maria sits above the narrow lanes while stone steps wind between buildings up to the higher part of the village.

The medieval fishing settlement grew from the tenth century around a sheltered harbor and remained isolated by mountains from the inland for centuries. During the twentieth century many painters and writers settled here, drawn by the particular light and remoteness of the coast.

The name derives from the Catalan "Cap de Quers," meaning rocky headland, and the village retains its whitewashed houses and narrow stone lanes built to shield against strong winds. Fishermen still moor their boats along the waterfront where cafés and workshops face the bay.

The winding mountain road takes about two hours to drive from Barcelona, while buses run regularly from Figueres. The narrow lanes in the village center are mostly car-free, so parking outside and walking in works best.

Women once carried water in green-glazed clay jugs called "doll," balancing them on their heads as they moved through the steep streets. The strong Tramontana wind can blow for days, shaping both the landscape and the rhythm of daily life in the village.

Location: Alt Empordà

Capital city: Cadaqués

Elevation above the sea: 24 m

Part of: Mancomunitat de Municipis Comunitat Turística de la Costa Brava

Shares border with: El Port de la Selva, Roses

Address: Cadaqués, Girona, Spain

Website: https://cadaques.cat

GPS coordinates: 42.28861,3.27778

Latest update: December 13, 2025 18:10