Why go
Geography helps narrow a large regional choice. Around Cadaqués and El Port de la Selva, headlands and small bays dominate. Around Sant Pere Pescador and the Aiguamolls, beaches, river mouths and marshland spread across a lower landscape. Pick the terrain that matches the experience you want.
The full story
At the northern end, Portbou sits near the French border, followed along the coast by Colera and Llançà. The Albera Massif and Cap de Creus form the eastern continuation of the Pyrenees, bringing rough ground and cliffs close to the sea. El Port de la Selva lies north of Cap de Creus, with Cadaqués and Roses to its south. The Gulf of Roses changes the scale of the shoreline. The Muga and Fluvià rivers helped form its beaches and marshlands, including the protected Aiguamolls de l’Empordà. Empuriabrava’s marina, developed on marshland in the 1960s, offers a conspicuous contrast with those habitats. Farther south, Sant Martí d’Empúries and L’Escala connect the shoreline with ancient settlement. Blanes and the mouth of the Tordera mark the southern end of the coastal region, rather than the limit of every wider Girona excursion.