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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Cadaqués
Go for 2 nights: a car-free whitewashed bay, Dalí's Portlligat house and Cap de Creus coves. Skip if you want nightlife or a sandy beach.
Cadaqués is a small fishing town on a wide bay at the head of the Cap de Creus peninsula, about 20 km south of the French border. It has no train station: you arrive by bus from Figueres or Barcelona, or by car over the coastal hills. The old town is compact and walkable, the beaches are pebbles and rocks rather than sand, and the main sights are Dalí's house at Portlligat and the Cap de Creus Natural Park. Two nights covers the town and the peninsula; three if you want a beach day and a hike.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–early Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds, heat, full car parks), Nov–Mar (many places shut)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere, including tapas bars and taxis in the cities.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–95 excl. bed · Mid €110–170 excl. bed · High €200+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EU and EEA plans roam at home prices; UK and other plans may charge — check before you land.
- Emergency
- All emergency services 112 · National police 091 · Guardia Civil 062
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Bar or café: Leave small change or nothing.; Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% for good service; service is not usually added.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter: €1–2 a bag.; Guide on a free walking tour: €10–15 a person is the expected payment.
- Water
- Tap water is safe across the mainland; it tastes of chlorine in some coastal areas. Ask for 'agua del grifo' in restaurants — by law since 2025 they must offer it free (check local application).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars and cafés (buy a coffee). Stations and shopping centres have free or cheap toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €1.50–2.50 |
| Menu del dia at lunch | €15–25 |
| Seafood main course | €18–30 |
| Beer: draught / can from a shop | €3–5 / €1–2 |
| Taxi Cadaqués → Portlligat | €8–12 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
| Portlligat house entry | €15–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GRO · Girona–Costa Brava
- About 1 h 15 min by car; buses to Figueres then Cadaqués
- BCN · Barcelona–El Prat
- About 2 h 15 min by car; direct Sarfa bus from Barcelona Nord, about 2 h 30 min
Typical fares
- Bus Figueres → Cadaqués
- about €6, about 1 h (check)
- Bus Barcelona Nord → Cadaqués
- about €27, about 2 h 30 min (check)
- Ferry Roses → Cadaqués
- about €15–20, 30–45 min, seasonal (check)
Get around
Walk everywhere in town: the centre is flat and small, with cobbled lanes and steps. Buses from Figueres and Barcelona stop near the centre. A car helps for Cap de Creus and the coves, but parking fills by mid-morning in summer. Local buses and the Roses ferry cover some nearby points; check seasonal timetables.
See and do
Known for
- Salvador Dalí's house at Portlligat
- Cap de Creus Natural Park
- Whitewashed old town and Santa Maria church
- Pebble coves and seafood restaurants
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cap de Creus lighthouse | Car or taxi on the GI-614, about 20 min; or a marked walk from town | 30–40 min by car |
| Figueres (Dalí Theatre-Museum) | Bus from Cadaqués to Figueres, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Roses | Ferry across the bay in season, or bus/car around the coast | About 30–45 min |
| El Port de la Selva | Car around the peninsula, or a long coastal walk | About 30 min by car |
| Barcelona | Direct Sarfa bus from Cadaqués, or bus to Figueres then train | 2 h 30 min–3 h |
Sleep
- Old town / Platja Gran
- Bars, restaurants and the main beach on foot; expect noise in summer and no parking.
- Portlligat side
- Quieter, 15–20 min walk from the centre, next to Dalí's house; few services.
- Above the town (Majorica and the entry road)
- Hotels with parking and bay views; a 10–20 min downhill walk to the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GràciesGRAH-see-es |
| The bill, please | El compte, si us plauel KOM-tuh, see oos plow |
| How much is it? | Quant costa?kwant KOS-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | Puc pagar amb targeta?pook pah-GAR am tar-GEH-tah |
| Where is the toilet? | On és el lavabo?on es el lah-VAH-boo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Two kisses on the cheek (right then left) between friends and when introduced socially; handshake in business; avoid: Being stiff — Spaniards stand close and touch arms
- Meal times: Late lunch and dinner; long sobremesa (chat after eating); avoid: Rushing to leave or asking for the bill with the last bite
- Noise: Join in the lively conversation; avoid: Reading loud voices as anger
- Siesta hours: Keep noise down in residential buildings 15:00–17:00 and after 23:00; avoid: Phone calls to people at lunch time
- Dress: Smart casual in cities; locals rarely wear shorts in Madrid in town; avoid: Swimwear or bare torsos away from the beach
- Regional pride: Ask about local dishes and festivals; avoid: Assuming Catalan or Basque are dialects of Spanish
Scams and watch-outs
- No train station: the last leg is bus or car, and holiday timetables can leave long gaps between buses.
- Beaches are pebbles and rocks; bring shoes for the water.
- Parking is limited and paid in summer; arrive before mid-morning or leave the car outside town.
- Portlligat house entry is by timed ticket only, booked ahead; no ticket, no entry.
- The tramuntana north wind can close beaches and boat trips for a day or more.
Very safe for a small resort town; the real risks are the tramuntana wind, slippery rocks at the coves, sunburn and holiday bus timetables that strand you without a plan B.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Cadaqués yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Salvador Dalí's house at Portlligat
- Cap de Creus Natural Park
- Whitewashed old town and Santa Maria church
- Pebble coves and seafood restaurants
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Cadaqués official tourism site: www.visitcadaques.org/
- Cadaqués town council: cadaques.cat/
- Salvador Dalí — Portlligat house: www.salvador-dali.org/ca/museus/casa-salvador-dali-de-portlligat/
- Wikivoyage: Cadaqués, revision 5270201 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5270201
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Cadaqués
A aquesta adreça, si us plau
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in town; the US has a consulate in Barcelona, the UK a consulate in Barcelona, and most countries keep embassies in Madrid.
Catalan is the everyday language here; Spanish works everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/cadaques). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.