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Voykit pocket guide · Spain
Colera
Go for 2 nights if you want quiet pebble coves and the GR-92; skip if you need sand, nightlife or a car-free big-town base.
Colera is a village of about 560 people on the northern Costa Brava, between Portbou and Llançà, 20 km from the French border. It has a small beach strip in the centre, a handful of coves reached on foot or by the coastal path, and one railway station on the Barcelona–Portbou line. Two nights covers the beaches and the walks; one night is enough if you are breaking a train journey.
- Country
- Spain
- Best months
- Jun, Sep
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowded, hot, higher prices); Nov–Mar (many businesses 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 €55–85 excl. bed · Mid €90–140 excl. bed · High €150+ 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 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 día at lunch | €14–22 |
| Beer: draught / can from a shop | €2.50–4 / €1–2 |
| Seafood rice or grilled fish, main | €16–28 |
| Train Colera → Figueres | €3–5 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €8–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GRO · Girona-Costa Brava
- About 1 h 15 min by road; train via Figueres or Girona, check connections
- PGF · Perpignan–Rivesaltes (France)
- About 1 h by road over the border; useful for French-side arrivals
- BCN · Barcelona–El Prat
- Train to Barcelona Sants, then the regional line north; about 3 h door to door
Typical fares
- Train Colera → Figueres
- €3–5, about 30 min (check)
- Train Colera → Portbou
- €2–3, about 10 min (check)
- Taxi Llançà → Colera
- €15–25 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The village is small enough to walk. The station sits above the centre, a short downhill walk. Buses along the coast are limited; the train is the practical link to Llançà, Portbou and Figueres. A car helps for Garbet beach and the N-260 coves.
See and do
Known for
- Pebble coves of the northern Costa Brava
- GR-92 coastal path
- Quiet high season compared with Lloret or Blanes
- Rail stop between Figueres and the French border
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Llançà | Train one stop south, or the GR-92 on foot | 10 min by train |
| Portbou | Train one stop north | 10 min by train |
| Figueres | Train to Figueres, then walk or bus to the Dalí Theatre-Museum | About 45 min |
| Cadaqués | Car over the Coll de Perafita, or bus from Figueres | About 1 h by car |
| El Port de la Selva | Car or the GR-92 south | About 40 min by car |
| L'Escala | Car via Figueres, or train to Figueres then bus | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- Centre and Passeig Marítim
- Walk to Platja de les Portes and Platja dels Morts; hostals, restaurants and the beach bar are here.
- Urbanització Sant Miquel / La Rovellada
- Housing estate 1 km (0.6 mi) northeast of the centre, above Cala Rovellada; quieter, still walkable.Housing estate 0.6 mi (1 km) northeast of the centre, above Cala Rovellada; quieter, still walkable.
- Càmping Sant Miquel
- At Pla de les Portes, near the main beach; open from Easter to late September.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | HolaOH-lah |
| Thank you | GràciesGRAH-syehs |
| The bill, please | El compte, si us plauel KOM-tuh, see oos plow |
| Where is the beach? | On és la platja?on ehs lah PLAH-jah |
| Can I pay by card? | Puc pagar amb targeta?pook pah-GAH am tar-GEH-tah |
| Two beers, please | Dues cerveses, si us plauDOO-ehs ser-VEH-zehs, see oos plow |
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
- Beaches are pebble or coarse sand, not fine sand; bring shoes for the water.
- Many restaurants and hotels close outside the summer season; check before booking a winter trip.
- The N-260 has no proper pavement in places: walk the Camí de ronda or the GR-92 instead.
- Parking at Garbet beach is paid and fills early in summer.
- The tramuntana wind can make the water cold and rough even in August.
Very low crime; the real risks are sea conditions, the tramuntana wind, sun exposure on shadeless coves and walking the N-260 shoulder. Swim where others swim, and keep an eye on the flag at the main beach.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Colera yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Pebble coves of the northern Costa Brava
- GR-92 coastal path
- Quiet high season compared with Lloret or Blanes
- Rail stop between Figueres and the French border
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Port de Colera — Club Nàutic Sant Miquel: www.portcolera.cat/
- Càmping Sant Miquel: www.yellohvillage-santmiquel.com
- Celler Hugas de Batlle: cellerhugasdebatlle.cat/
- Wikivoyage: Colera, revision 5222161 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5222161
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Colera
A aquesta adreça, si us plau
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Colera. US: consulate-general in Barcelona. UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland: embassies in Madrid, consulates in Barcelona.
Catalan is the everyday language here; Spanish works everywhere.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/colera). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.