Things to do in Cadaques

View of Cadaques from Platja des Llane Gran. Spain

Why visit Cadaques?

Having visited 35 different cities in the last 5 months, people keep asking me which is my favorite.  It is a nearly impossible question to answer and I have started trying to come up with more focused questions to answer instead.  One of these is, “which city would I pick for a week-long vacation abroad?”  The answer to this one is Cadaques, Spain.  Cadaques is located along the Mediterranean coast of Spain, on the Costa Brava, just south of the French border and it is absolutely perfect.  There isn’t anything that I don’t like about it.  It’s not too big and not too small.  The white washed buildings tucked into the bay with the turquoise Mediterranean waters extending as far as the eye can see make for an absolutely delicious backdrop.  The food is excellent, with a high concentration of top notch restaurants for such a small town.  In contrast to some of the bigger cities we have visited, there isn’t a lot to do there, but in a good way.  It’s more of a “chill in an amazingly beautiful place” kind of destination. 

The crew walking along the harbor just past Platja Port d’Alguer

I absolutely loved just walking along the harbor at any time of day or night. The harbor walk is particularly magical at night with just the right amount of soft lighting along the streets.  The pebble beaches are plentiful and, with Dali’s house and museum nearby, you can find some culture as well.  Do yourself a favor and add Cadaques to your trip itinerary or maybe even plan on spending a week or two or three there.  If you visit Cadaques and you don’t like it, I will never understand you.  Read on for practical tips on visiting Cadaques and our favorite things to do.

Getting to Cadaques:

By Car

Cadaques is a 2 hour drive from Barcelona, the closest major airport.  I recommend renting a car for your stay in Cadaques for several reasons.  1. The drive is easy and it is a bit tricky to get to Cadaques using public transportation. 2. There are several things to explore in the area and a car is the easiest way to get to the surrounding sites. 3. Unlike most places in Europe, there is abundant free parking in Cadaques on Riera da Sant Vincent right near the pay parking lot.  

Public transportation

You can get to Cadaques by taking a train from Barcelona to Girona and then catching a bus from Girona to Cadaques. Alternatively, you can take a train all the way to Figueres and then take a bus or pay a taxi to take you to Cadaques.  

Bailey hanging out on the balcony of our AirBnB on Avinguda Caritat Serinyana

Where to stay in Cadaques:

I don’t think you can really go wrong with any location in Cadaques.  In general, you want to be close to Platja Gran and the bay.  We stayed in an Airbnb on Avinguda Caritat Serinyana which was very centrally located, with easy access to the beach, a grocery store, and plenty of restaurants.  There were several quaint hotels along the coast that looked gorgeous.  The Hotel Playa Sol looked amazing from the outside.

The language:

Be aware that three different languages are spoken in Cadaques and many signs/menus will be listed in all three: Catalan, Spanish, and French.  Most people working in the tourist industry also know some English and it was relatively easy to communicate with people using some Spanish and some English.  

On a warm day in May we took a refreshingly cold swim and then warmed ourselves on the stones of the beach at Cala sa Sabolla

When to visit Cadaques:

Due to its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, the temperatures in Cadaques are relatively moderate.  The warmest, sunniest, and busiest months are July and August, with temperatures ranging between 18-30 Celsius (64-86 Fahrenheit).  The shoulder season months of May, June, September, and October will be a little chillier but you will avoid the crowds.  We visited in May and the high temperatures ranged from 68-75 Fahrenheit with lows in the 50’s.  Swimming was cold but the ambient temperature was perfect.  I prefer smaller crowds and was happy to have the slightly cooler temperatures as a trade off.  As a result, I would recommend visiting in late May, early June, September, or early October.  

View of the harbor as the kids enjoy looking for octopus and jelly fish in the water.

How long to stay in Cadaques:

Cadaques is a doable day trip from Barcelona, but, in order to really get the full subversive experience, I would recommend at least 3 nights.  As I mentioned in the beginning, however, it would also be a great place to spend a full week or more if you are looking to relax in a beautiful and perfect place. 

Our favorite things to do in Cadaques:

1. Walk along the harbor.  

It is so beautiful and perfect for a stroll anytime of day or night.  Our favorite time to walk along the coast was at night with the soft lights reflecting off the water.  

2. Hike to Far de Cala nans. 

This is a 4.4 mile, easy out and back trail along the coast heading south from Cadaques with amazing views and secluded beaches.  See our separate post for more details.

We left the kids sunbathing at the beach at Cala sa Sabolla while we finished the hike to the lighthouse.

3. Sunbathe and swim at one of the pebble beaches. 

Cadaques made me a fan of pebble beaches.  The water is clearer when there is no sand and you don’t end up with sand in every corner of your body afterwards. We loved the Cala sa Sabolla on the hike to Far de Cala Nans but also enjoyed relaxing on the beaches in town as well.  If you are not from Europe, do be warned that we saw nude people on every beach in Cadaques, not just the secluded ones.  It caught us off guard when a 40 ish year old man dropped his pants and went full nude while we were having drinks at Bar Blu.  Just be prepared for a lot of nudity.

Gus in front of an eclectic taxidermy polar bear in the Dali House. Port Lligat

4. Visit Dali’s house in Port Lligat. 

This is a cool and quirky look into Dali and his idiosyncrasies. It is a short walk over the hill from Cadaques.  You will need to reserve tickets in advance and arrive 30 minutes early for your tour! Tickets for Dali’s house in Portlligat are $15, kids 8 and under are free. We missed this detail and showed up 3 minutes late.  The lady at the desk told me that it was too bad and we had missed our chance.  After some pushing on my part, we got lucky and another group was also late for their tour a half hour after ours and we got to take their place.  These people are serious and you have to be at least 15 minutes early or they will not let you in!

A mind warping portrait of Dali’s wife and Abraham Lincoln at the Dali museum in Figueres.

5. Take a day trip to the Dali Museum in Figueres. 

This museum was designed by Dali himself and it is crazy and quirky and unlike anything else I have ever seen.  I would also recommend getting your tickets in advance for this one. Tickets to the Dali museum in Figueres are 17 EURO without an audio guide, 25 EURO with audio guide.

A cool shadow art gif of Casey projected onto the wall of Santa Maria de Cadaques

6. Explore the streets of Old Town. 

The Old Town in Cadaques is small but there are some cute stores along the narrow streets.  We also had fun making shadow art along the wall of the cathedral, Santa Maria de Cadaques at night.

Romantic shadow art with the requisite San Pellegrino bottle strikingly depicted on the wall.

7. Grab a drink at one of the bars along the bay. We didn’t have a favorite. It’s really all about views.

Wendi on the streets of Old Town after our dinner at Es Balconet.

8. Sample the local cuisine at one of the amazing restaurants. 

Just like the culture, the cuisine is a mix of Catalan, Spanish, and French cuisine with lots of fresh seafood.  Be sure to sample the Arros Negre and Taps Dolcos. We had an amazing meal at Es Balconet and I highly recommend their very reasonably priced tasting menu ($38).

9. Visit Roses and hike the trail to see the Megalithic Structures.

See our dedicated post for more details on the hike to the megalithic structures.  Roses also has some bigger beaches if you are looking for something more than Cadaques has to offer in that category.

The view of Roses from the apex of the hike to the Megalithic Structures

10. Explore Cap de Creus park. 

We didn’t get to see this one but there are several long trails in this rugged section of coast line nearby that look tempting.

Skipping rocks in the evening on Platja Gran was magical. Perfect rocks and calm waters.

Final thoughts on Cadaques:

I absolutely loved Cadaques.  It is perfect.  I highly recommend adding it to your Spain itinerary if at all possible.  Due to its location just South of France in Catalonia, exquisite beauty, delectable cuisine, and association with Dali, it is a unique destination and lovely in every way.  Share your experiences and favorite things to do there in the comments below.