El Port de la Selva beach guide

A look at the beaches surrounding El Port de la Selva, a small, quiet fishing village towards the north of the Costa Brava.

The main beach at El Port de la Selva. Photo by Brian Adamson.

One of the curiosities of Port de la Selva is that looking out to sea, rather than an endless expanse of Mediterranean you see mountains.

Situated in a bay on the north of Cap de Creus, the town faces north-west and towards Llançà. In the evenings while lying on the main beach, or having your last swim of the day before the temperature drops, you’ll see the sun disappear behind the mountains in front of you to the left.

For us at least, it was quite disorienting until we took a look at exactly where Port del la Selva lies on the map!

The town gets little shelter from the tramuntana because of its northerly aspect and perhaps because of that the water temperature tends to be a little colder than further south. It is often exceptionally clear though.

Anyway, there are plenty of beaches around El Port de la Selva to enjoy, as you can see the map below:

In this guide to Port de la Selva’s beaches I’ll look at the beaches we’ve most enjoyed over the years and what I like about them.

However, one of the joys of a beach holiday is exploring the coast and finding your own favourites. So that’s what I’d recommend you to do.

Port de la Selva’s main beach

The main beach is 320 metres long, around 25 metres deep, and mainly comprised of fine sand which clings to your towel like dirt.

Port de la Selva main beach. Photo by David Leigh.

But even in August it tends not to get too crowded except at weekends when the city dwellers escape the heat of Barcelona and Girona for the coast. But even then it doesn’t match the level of overcrowding you get at places like Lloret and Blanes, or even Riells beach at L’Escala. It has a shallow shelf and you need to swim out a fair distance before getting out of your depth so it’s very suitable for kids.

Learning to sail in Port de la Selva. Photo by Albert Torelló.

It has all the usual facilities such as a lifeguard, first aid, showers and disabled access and many boats are moored offshore. As you’d expect, you can participate in a variety of water sports on and around the beach. Equipment is available for hire and there are classes available to get you started.

Bell Repòs

On the outskirts of Port de la Selva, if you continue beyond the petrol station on the far side of hostal/camping l’Arola, is a grand old house with a rather dilapidated tennis court. The house is called Bell Repòs.

It has a huge terrace looking out to sea, which must be fantastic in the evenings. But right in front of it is a small stony beach with a reef. It doesn’t usually tend it get more than a handful of people on but is extremely good for snorkelling. It’s dog friendly too, but watch out for sea urchins. They are all over the place!

Put on a mark and snorkel and you’ll see plenty of fish even without looking. You can also find starfish and octopuses too. As long as you’re happy without sand it is a great beach, but getting a parasol to stay up is quite a skill.

As well as the beach itself, the rocks beyond it are also a good location. It’s fairly easy to get in and out of the water, although I’d really recommend wearing plastic shoes or some other kind of foot protection. And there is a rectangular pool in the rock from which you can swim out. I like to snorkel from there and explore the rocks.

Cala Tamariua

If you walk past the harbour you’ll see dozens of small sailing boats lining the jetties before reaching Club Nàutic. If you continue walking you’ll see a number of smaller beaches which are always popular. But our destination is further on, just inside the Cap de Creus natural park.

Cala Tamariua near Port de la Selva. Photo by Sílvia Martín.

Tamariua is reached via a winding road high above the sea with truly spectacular views over the Mediterranean. The terrain becomes rather rocky at this point and after about 1.5 kilometres the road eventually ends.

When I first visited Port de la Selva there were no buildings here but some time in the early 2000s they built a number of rather ugly houses. They must have a spectacular view though, as they look over Cala Tamariua and the natural park, where building is strictly forbidden.

You can drive this far, although parking can be tricky. From this point on you descend a narrow path down to the beach. It’s around 250 metres and steep in places but at some point since I’ve been going there they decided to add a handrail. It makes the walk much easier!

The beach consists of pebbles and rocks and is popular for nudists. You’ll also often encounter people with dogs and there are no facilities, although for a couple of summers long ago there was a xiringuito (beach bar). And once again, watch out for sea urchins.

The small bay is off limits to boat traffic with a line of buoys some 50 or 60 metres out. I used to like swimming out there, with or without a mask and fins. Once I found a huge school of anchovies, literally tens of thousands of them, swimming together like a single being. I would dive into them and they would separate to let me through and then rejoin. It was a incredible experience.

Port de la Vall

I can’t say I’ve spent much time on this beach as I’ve always stayed in the town itself and there are more convenient beaches from there. However, I’ve walked the length of the beach many times while hiking the coastal paths towards the lighthouse and beyond to Llançà.

Camping Port de la Vall and the beach. Photo by Linda Hartley.

I’ve included it here as it is ideal for anyone staying at Cámping Port de la Vall, a camp site set in a valley right next to the pebble beach. It’s just under 200 metres long and these days has a good path running the entire length. Here you’ll see boats both moored offshore and on the beach itself. At one end is what appears to be a pillbox, perhaps left over from the Civil War.

It doesn’t seem to ever get particularly crowded when I’ve been there either, which is always a bonus in this part of the world. It could be because there are more convenient beaches if you’re staying in Port de la Selva itself, or simply because the days we go walking are when the weather isn’t so good.

Hell’s wells

Just after the lookout point or mirador where there is a small car park you’ll find a rocky area with small coves and the camí de ronda running along the top. While the rocks aren’t particularly comfortable to lie on, you can get down to the sea fairly easily and, once again, you’ll find some great snorkelling.

One of the rocks is known as els pous de l’infern, or els pous de dimoni – literally “hell’s wells” or “the devil’s wells”

The rocks near Hell’s Wells. Photo by David Leigh.

The reason for the name, which I discovered in a book of Cap de Creus walks published in Catalan, is a tiny submarine cave in the rock with two “wells” to the surface. Whenever the sea is anything less than completely still, the water sloshes up the wells and crashes back down.

One of Hell’s Wells. Photo by David Leigh.

It’s well named because if you got sucked in I doubt you’d have a chance. Although I’ve explored the cave mouth with a mask and snorkel, I’m wary about entering.

Over to you

Those are my favourite beaches and coves in and near El Port de la Selva, but as I said at the start, one of the best things to do on holiday is explore the area and find beaches that you love.

I’ve only been to the beaches beyond the harbour area a few times, the first of which is called El Pas, but many people swear by those beaches.

Because we’ve always stayed in apartments on the outskirts of the town near the road to Cadaqués, we’ve mainly explored the stretch between there and the lighthouse. If you stay somewhere else in town you may prefer to stick to a beach near you. Find what you like and make the best of it!