Yes: kayaking is allowed throughout the Parc Natural del Cap de Creus except in the s'Encalladora Integral Nature Reserve, next to the tip. At the tip you may only land at Gentils, Culip and Jugadora. A half-day guided trip leaves from Portlligat beach: 7.9 km there and back to Cala Bona, about 3.5 hours.
Yes, you can explore Cap de Creus by kayak, on your own or with a guide. The Parc Natural rules allow it throughout the park except in one patch of sea next to the tip, the s'Encalladora Integral Nature Reserve. What people miss is not where they can paddle but where they can go ashore. Here are the rules, the coves where landing is allowed and what the most common trip, from Portlligat, is like.
Where to stay here: Rincón tranquilo junto al Mediterráneo en Cadaqués · From 81 € per night →
What the rules say
Since 14 August 2025 the park's sea has been governed by the Pla rector d'ús i gestió, the management plan approved by Ordre TER/130/2025 and published on 30 July that year. Its frequently asked questions, in the July 2026 version, are clear: kayaks and other non-motorised recreational craft are allowed, on your own or with a nautical centre, throughout the park except in the s'Encalladora Integral Nature Reserve.
On the park map, s'Encalladora is a strip of sea right next to the tip of the cape, on the Mar d'Amunt side. Swimming is not allowed there either. The rest of the water is open, with one condition that matters if you want to paddle at first light.
Not at night in the partial reserves
The park's sea has three partial nature reserves: Cap Gros, Cap de Creus and Cap Norfeu. According to the Parc Natural's marine activities leaflet, no one may sail in them between sunset and sunrise, except for a direct crossing, emergencies or weather reasons and a few other exceptions.
On the map, the Cap de Creus partial reserve surrounds the tip of the cape. In practice, the idea of paddling to the lighthouse to watch the sunrise from the water runs into the rules. Until the sun is up, the kayak stays out of those zones.
Where you can go ashore
This is the catch. The tip of Cap de Creus and the Tudela area, with their islands and islets, are a land Integral Nature Reserve. From the sea you may only land in the coves reached by the park's authorised routes: Gentils, Culip and Jugadora. Along the rest of that coast you may tie up to the rocks, but not go ashore.
Outside the integral reserve, you can use the coves as long as you arrive by existing paths or from the water without causing a nuisance. If there is a buoyed access channel, you must use it. We go through them cove by cove in the Cap de Creus coves, one by one.
In every cove of the park it is forbidden to light fires, camp, leave rubbish, make noise with music or speakers, or leave floating structures.
Starting from Portlligat
Kayaking Costa Brava's base in the park is on Portlligat beach, and it is listed in the EUROPARC-España directory under the Parc Natural de Cap de Creus. From there it offers rentals and two guided trips: a 2-hour route and a half-day one.
The half-day trip lasts about 3.5 hours and covers 7.9 km there and back, about 4.3 nautical miles. It heads north along the Mar d'Avall coast past s'Alqueria beach, Cap d'en Roig, Es Jonquet, Guillola bay, Racó de l'Home, Punta des Pi, Guillola beach, Punta d'en Cudera and Cala Seca, as far as Cala Bona, where it turns back.
There is a morning slot, 9:00 to 13:00, and an afternoon one, 15:00 to 19:00. The minimum age is 13 and the minimum height 145 cm, you must be able to swim and the published price is 58 € per person, with two guides and a support boat. The level is low, suitable for beginners. Prices and times checked in October 2026: confirm them on the company's website before you go.
On your own: what to know
Companies guiding kayak trips in the park must notify the Parc Natural in advance and give a short talk before each outing, the ecobriefing, about the park, its habitats and good practice. If you go on your own, nobody gives you that talk: the rules in this guide are what you need to know.
The lighthouse lies beyond Cala Bona. We have not found a published route with a reliable distance from Cadaqués to the tip, so we give no figure. What is clear is that along the outer coast any empty little cove inside the integral reserve is to be looked at from the kayak.
And the wind decides the day. Kayaking Costa Brava warns that it may cancel or change the starting point at the last minute depending on the sea. With tramontana, the sea off the cape changes quickly; what to do on those days is in the tramontana guide.
Checked
Data checked in October 2026 against: Parc Natural de Cap de Creus (frequently asked questions on the regulation of the marine environment, July 2026 version; «Activitats marines» leaflet for summer 2026 with its map; the park's regulations page), Kayaking Costa Brava («Cap de Creus, mig dia» trip, guided trips and frequently asked questions) and EUROPARC-España (directory of businesses in the Parc Natural de Cap de Creus).
Quick questions
Can you kayak on your own at Cap de Creus?
Yes. Unguided kayaking is allowed throughout the park except in the s'Encalladora Integral Nature Reserve.
Which coves at the tip can you land in by kayak?
Only Gentils, Culip and Jugadora. In the rest of the integral reserve you may tie up to the rocks, but not go ashore.
Can you paddle at night or before sunrise?
In the partial nature reserves, such as Cap de Creus, no one may sail between sunset and sunrise, except for a direct crossing and a few other exceptions.