The village beaches of Cadaqués are small and made of gravel and pebbles, not fine sand. The largest is Platja Gran, 205 m long, right in the centre. To the south are Ses Oliveres, d'en Ros, Llané Gran, Llané Petit and Sa Conca, and in the next bay, Portlligat beach, 186 m long.
Anyone searching for "Cadaqués beaches" tends to picture fine sand, and finds something else: short beaches of gravel and pebbles, tucked between white houses and rocks, with fishing boats pulled up on the shore. There is no great stretch of sand; there is a bay with many small beaches, each with its own character. This guide goes through the ones in the village itself, from north to south, with their size and what is around them. The coves of Cap de Creus have their own guide.
Where to stay here: Stunning & Stylish Apartment in Cadaqués · From 81 € per night →
Platja Gran: the one in the centre
It is the largest in the bay, hence its name, which means Big Beach. According to Catalan Wikipedia it is 205 m long and about 20 m wide, with sand, gravel and pebbles. It has three names depending on the stretch: es Portal to the west, sa Platja in the middle and Portitxó to the east.
On the central stretch are two historic bars, the Marítim and the Boia, listed as cultural assets of local interest, and between them the statue of Salvador Dalí. Opposite, on the promenade, is the Casino l'Amistat. At the eastern end stands the Norai de Portitxol, one of the four "pilons" left from the harbour works of the 19th century.
The Agència Catalana de l'Aigua checks the water quality every week during the bathing season, and the result recorded by Catalan Wikipedia is excellent.
Es Poal, Ses Oliveres and d'en Ros beach
Es Poal lies between Platja Gran and the Pianc beach, at the foot of the Oliguera peninsula. It is tiny: 30 m long and 10 wide, of stones and coarse sand, sheltered from the waves and almost always taken up by fishing boats. Its name means "bucket": rainwater from the riera de l'Horta d'en Sagués used to gather here. Opposite are the old pharmacy and the Casa Serinyana des Poal.
Ses Oliveres and d'en Ros beach share a small bay within the bay, separated by some rocks. Ses Oliveres is 100 m long, faces south and is usually full of boats; it used to be called platja d'Alfaras, after the owner of the land next to it. On it stands the sculpture "The Four Winds of the Sea", by François Stahly.
D'en Ros beach is 80 m long, faces west and slopes gently into the water. Its name comes, according to Catalan Wikipedia, from the captain of a 16th-century brigantine that sailed between Cadaqués and Barcelona and who owned the vineyard behind it.
Llané Gran and Llané Petit: the beaches of the young Dalí
South of the village, separated by the rocks of en Pere Joan, are the two Llané beaches. The name recalls that sheep were brought down here to spend the winter near the sea. Llané Gran is 93 m long; on it stands the Dalí family house, where the painter spent many summers and where Federico García Lorca visited him in 1925 and 1927. A sculpture by J. M. Subirachs commemorates it.
Llané Petit is 69 m long and usually has many small boats on the sand. Opposite stands the casa Costa, from the early 20th century, with a distinctive tower.
Sa Conca and Portlligat
Sa Conca, a kilometre from the centre, is 100 m long and made of gravel, with a steep entry into the water. Nudism is practised there, and the signposted path to Cala Nans lighthouse starts from it.
Portlligat is another bay altogether, a little over a kilometre from the centre, in front of the Casa-Museu Salvador Dalí. Its beach is 186 m long, of coarse sand and stones, with a gentle slope and shallow water, well sheltered by the island of Portlligat. Part of the shore is taken up by fishing boats. Its pebbles are called passanelles in the local speech of Cadaqués, and the Town Council forbids taking them away.
What the Town Council provides in summer
The Town Council's beach use plan for the 2025 season includes floating bathing platforms at Llané Gran, Pordoguer and Platja Gran, and five pontoons at Ses Oliveres, Es Poal, Pordoguer, Es Llané Petit and Sa Conca, used to get on to boats at their moorings.
Sea patrols are carried out with two boats, one in each bay, from 10 am to 8 pm, from 1 June to 15 September. The person on duty reminds boats that the maximum speed in the bay is 3 knots. The Town Council's maritime service warns swimmers who go outside the marked bathing areas, because they are putting their safety at risk there: swim inside the buoys.
Checked
Data checked in October 2026 against: Catalan Wikipedia (Platja Gran de Cadaqués, Platja des Poal, Platja de ses Oliveres, Platja d'en Ros, Platja des Llané Gran, Platja des Llané Petit, Platja de sa Conca, Platja de Portlligat), the Cadaqués tourist office (visitcadaques.org, sculptures) and the Ajuntament de Cadaqués (seasonal beach use and services plan, 2025).
Quick questions
Are the beaches in Cadaqués sandy?
Not entirely: they are made of coarse sand, gravel and pebbles. Platja Gran, for example, mixes sand, gravel and pebbles, and Sa Conca is gravel.
Are the beaches in Cadaqués patrolled?
The Town Council patrols the sea with two boats, one in each bay, from 10 am to 8 pm, from 1 June to 15 September, according to its 2025 use plan.
Can you take pebbles from Portlligat beach?
No. Its pebbles, called passanelles in the local speech of Cadaqués, must not be taken: the Town Council forbids it.