Beaches and coves in l'Escala
From long sands to hidden coves: 13 beaches and coves in l'Escala.
See it on the mapEverything in l'Escala
Platja de les BarquesBeach or coveLa Platja, also known as Platja de les Barques, is a beach located right in the heart of the town centre of l'Escala. Until 1962 it was used to moor fishermen's boats, as the port of l'Escala had not yet been built. You can still see some of the mooring bollards where the boats were tied up, as well as old 18th-century mooring posts used by large coastal trading vessels. With a length of 103 m and an area of 2,420 m² of coarse sand, it is very popular with local swimmers. It hosts the popular Cantada d'havaneres (sea shanty singalong) on the first Thursday of August; the Festa de la Sal, on the third Saturday of September; and the Greco-Roman fair Triumvirat Mediterrani, on the first weekend of May.
Platja del PedrigoletBeach or coveCala del Pedrigolet is a small beach in the municipality of l'Escala (Alt Empordà), located next to the Búnquer del Pedrigolet, facing the puig del Pedró, between Platja del Rec del Molí and Platja del Portitxol. It is the only pebble cove along the Empúries coastline. Accessible from the camí de ronda coastal path, it's a great spot for observing the seabed.
Platja Cala Mar d'en ManassaBeach or coveLa Mar d'en Manassa és una petita platja de còdols situada al nucli urbà de l'Escala (Alt Empordà). De 20 metres de longitud, s'hi accedeix per la Ronda d'en Manassa, baixant unes escales. La Mar d'en Manassa acull a l'estiu el festival Portalblau.
Platja de l'Illa MateuaBeach or coveCala Illa Mateua is a rocky beach in the municipality of l'Escala (Alt Empordà), located between the Port and the Montgó point, in the Planasses area, which forms part of the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park. It is 170 metres long and 15 metres wide, made up of pebbles, and is surrounded by cliffs. It takes its name from the islet located at one of its ends, 20 metres from the shore. On 8 September 1963, the French Navy tugboat Contentin, known as Constantin, sank here. Its remains lie at a shallow depth and can be seen while diving.
Platja de la CreuBeach or coveLa Creu is a rocky cove at the north-western edge of the old town of L'Escala, in the Alt Empordà, between the Rec del Molí and the Platja de l'Escala, below the hill and the Pedró neighbourhood. Facing the tramontane wind, small warehouses or fishermen's huts were built there, along with ramps for launching small boats and for boarding. The name comes from a wayside cross that has since disappeared.
Platja de les MuscleresBeach or coveLes Muscleres beach, or Convent beach, is a beach located opposite the ruins of Empúries, in the municipality of l'Escala. It is 638 metres long with a surface area of 14,394 m² of fine sand. It is bordered by two islets connected to the shore by a sandbar: to the north, Muscleres Grans, which borders Moll Grec beach, and to the south, Muscleres Petites, which borders Portitxol beach. The islets, rich in mussels, give the beach a shell-like shape and act as a protective breakwater on days of rough sea.
Platja del Moll GrecBeach or cove · Sant Martí d'EmpúriesMoll Grec beach, or Sant Martí d'Empúries beach, is a beach in the municipality of l'Escala (Alt Empordà). It is 620.9 metres long and 30.5 metres wide, with fine sand and pebbles. At the northern end, the breakwater known as Punta de Sant Martí separates it from Riuet beach, and right opposite stands the Casa del Servei Forestal, in the village of Sant Martí d'Empúries. At the southern end there are small islets known as the Muscleres Grans, which border Muscleres beach, just a few metres from the ruins of Empúries. The name Moll Grec comes from the remains of a Hellenistic dyke found on the right-hand side, which served as the gateway for the Greek and Roman civilisations into the Iberian Peninsula. The Agència Catalana de l'Aigua carries out a weekly water quality check during the bathing season, with an excellent result. Some maps, such as that of the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya, call the stretch of beach between Punta de Sant Martí and Moll Grec, to the south, Empúries beach, while others, such as that of the Agència Catalana de l'Aigua, call the stretch of Riuet beach, to the north of Punta de Sant Martí, Empúries beach.
Platja del PortitxolBeach or covePortitxol beach is a beach in the municipality of l'Escala (Alt Empordà). With a length of 245 metres and 3,224 m² of fine sand, it can be reached from the Empúries seafront promenade, right next to the entrance to the Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya-Empúries. On the right side of the beach stands the Portitxol arch, a striking rock formation. Behind it lies the historic Hostal Empúries, where films have been shot, such as Menú degustació, by Roger Gual, in 2013.
Platja del Rec del MolíBeach or coveRec del Molí beach is a beach in the municipality of l'Escala (Alt Empordà). It is the first of the Empúries beaches. It is 377 metres long and covers an area of 7,366 m² of fine sand. At the end closest to the puig del Pedró, the Rec del Molí stream flows in, coming from the Ter river. For this reason, the first 160 metres are declared unsuitable for swimming; from that marked area onwards there is a stretch where dogs are allowed, and the rest of the beach is for swimmers only.
Platja del RiuetBeach or cove · Sant Martí d'EmpúriesThe Riuet beach is a natural beach in the municipality of l'Escala. With a length of 445 metres and 15,567 m² of fine sand, it has two distinct areas: the part just below the village of Sant Martí d'Empúries, also known as Miranda beach, and further north, the more natural part of the beach, which stretches to the mouth of the Riu Vell or Riuet, where nudism is practised. The area is ideal for water sports such as windsurfing or light sailing.
Platja del SalpatxBeach or coveSalpatx beach is a beach in the municipality of l'Escala (Alt Empordà), located in the Planasses area, which forms part of the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park. It is 170 metres long and 10 metres wide, made up of pebbles. It lies at the foot of the cliffs along which the GR-92 coastal path runs. It takes its name from the small islet just in front of it, which was shaped like a wineskin. The Salpatx rock lost its original shape when it broke apart due to the pounding of the sea in January 2020.
Platja dels RiellsBeach or coveRiells beach, located in the municipality of l'Escala, is a beach on the Costa Brava. It lies at the edge of the town centre, sheltered from the open sea by the bay. It borders a stretch of promenade to the north-west and the port of l'Escala to the north-east. It is 582 m long with an average width of 53 m of medium-grain sand.
Platja Port d'en PerrisBeach or coveEl Port d'en Perris és una platja situada al nucli antic de l'Escala (Alt Empordà). Amb una longitud de 30 metres i una superfície de 785 m² de còdols i sorra gruixuda, està flanquejada per dues llengües de terra: la Punta, a l'esquerra, i l'Olla, a la dreta. Antigament havia estat utilitzada com a port pesquer. Les Drassanes de l'Escala estan situades molt a prop, on s'hi construïen llaguts, bous, teranyines i bots, com el llagut Mestral que l'escriptor Josep Pla es va fer construir el 1944 i va ser varat al Port d'en Perris, enmig d'una gran expectació.