Across the Border: Cadaqués to Collioure Coastal Walk

Arrive at Figueres Vilafant train station, where you will be met and transferred to your accommodation in the charming whitewashed seaside town of Cadaqués. This evening, you will meet for your tour briefing.

Cadaqués is a wonderful place to dine, offering an excellent selection of restaurants ranging from small family-run Mediterranean eateries to fresh seafood restaurants, pizza cafés, and lively tapas bars. During your stay, we highly recommend sampling the local seafood — always fresh and perfectly complemented by a chilled bottle of Catalan white wine.

Today, enjoy a scenic circuit walk to Dalí’s house in Port Lligat. Although it lies just over the hill from Cadaqués, the coastal trail is far more rewarding, hugging the rugged shoreline with spectacular Mediterranean views. It is easy to imagine Salvador Dalí walking this path countless times in search of inspiration.

The small bay of Port Lligat is truly beautiful, and it is clear how this peaceful and isolated setting offered Dalí both tranquillity and creative inspiration. The home he shared with his lifelong muse and wife, Gala, began as a humble fisherman’s hut before gradually expanding into a fascinating labyrinth of interconnected rooms and levels through the addition of seven neighbouring houses. The result is a charming, eccentric, and thought-provoking home overlooking the bay.

Visits to the Dalí House Museum should be pre-booked, as visitor numbers are limited (entrance payable locally)

Optional Walk:
• Coastal route to Port Lligat – approximately 2 hours each way
• Inland return route – approximately 1 hour

Optional Extended Walk:
Walk to Cap de Creus – 21 km, approximately 6 hours walking time (excluding breaks).

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Roses, where today’s walk begins. From here, follow a spectacular coastal trail heading east along the rugged Mediterranean shoreline. Along the way, you will pass a series of secluded beaches and hidden coves, offering plenty of opportunities to pause for a swim in the crystal-clear waters.

The route then turns inland, climbing through peaceful hillsides lined with ancient, terraced olive groves before descending back into the beautiful seaside town of Cadaqués.

Today you take the train from Llancà to Portbou (pay locally approx. €4 per person).  From Portbou you carry on walking north enjoying wonderful views over the Pyrenees, the famous Canigou peak, the Cap de Creus and the Mediterranean Sea as you ascend up into the beautiful Catalan hills and cross the border into France. Your next stop is the French seaside town of Banyuls Sur Mer, nestled in the heart of the Côte Vermeille (Vermilion Coast).  

Banyuls manages to combine the authentic character of a town steeped in traditions with the dynamism of a modern city. Originally a fishing village that turned to wine-making and developed essentially with tourism, Banyuls owes its world reputation to its exceptional wines and its spectacular vineyards that plunge down to the sea. 

Your final walking day is from Banyuls to Collioure along quiet lanes and cliff-top paths around the 
rugged Cap Béar headland. The views are spectacular - you can see as far as Cap de Creus in 
clear weather.  Choose a spot and stop for a swim before winding your way through vineyards to 
reach the end of your journey. The French coastal town of Collioure is dominated by a fort and castle at the very edge of the sheltered harbour.  

Of the four little salmon-pink towns along the Vermillion Coast, Collioure is the star.  It is a picturesque ensemble of old town, beaches, waterfront castle and church, all set around a beautiful bay. In the early 1900s Matisse and Derain started painting here, and their work is displayed on walls throughout the town.