5 days in Cadaqués with the children

Discover Cadaqués: Complete guide to visiting the Costa Brava in 5 days

Are you planning a stay in Catalonia, on the Costa Brava, and looking for activities to do in Cadaqués with your family? Here is an itinerary that we followed as a family with our daughters aged 3 and 6 to discover this region of Spain. In May 2024, we explored this picturesque Costa Brava town on a family trip. Between the beach, pretty villages and good tapas, we loved exploring the surroundings of Cadaquès.

10 things to do in Cadaqués and its surroundings

Visit Dalí's house in Port Lligat: Discover the house where Salvador Dalí lived and worked, a place full of creativity and original objects .

Explore the streets of Cadaqués: Stroll through the charming white streets of this picturesque village and soak up its artistic ambiance.</p >

Taste a Mallorquina: Savor this delicious local brioche in one of the many cafes in Cadaqués.

Relax at Cadaqués beach: Enjoy the fine sandy beaches and crystal clear waters for a relaxing day in the sun.

Rent a boat without a license in Empuriabrava: Navigate the canals of this "Spanish Venice" at your own pace and explore the region from the water.

Discover the Aiguafreda cove: Spend a quiet day in this secluded cove, ideal for swimming and snorkeling.

Visit the Dalí Museum in Figueres: Immerse yourself in the surreal world of Dalí by visiting this fascinating museum dedicated to the artist.

Hiking in the Cap de Creus Natural Park: Explore the spectacular landscapes of this natural park with its hiking trails offering stunning sea views Mediterranean.

Go up to Begur Castle: This medieval castle offers spectacular panoramic views of the Costa Brava and the surrounding countryside.

Spend a day at the Aquabrava water park in Roses: Treat your children to a day of fun and adventure with slides, wave pools and many other water attractions.

When we imagine Cadaquès, we dream of this small town all white, bordered by the ocean. We also think of the famous painter Salvador Dali who lived there and whose house in Portlligat can now be visited.

We loved this corner of Spain. Driving along the coastline of the Costa Brava is super simple and beautiful. All the towns bordering the Mediterranean are so peaceful... Cadaqués is really a favorite for our family, we loved the atmosphere and these special white houses.

Cadaques with family 5 days: what to see? what to do?

DAY 1: Cadaques white city and turquoise waters

Just an hour's drive from the French border, the white village of Cadaques, famous for having sheltered Salvador Dalí.

We are going to explore Cadaques, the most famous town on the Costa Brava.  The white facades and blue doors of the houses covered in bougainvillea have a crazy charm.

Without knowing where to start, we first strolled through the streets of the city. They took us to the small fishing port. Cadaques is truly a charming town to fully enjoy it, we advise you to come out of season. In summer, the city loses all its charm as there are so many people.

La Mallorquina : la pâtisserie de Cadaquès où vous pourrez goûter aux tapas, de petits gâteaux-éponges légers et sucrés en forme de champignons. La Mallorquina, Plaça Doctor Trèmols, 8, Cadaqués.

Our girls are impatient at the idea of ​​putting on swimsuits so we ended the morning at Sa Sabolla cove and Guillola beach. Two pretty beaches to start our journey on the Costa Brava in Spain.

Dali's house in Port Lligat:

The refuge of Dali and his muse Gala is located near an isolated cove in the center of Cadaquès (1.2 km). The house is filled with original details and objects. The garden, with its white and aquatic elements, reminded me of the architecture of César Manrique's works in Lanzarote. The kids loved Dali's zany style.

Don't forget to book your tickets for the visit to Dalí's house. It's very small and the number of visitors is limited.

You can book your tickets for Dalí's house by clicking HERE.

Where to sleep in Cadaqués? Chic adventurers

The sublime campsite wecamp Cadaqués, here you don't sleep in your Decathlon tent but in a beautiful safari-type tent. The campsite is super chic with all the comforts so you don't have to leave (swimming pool, supermarket, terrace, etc.).

Approximately €84 per night for 4

DAY 2: Discovery of the town of Roses on the costa brava

Before arriving in Rosas, we prepared a picnic and we went hiking to the Dolmen de la Creu d'en Cobertella. We wanted to escape a few hours from the beach or the city and this little walk, very easy, can be done as a family. A beautiful walk with magnificent views. Children are interested in the historical curiosities that line the route, while waiting to find the dolmens. A very accessible short course to do with the family.

We did not linger in Roses. This town is by the sea but doesn't have much charm. We went directly to the beaches of Canyelle Petite and Almadrava. The coast is steep and the turquoise water is what we liked here.

Hotel Mas Lazuli. Sublime boutique hotel in the countryside with infinity pool and crazy breakfast. Around €480 per night for 4.

EMPURIABRAVA

It is nicknamed the Venice of Spain because of its canals of course! Empuriabrava has a residential marina which is the largest in Europe. We came to spend the morning in Empuriabrava, and we surprised the children byrenting an electric boat without a license. Let's go for a nice one-hour trip on the water, the four of us. Everything is so much more beautiful from the water... We navigated the canals to observe the different houses. Architecture fans like me will be served. Each house has its own style and the gardens with swimming pool are very well landscaped. Almost everyone in his dream villas has a boat with a private pontoon. Life must be peaceful here...

We finished the afternoon, following the coast to Begur, our next stop. The beaches are not the prettiest but the children were happy to swim.

We arrived at the end of the day in Begur to stay there for 2 nights.

Alta House Begur a hotel in the city center with swimming pool and breakfast. Around €130 for a double room. The view from the terrace is incredible. Don't hesitate to go there for a drink even if you're not staying there.

Swimming on the legendary beach of Aiguablava

DAY 3: Begur my favorite on the Costa Brava

My favorite part of the stay! We decided to stay 2 nights and 3 days to take the time to soak up life here.

The small turquoise cove Sa Tuna is the most typical and picturesque in Begur. What we love here are the pretty white fishermen's houses. The shutters of these old fishermen's huts are of all colors. A landscape worthy of a postcard on the edge of the Mediterranean. A real corner of paradise that I particularly loved.

The Sa Tuna restaurant is a great place to taste a typical dish “arroces caldosos” (rice cooked in a broth in the same spirit as paella).

After a quick tour of town to buy something to picnic at the beach, we chose to move away a little and take the coastal path towards the Aiguafreda cove to dipping. A lovely walk along the sea awaits you. Once arrived, settle on the rocks and dive into this translucent water.

Further, the Ses Vaques cove which is accessed by a large stone staircase which plunges into the Mediterranean. These two beaches are particularly popular with scuba divers.

Return to the hotel to relax a bit. We came out to access Begur Castle. Barely 10 minutes of climbing to reach the top. We were a little disappointed to see that only ruins remained but the view is sublime from the top.

DAY 4: between heavenly beaches in Aiguablava and nature walks in Fornells

This morning we arrived at the Aiguablava beach early enough to enjoy one of the prettiest beaches in Begur. One of the best known too... The beach is aptly named "blue water" in Catalan and it's a real eye-catcher.

After swimming, we went on an excursion taking the coastal path which runs along the coastline to the left of the beach. An easy walk between sea and nature for families with children like us.

We quickly arrive at Fornells, a pretty little fishing port. It feels like Greece, the houses are white and overlook the Mediterranean Sea. I loved this place and especially this surprise in the middle of the walk.

We continued the walk following the march de patrol (cami de ronda). Throughout the walk, we discovered coves, each prettier than the other. First stop at Fonda Beach for a nap under the pine trees. On this beach our girls were able to enjoy a natural swimming pool.

4-day stay on the Costa Brava with children

On the advice of a friend, we turned back towards Fornells to have a drink at the Aiguablava Hotel. And we weren't disappointed with the view...

Return to our hotel after a beautiful day of walking and swimming.

We went out at the end of the day to enjoy the old town. Medieval buildings and whitewashed houses mingle with splendid colonial residences.

We went to see the Torre Pella i Forgas in the center of Begur and the colored stairs at number 15 of Santa Reparada street. I loved strolling around town, especially in the pretty boutiques (take a stroll through the Cactus boutique), to bring back local crafts.

Evening on the town to taste tapas and sangria like the locals. The Spanish art of living is something! All generations meet up for a drink in town before returning for a family dinner. I love watching the locals when I travel. Their lifestyles are always different from ours. There were lots of children in the streets that evening and our girls were able to play hide and seek without difficulty despite the language barrier.

On the way back to France, we stopped at Figueras to visit the Dali museum but also for a lunch break on the terrace.

The Dali museum was entirely designed by the artist and the building itself is a work of art. The kids loved this futuristic art style. We spent 1 hour there then went to lunch in town before hitting the road back home.

If you have time, you can drive to the Salto de Caula waterfalls near Figueras. They say they are beautiful! 

If you want to go further south, you can stop at Tossa de Mar and Girona. Two very pretty medieval towns, surrounded by walls whose charm will not leave you indifferent.

TOSSA DE MAR

Pretty white town with bougainvillea, we love it. The day we enjoyed the beautiful beaches with turquoise waters nearby. Cova d'es berganti and Then at the end of the day we discovered the Vila Vella (the Old Town) and the ruins of its ancient castle. We continued our discovery of Tossa de Mar by strolling through the cobbled streets of the fortified enclosure and going up to the lighthouse to admire another equally beautiful viewpoint.

GERONE

New stop in another pretty medieval town surrounded by walls. Girona is our travel favorite. Access to the old town is full of charm, it is reached by crossing small bridges over the Onyar river. In Girona, the houses are colorful unlike in Cadaquès. Once is not customary if we ask you who designed the red metal bridge you tell us? Gustave Eiffel of course!

In Girona there are two churches: Sant Feliu and Santa Maria de Girona. We then went through the Jewish quarter. This medieval district is super well preserved, these streets you walk on date from the Middle Ages! It is one of the best preserved ancient Jewish neighborhoods in the world. We strolled around the town and enjoyed some tapas on the terrace for lunch. Before returning to the hotel, we tasted the city's specialty: xuixo, fried croissant filled with cream and sprinkled with sugar, a sweet specialty of Girona.