Coordinates: 42.4271840000, 3.1609110000 (map)
The city beach of Portbou (Platja Gran de Portbou) is the northernmost beach on the Costa Brava coast that is fully equipped for the pleasure of its visitors: it has restaurants, bars, shops, showers, bathrooms and parking. The beach is long and narrow, measuring 270 m long and 15 m across, with dark grainy sand coverage. A small marina can be found to the right.
Despite the impressive list of amenities in Portbou, its beach enjoys moderate crowds even at the peak of the high season in July and August. Most of the tourists vacationing here are Catalans and their neighbours from France (the French-Spanish border is only a kilometre away from Portbou)—vacationers from other countries rarely venture north of Roses or Cadaqués, preferring to stay closer to Barcelona.