Jcb-caz-11 · CC BY-SA 4.0Coastal village
Portbou is a town in the Alt Empordà county, in the Province of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. As of 2024, it has a population of 1131 people.
Portbou is located near the French border in the Costa Brava region, and frequently serves as a dropping off point for SNCF trains coming from Cerbère in France.
Portbou was a small but important point for the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War, as it was one of the few places from where they could get supplies from abroad.
Portbou is where German Jewish philosopher Walter Benjamin died by suicide, and was buried in 1940. There is a monument in his honor, by Dani Karavan.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
The essentials for getting around Portbou without surprises: how to get there, municipal facts and when it's most worth coming.
Coordinates: 42.4265° N, 3.1594° E
By bus: check the regional bus timetables, they change by season. If you come without a car, confirm the last service back before you leave.
We only list verified numbers. The town hall itself will give you the number of the clinic or the pharmacy.
There are no events in Portbou's calendar yet, so any month works. Ask us about the local festivals: almost every village has one.
Spring
Mild temperatures and the village still quiet.
Summer
Busy summers: book accommodation in advance.
Autumn
Water still warm, lower prices and calm.
Winter
Mild but quiet winter: some businesses slow down.
Keep exploring
