Hotels in Portbou

Portbou

Portbou is a small coastal town and municipality of the Alt Empordà, the last Spanish town on the Costa Brava before France. It lies in a bay at the foot of the Albera hills, about 3 km from the border. The town grew around its huge railway station, which once held the customs and immigration facilities of the line between Spain and France. A tunnel joins it to Cerbère on the French side, and regional trains still reach Portbou from Figueres and Girona. The philosopher Walter Benjamin reached Portbou on 25 September 1940 after crossing the hills on foot from Banyuls-sur-Mer, and he is buried in the town's cemetery. In front of the cemetery stands Passages, the memorial to him by the Israeli artist Dani Karavan, opened in 1994. A walking route starts at the foot of the station stairs and follows his steps through the town. Portbou is known for uncrowded pebble beaches, with more coves along the coast outside the town. The GR 92 coastal trail runs through it, and the church of Santa Maria gives views over the bay. It suits walkers, travellers arriving by train and anyone looking for a quiet stretch of the northern Costa Brava.