El Port De La Selva: Heritage and Coastal Paths

Discover El Port de la Selva through its cultural heritage and coastal landscape. Highlights include Romanesque and pre-Romanesque religious buildings, archaeological remains, and routes of varying distances and durations. The Parc Natural del Cap de Creus extends across, among other places, the municipality of el Port de la Selva.

Cultural heritage from Romanesque architecture to archaeology

The Sant Pere de Rodes monumental complex brings together the Sant Pere de Rodes monastery, the settlement of Santa Creu and Verdera Castle. The monastery church is considered an exceptional work of Catalan Romanesque architecture for its distinctive character and age. Castell de Sant Salvador de Verdera stands on the highest peak of the Serra de Rodes, at 670 metres; a footpath to the castle begins beside the monastery entrance. Conditions on the path may vary, so check them before setting out.

The Església de Santa Helena de Rodes has pre-Romanesque origins and served as the church for the medieval settlement of Santa Creu. In el Port de la Selva itself stands the Església de Santa Maria de les Neus, a building from the first half of the 20th century in the shape of a Latin cross. After the war, the church was reconstructed in 1944, extended in 1962 and modernised. Inside is a 15th-century Gothic polychrome stone image of Sant Pere, saved from the monastery’s looting.

The Ermita de Sant Baldiri de Taballera comprises a church, a rectory and other auxiliary buildings in a partly fortified enclosure with a round watchtower. The tower dates from 1558 and has been protected as a BCIN since 1985; the complex is classified as a BCIL. Archaeological excavations show that Sant Baldiri was continuously inhabited from the 6th century until the end of the 19th century. The site thus combines a long history of settlement with a clearly defined architectural ensemble.

The Paradolmen de la Pallera offers another distinctive archaeological focus: it consists of a partly artificial, circular chamber with a narrow corridor; remains of an earlier burial mound have survived. The structure is dated to the first half of the 3rd millennium BC. Its architecture and dating give this site a different timescale from the churches and medieval settlements.

Coastal landscape and routes

Schist shapes the landscape of el Port de la Selva; the rugged coastline is indented with numerous coves. The beaches and coves range from fine sand to rounded stones shaped by the sea and wind. El mirador dels Tres Canons viewpoint looks out over the town, the bay and the surrounding mountains. Far de s’Arenella lies on the coastal path between el Port de la Selva and Llançà. At Punta s’Arenella, a watchtower stood before the lighthouse.

The Itinerari geològic is 5 km long and takes approximately two hours. Its first point, the lighthouse, can be reached by bus via the Cap de Vol stop. The Camí de Sant Baldiri de Taballera leads on foot from the start of the Camí dels Masos to the Ermita, a distance of about 5 km that takes approximately 50 minutes. Despite the similar stated distances, the estimated times differ considerably—a useful guide when planning the scope of a route itinerary. Conditions on the path to the Ermita may vary; check them before setting out.

For a longer route, the Itinerari natural de la Mar d’Amunt fins a Cala Taballera starts in el Port de la Selva. It partly follows the long-distance GR11 trail and covers about 15 km for the round trip, with a total duration of five hours. Another route connection is the Camí de Sant Jaume: its kilometre-zero point is in the town centre, on Avinguda JV Foix right by the sea. One Catalan branch leads from the municipality to the Sant Pere de Rodes monastery.

Activities and seasonal events

There are also a range of activities on the water. Cap de Creus Dive offers access to 20 dive sites in the Parc Natural del Cap de Creus, as well as introductory dives, courses and dives. Club Nàutic del Port de la Selva organises group sailing trips that are open to everyone; no previous experience or sailing skills are required. The trips are offered year-round, weather permitting.

In spring, the Fira de l’Espàrrec celebrates wild asparagus. This food and crafts fair is a seasonal event; dates vary from one edition to another. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the dates for the edition you wish to attend.

Discover more destinations: Cervià De Ter, Bolvir, Vilamaniscle, Besalú, Ger, La Cometa, Joanetes, Vilajuiga

For the main travel overview: Girona.