With the largest residential marina in Europe, Empuriabrava is a magnet for people who love amphibious living. The lion’s share of houses back out on one of dozens of canals, and every household here owns at least one boat.
The canal network was planned and built in 1960’s-70’s. Its main loop is a popular visitor attraction: You can rent an electric-power boat for a leisurely cruise that takes under an hour for a full circle. These tourist boats are not allowed into the side canals, so you can only glance along those.
Thankfully, there are plenty of eye-catching houses facing the main canal. The all-day-long traffic probably makes them less desirable than houses in more tranquil private spots, but nonetheless they are built to impress. Here are a few examples.
The styles range from traditional to more modern.
This modern one is probably my personal favorite.
Is there a dog on that roof?
Nah, it’s a painting.
A fun little cruise that the children especially like (Hint: give them the boat wheel for a while).
Empuriabrava is built for resort living, with vibrant nightlife and wide-ranging shopping options (not mentioning the luxury boat showrooms that take place of auto dealerships). The canals are its main attraction, but its location on the Gulf on Roses puts it within short drive of a variety of historical and cultural points of interest.
These and other pictures of Empuriabrava can be found in my recent Catalonia Flickr album.