Platja del Moll Grec, l'Escala, Girona, Costa Brava

And this is because, as the name suggests, on the right side of the beach are, still standing, part of the Greek harbor from I century BC, a stone wall built by the ancient inhabitants to protect the boats on the beach from the waves. This wall is fully accessible and visitors can walk through it. The environment is really lovely, as this beach is next to the coastal path that serves as a boardwalk that crosses the coves of l’Escala, with a pine forest just behind the beach, and typical dune formations that forms in a natural way in this area.

Old greek dock stone in Playa del Moll Grec, in l'Escala, Costa Brava, Spain

The Moll Grec beach is 400 meters long, 40 meters wide and is composed of fine sand. Beside the creek you will also find small islands which can be reached by swimming, given the small distance between the shore and these rocky outcrops. Often many fishermen take advantage of this great location to throw their fishing rods.

Little rocks in Platja del Moll Grec, an excellent place for children to explore and play

This beach, despite its unspoiled nature, offers all types of services you can expect from a great one. It has been awarded with the blue flag quality. Indeed, Moll Grec beach has showers, bins, snack bar, hire pedalos, kiosk, sunbed and a rescue and surveillance team in the summer months.

Playa del Moll Grec offers excellent facilities to the bathers

As mentioned, the beach is opposite the center of Sant Martí d’Empúries, which is about 200 meters north, and that was the first greek historical center, from ancient Phocaea, before the people who occupied the ruins of Empúries (which are in turn just a few meters south from our beach). Sant Martí d’Empúries is today a charming medieval village that has excellent restaurants, perfect to complement a great day at the beach and that are not far from it.

Sant Martí d'Empúries medieval village, just a few meters from Moll Grec beach

And just few meters south of Moll Grec you’ll find more beautiful beaches as the Portitxol, 400 meters far away, once you pass another beautiful one: the Muscleres Beach.

Therefore the Moll Grec beach is an excellent opportunity for a fun day with family,  a perfect place to enjoy not only a coastline with clear water of high quality, but also a cultural and natural environment of great importance in the history of the Ampurdan.

Night image of Platja del Moll Grec, with shape of the old harbor wall and, backwards, l'Escala

Marine cemetery in l'Escala, Girona, Costa Brava, Spain

L’Escala is a well-known village on the Costa Brava known for its production of good quality anchovies. In 1835 this cemetery was founded to be the burial place of the villagers. From 1970 burials were stopped because of the ban of doing it in urban centers.

L'Escala cemetery niches shine with a dazzling white colour under the sun

However, from that time the life of this neoclassical jewel did just begin as a monument, because, also to prevent it from real estate speculation, the neighborhood movement succeeded in pressuring the authorities to be declared historic-artistic monument, as it was done in 1974.

The cemetery is composed of an atrium at the entrance, a majority of niche area topped with lime coated tympani, which gives them a dazzling white color, typical of many Mediterranean landscapes and, in addition, 4 pantheons. The chapel belongs to the Maranges family pantheon.

Photographer Josep Esquirol headstone, in l'Escala cemetery

The marine cemetery of L’Escala hosts the remains of two great catalan. The first is Caterina Albert, born in this village and who, under the male pseudonym Victor Català, wrote great works of XIXth century Catalan literature, the most important of which was Solitude. We also found Josep Esquirol tomb, the l’Escala photographer who took the first pictures from the archaeological site of Empúries, and whose photographic collection is preserved in the villa.

Caterina Albert tomb (writer known as Victor Català)

Portitxol Beach, in l'Escala, Girona, Costa Brava, Spain

You can access to the Portitxol beach from the Paseo de las Dunas, a coastal path (a natural boulevard) very well conditioned that runs about 2.5 km along from L’Escala center to the nearby medieval village of Sant Martí d’Empúries, in the north. Along this path we will find an interesting succession of coves and also a set of coastal dunes that shape the landscape of some of these natural beaches in the Costa Brava center. This dunes also contribute to keep the typical flora and fauna in the area.

Scenic view of Platja del Portitxol, in l'Escala

To the right of the beach, overlooking the sea, we find a series of steep rock ledges. They are called the Pedrigolet and Les Coves, beyond which lies the beach Playa del Rec, in front of a forest which has the same name. Because of its peculiar morphology and shallow rocky, it offers an excellent opportunity to explore its crystal clear underwater world, just even snorkeling.

Right side of Portitxol Beach offers to bathers curious rock ledges

To the left of the beach, with the incomparable view offered by the landscape of Cap de Creus and the bay of Roses, we find the rock ledges of the Muscleres Petites, belonging to the beach of the same name, another of the beautiful beaches spread along the Paseo de les Dunes. Just opposite you’ll find one of the entrance door of the Greek ruins of Ampúrias.

Aerial view of Portitxol Beach, that shows its location next to Ampurias Archeological Ruins

In front of Portitxol beach we can see the historical building that today is the Hostal Empúries. Of clean, white facade, it was built in 1908 by the Paradis family, from L’Escala, to host the archaeologists team who, under the command of Puig i Cadafalch, worked on the excavations of the above mentioned ruins. The building has from there remained here, looking always Portitxol beach throughout the 20th century until, in 2003, it was reformed and today is a very nice spa hotel of great ecological interest, adding a new attraction to this natural zone.

Nice sunset in Portitxol Beach and Hostal Empúries, l'Escala, Costa Brava, Spain

The archaeological excavations in this settlement started in 1908 and investigators still work on it, given the importance of the findings that have been discovered over the years (it is estimated that so far has been unearthed only 25% of its extension).

South gate in the Neápolis wall

We know that from the 6th century BC the Greeks colonized the area, coming into direct contact with the Iberian civilization. There are many iberian important settlements on the Empordà. But it was in the 218 B.C. when the Romans began their journey to the Iberian peninsula and they did precisely through of the Bay of Roses, where this wonderful place is located.

Empúries Ruins, domus roman house

The ruins are located about 2 km from l’Escala (south) and about 500 meters from St. Martí d’Empúries (north). A beautiful promenade, opened in 1992, connects both places.

The tour through the ruins lasts approximately an hour and a quarter, and it is recommended not to go in the middle of the day during the summer, due to excessive heat and little shade outside the area. They show remains of Roman and Greek buildings. For example, it has been preserved in excellent condition the statue of Asklepios, god of medicine, located inside this god’s temple.

For all its archaeological wealth, Empúries is a privileged place to understand the evolution of our western Mediterranean roots, both Greek and Roman.

Asklepius, god of medicine