Platja dels Morts
The Local Anchor
The beach’s name, ‘Of the Dead,’ is a haunting echo of its past. Until the early 20th century, this cove served as the solemn landing point for funeral processions from the neighbouring village of Portbou, which lacked its own cemetery. The departed were brought by sea to be laid to rest in Colera’s sacred ground. This poignant history infuses the landscape with a profound sense of reverence. Today, that somber duty has given way to the vibrant life of the region's culinary traditions. Imagine a post-swim meal in a nearby taverna, indulging in a classic ‘mar i muntanya’—a Catalan surf and turf that marries local chicken with sweet, succulent lobster, a testament to the land and sea that define this coast.
The Landscape
Set against a backdrop of rugged, sun-scorched cliffs, Platja dels Morts is a study in dramatic contrasts. The beach itself is a sweeping curve of dark pebbles, polished to a sheen by the relentless caress of the waves. The water is startlingly clear, its depths shifting from crystalline turquoise near the shore to a profound sapphire further out. This is a coastline sculpted by wind and time, a wild and authentic stretch of the Mediterranean far from the clamor of more manicured shores. The raw, untouched nature of the landscape invites exploration, a scramble over the rocks revealing hidden perspectives of this starkly beautiful corner of the Alt Empordà.
