Menu Hamburger Logo Menu close Logo
Barcelona Travel Hacks home logo

Historic Collioure Beach town with Fortresses

Historic Beach town in southern France on the Côte Vermeille with two fortresses, a historic harbour, town beaches and great restaurants

Updated: Jun 28, 2024 by: Barcelona Travel Hacks Views: 1k

About Collioure Beach Town in France

Collioure is a French-Catalan town on the Côte Vermeille once being part of Spain. The town has multiple fortresses and is known for its outstanding beauty, rich cultural and artistic heritage.

Known as the City of Painters, artists, poets and writers have always been inspired by this pretty harbour town with its magical light and unique sunsets. Picasso, Matisse and many others have produced paintings of this town. Today Collioure has about 30 art galleries and small botique art shops.

Collioure is a historic walled city and former important Mediterranean trading port. The harbour has a pier with a stone lighthouse and plenty of seafront restaurants. Whenever I go to Collioure I eat in Chez Simone which is a small tapas restaurant with outside dining on the promenade offering views of the Royal Chateu, church and port. My favorite dish is the Patatas bravas sauce revisitee and a few glasses of wine.

Behind the walled part of the seafront is the El barri de Moure, the fisherman's village with small art galleries, boutique shops and beautiful houses in cobbled streets. I recommend exploring this part of town.

Collioure can be visited as a Long Day trip or as a Weekend break by train from Barcelona.

Visiting Collioure Beach Town in France

I have visited Collioure on multiple occasions and it is a town that merits at least a day for exploration or better a weekend.

The Stone windmill is set in a small picnic area and can be viewed from the outside. There is a barred gate on the door so the inside can be seen.

There is no option to buy tickets online for the fortresses. I just paid at time of arrival.

What to take with you for Collioure Beach Town in France

You may be asked to leave large rucksacks, suitcases and large bags in the reception of both fortresses.

Visits to both of Collioure's fortresses involve a lot of stairs and cobbled streets so is challenging for people with reduced mobility or pushchairs. The town of Collioure is is flat along the front but with narrow cobbled streets with ramps and steps into the historic town centre.

Neither fortress offers an audio guide.

Collioure Beach Town in France Tickets

minivan tour from Barcelona. Have breakfast in Spain and lunch in France on this guided day trip from Barcelona. Explore the old town of Girona in Catalunya and the village of Collioure in France. Learn about Girona's links to the Games of Thrones and the cyclist Lance Armstrong from your guide taking a leisurely stroll through the heart of the old town. Savour a light breakfast of coffee with a local specialty, a xuixo pastry. Cross the border without hassle before arriving in in Collioure, a village on the southern French coast with a population of about 2000 people. Explore Collioure briefly with your guide, then enjoy free time to have lunch and relax in front of the Mediterranean Sea. Return to Barcelona.

Powered by GetYourGuide
    Catalunya 4 days small group tour:
  • DAY 1: Hike a section of the famous Camino de Ronda along the Costa Brava
  • DAY 2: E-bikes ready for a journey through the Emporda region, one of the twelve wine regions in Catalonia.
  • DAY 3: According to the season we will visit either Perpignan, Ceret or Collioure.
  • DAY 4: Girona old town centre the filming location for Bravos and King's Landing in Game of Thrones
Powered by GetYourGuide

Getting to Collioure Beach Town in France

Address: Place du 18 Juin, Collioure, France. 66190

There are two ways of getting to Collioure from Barcelona by train:

  1. Barcelona-Sants to Perpignan (1h 22min) then SNCF local commuter train from Perpignan to Collioure. (20 min)
  2. Slower Regional R11 train from Barcelona-Sants to Cerbère (France), passing via Barcelona-Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona-Sant Andreu Comtal, Sant Celoni, Girona, Figueres and Portbou terminating in Cerbère. (2h 37min) From Cerbère a SNCF local commuter train to Collioure. (15 min)

See the Collioure Train Map in the documents section for more information.

Free parking can be found at Collioure train station, Parking de la Gare, and pay parking, Parking Le Glacis in the centre of town.

Documents for Collioure Beach Town in France

Click on any one of the 6 PDFs to view in full screen and download.

Wikiloc Trail for Collioure Beach Town in France

a0278 - Collioure Beach Town in France with Fortresses

An easy 8Km circular town route in Collioure via El barri de Moure, Historic Port and church, Chateu Royal and Fort Sant Elme and beaches

Distance: 8 km

Difficulty: Easy

Return Travel Fare: €42.00

Transport Network: Regional + SNCF

Weather for Collioure

Where to stay overnight in the Collioure Beach Town & Fortresses

Things to do near Collioure Beach Town in France

Tags for Collioure Beach Town in France

Thanks for reading about Historic Collioure Beach town with Fortresses

Ask a question via Facebook

Please support me

Happy travels and exploring.