Another hugely popular Spanish town, Cadaques in the Costa Brava region, has decided to dramatically reduce the number of cruise ship passengers allowed to disembark in the latest bid to tackle overcrowding and alleviate congestion.
The measure aims to alleviate congestion on the central Es Portal beach, where these tourist vessels dock.
Influxes in this area often lead to mobility issues during peak hours because it is close to several key service areas and open to vehicle traffic.
Following an agreement between the local council and two cruise companies that operate in Roses – a municipality in Costa Brava where most vessels come from – only half of the daily passenger capacity will be able to visit Cadaques.
The measure is set to be trialled in August and its impact will be assessed thereafter. Starting this Thursday, only two out of three cruise ships visiting Cadaques each morning and another two in the afternoon will be allowed to dock.
Such vessels can carry up to 250 passengers each, or 1,000 daily depending on the number of trips made. With a registered population of only 2,900 residents, in the summer visitor numbers can swell to a staggering 30,000 – an increase of 934.5 percent.
The reduction is not expected to affect cruise operators from L'Escala or Portvendres, who visit Cadaqués less frequently and carry fewer passengers.
“It's a real problem that affects mobility and safety,” explained Manel Rahola, Councilor for Maritime Services at Cadaques Town Hall, noting that Es Portal beach becomes particularly crowded during peak times in summer due to its abundance of bars, restaurants and delivery vehicles.
“The streets are narrow and it's dangerous; if there are crowds, it's difficult to walk around, which is why we've decided to act,” he added while acknowledging that Cadaques was an attractive destination for many.
Els Blaus de Roses described Cadaques as “a traditional Mediterranean village” that “seems to have stopped in time”. They highlighted it as the place that the artist Salvador Dalí fell in love with which led him to establish his atelier and residence on the nearby beach of Port Lligat.
From the potential thousand daily cruise passengers that arrive at the seaside town, a cap of 450 has been set. Those visiting in the morning can stay all day. The remaining passengers will be taken to another area for swimming or water activities directly from the ship. At the end of the day, ships will collect passengers and return them to Roses.
This initiative follows previous efforts by the council to manage visitor numbers during peak seasons. In 2021, measures were introduced to regulate access to Parc Natural del Cap de Creus and its coves to prevent road congestion and reduce visitor numbers.
According to Els Blaus de Roses, morning departures take place at 9.45am from Santa Margarita and 10am from Roses and can only be purchased for “the whole day” for 45 euros – or for just under £38. One arrives at Cadaques at 11am, with pick up between 5 and half past 5 in the evening.
The afternoon is limited to a two-hour stop and the company may vary the stop time without prior notice, but will always inform of the stop time and return time.