Golf de Roses Travel Guide

This long, sweeping bay bookended by the towns of Roses to the north and L’Escala the south is lined by the swampy wetlands that form the Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l’Empordà. The marshes provide a refuge for more than 300 bird species, including flamingoes, making the park one of Spain’s prime birdwatching destinations. The pink creatures found on the beach, especially in July and August, are package tourists from northern Europe who flock to the sands around Roses, some of which have been blighted by ugly development. South of the wetlands stand some of Spain’s most important classical ruins. Empúries (pictured above) was founded by the Greeks as the trading colony Emporion, and the Romans later established their own settlement here.