Empúries Archaeological Site

Website: https://museuempuries.cat/

Empúries is an archaeological complex on the Costa Brava in Catalonia near the town of L’Escala, notable for a continuity of Greek and Roman occupation from the 6th century BCE onward.

The site presents visible remains from both the original Greek colony and the later Roman town, including foundation walls, paved streets and several mosaic floors from the Roman period (mainly 1st-3rd centuries AD). An adjacent museum displays many of the smaller finds and helps interpret the layout of the excavated areas.

Founded by Greek colonists around 575 BCE and later reoccupied and reorganized under Roman rule as Emporiae, the settlement functioned as a coastal trading port and urban centre through antiquity before decline in the medieval period. Excavations in the 20th century uncovered the layered Greek and Roman plans still visible today.

The ruins sit on the Sant Martí d’Empúries peninsula beside the town of L’Escala in Girona province, on the Mediterranean coast of the Costa Brava. The site fronts the sea and is immediately accessible from the town’s promenade.

• Visitor practicalities: Open air site with exposed ruins and loose surfaces, wear sturdy footwear and sun protection for summer visits.
• Onsite museum: The on‑site museum consolidates many smaller finds and provides context before or after walking the ruins.

What to See#

• Greek settlement (Palaiapolis): Located on the Sant Martí d’Empúries peninsula, the Greek settlement dates to about 575 BCE and preserves remains of an agora, streets and foundations of domestic buildings.
• Roman town (Emporiae): Contains the later Roman town of Emporiae with a rectilinear street grid, public buildings and mosaic pavements dating largely to the 1st-3rd centuries AD.
• Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya - Empúries: A small on‑site branch of the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya displays finds from the excavations, including coins, pottery and fragments of sculpture.
• Necropolis and fortifications: Several burial areas and fragments of city walls and harbour installations are visible across the site, giving an overview of its role as a coastal trading port.

Empúries lies beside L’Escala on the Costa Brava. From Barcelona, take the RENFE Rodalies line to Girona (about 1-1.5 hours) then a regional bus (Sarfa / TEISA routes) to L’Escala, or rent a car via the C-65 and N-II roads. The site is a 15-20 minute walk along the coast from L’Escala town centre; there is limited parking at the site.

• Buy a combined ticket for the ruins and the on-site museum to understand the finds in context.
• Arrive early (opening) to avoid the midday heat and school groups; late afternoon has softer light for photos.
• Walk the ancient grid slowly: the Greek agora and the Roman houses sit only a few dozen metres apart - allow at least 90 minutes.