Town · Catalonia, Spain · 42.43°N 3.16°E
Portbou, Spain
Portbou is a town of 1,077 people in Catalonia, with January highs of 12°C, 1 day a year above 35°C, a hospital 24.3 km from the centre and Perpignan-Rivesaltes (Llabanère) Airport (PGF) 42 km away.
Weather now
Forecast: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0)
Normal for November, 1991-2020
15°high · low 10°C · 8 rain days
Who Portbou suits
Generated from the data below by published rulesGood fit for
- Beach loversA beach 0.2 km from the centre
- People who dislike heat28°C July highs and 1 day a year above 35°C
Weaker fit for
Nothing stands out as a weaker fit.
Climate comfort
58/ 100
Top 30% in Spain
Based on: Average January high, Days above 35°C a year in the last ten years, Days with rain a year, Tropical nights a year in the last ten years, Frost days a year in the last ten years
Car-free living
42/ 100
Rank 1,558 of 2,696 in Spain
Based on: Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Pharmacies within a 15-minute walk, Cafés within a 15-minute walk, Distance to the nearest train station, Distance to the nearest bus station
Access to services
28/ 100
Rank 2,299 of 2,697 in Spain
Based on: Distance to the nearest hospital, Distance to the nearest airport with scheduled flights, Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Doctors and clinics within a 15-minute walk, Schools within a 15-minute walk
How precise is each number?Town-levelmeasured or computed for this townModelledestimated from a grid or a modelRegionalonly available for the wider area
Portbou compared with Barcelona
Pick another town in Spain to see the differences in plain terms.
- 1°C colder in JanuaryAverage January highPortbou 12°CBarcelona 13°C
- 1°C hotter in JulyAverage July highPortbou 28°CBarcelona 27°C
- 12 fewer rainy days a yearDays with rain per yearPortbou 80Barcelona 92
- About the same number of very hot daysDays above 35°C per yearPortbou 0.6Barcelona 0.5
- 7 min less daylight in DecemberDaylight on 21 DecemberPortbou 9 h 04 minBarcelona 9 h 11 min
Climate today
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020Month by month
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysis 1991-2020August is the warmest month (28°C average high) and January the coolest (12°C). October is the wettest (97 mm) and July the driest (17 mm).
Best time to visit
- Walking and cyclingJune and SeptemberBy the published month rules
- Not ideal for warm-weather holidaysDecember to FebruaryBy the published month rules
- Sea at 20°C or warmer ModelledJuly to SeptemberOpen sea nearby, monthly average
- JanuaryAir 12°Sea 13°7 rain daysCrowds: Low
- FebruaryAir 12°Sea 13°6 rain daysCrowds: Low
- MarchAir 15°Sea 13°8 rain daysCrowds: Low
- AprilAir 17°Sea 14°9 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- MayAir 21°Sea 16°7 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- JuneAir 25°Sea 19°5 rain daysCrowds: High
- JulyAir 28°Sea 22°3 rain daysCrowds: Peak
- AugustAir 28°Sea 22°4 rain daysCrowds: Peak
- SeptemberAir 24°Sea 21°6 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- OctoberAir 20°Sea 19°9 rain daysCrowds: Medium
- NovemberAir 15°Sea 17°8 rain daysCrowds: Low
- DecemberAir 13°Sea 15°7 rain daysCrowds: Low
Crowd levels are for Catalonia as a whole: nights booked through online platforms in 2025, against the region's busiest month (Eurostat).
Is it getting hotter?
Town-level · ERA5-Land reanalysisDays above 35°C per year
Both measured periods come from the same reanalysis as the climate section. The bars run to 10 days.
Healthcare & getting around
Town-level · straight-line distancesWithin 1.2 km of the centre
- Grocery stores2
- Pharmacies0
- Doctors & clinics0
- Train stationYes, 0.2 km
30 min by car
- Hospitals0
- Sea beaches64
- People7,002
60 min by car
- Towns over 10,0003
- Hospitals2
- Sea beaches158
- People101,651
- Nearest train stationPortbou0.2 km
- Nearest bus stationCadaques18 km
- Nearest hospitalHospital de Figueres24 km · 41 min by car
- Nearest airport with scheduled flightsPerpignan-Rivesaltes (Llabanère) Airport (PGF)42 km
Distances are straight lines from the town centre. Drive times are by road in free-flowing traffic (OSRM on OpenStreetMap roads); people counts add up the towns reached.
Daily life
Town-level · Overture Maps places, 2026-10-21.0Within 1.2 km of the centre
- 2Grocery stores & supermarketsSpain median: 4
- 0PharmaciesSpain median: 2
- 1CafésSpain median: 2
- 8RestaurantsSpain median: 9
- 0BakeriesSpain median: 1
- 1Gyms & fitness studiosSpain median: 1
- 1SchoolsSpain median: 2
- 0Doctors & clinicsSpain median: 0
Nature & surroundings
Town-level · WorldCover, Copernicus DEM, Natura 2000, OpenStreetMapPeople & community
Modelled · EU Census 2021 gridUnder 1515 to 6465 and over
International residents
| Share of residents | Portbou | Median town in Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Born in another EU country | 8.4% | 2.6% |
| Born outside the EU | 10.7% | 6.7% |
| Moved here from abroad in the past year | 1.6% | 0.5% |
19.1% of residents were born abroad, against 9.3% in the median town in Spain (2021 census). From the 1 km census grid cells within 1.5 km of the centre (1,433 residents counted).
Environment & natural hazards
- Earthquakes1 since 1900Magnitude 5 or larger within 100 km. Largest: M5.1.Town-level · USGS earthquake catalog
- Air quality7.3 µg/m³Average fine particles (PM2.5) at the centre in 2023. The WHO guideline for the yearly average is 5 µg/m³.Modelled · EEA
- Wildfire3 of 10 yearsYears with a fire of 30 ha or more within 10 km of the centre, 2016-2025; 1,840 ha burnt by those fires.Town-level · EFFIS
Places like Portbou
Matched on climate, amenities, nearest and access
- VilajuïgaCatalonia91% match
- LlançàCatalonia91% match
- L'AmpollaCatalonia82% match
- Castelló d'EmpúriesCatalonia81% match
- CalafellCatalonia81% match
Measures used: Average January high, Average July high, Days above 35°C a year in the last ten years, Days with rain a year, Grocery stores within a 15-minute walk, Cafés within a 15-minute walk, Distance to the nearest train station and Distance to the nearest airport with scheduled flights. A match of 100% would mean the same values on every one.
Common questions about Portbou
What is the weather like in Portbou through the year?
January averages a high of 12°C and a low of 6°C; July averages 28°C and 20°C. There are about 80 days with rain a year. These are averages for 1991-2020.
How many very hot days does Portbou get?
Portbou averaged 0.6 days a year above 35°C in 2016-2025, against 0 a year in 1991-2000.
Does it freeze in Portbou?
Portbou averaged fewer than one frost day a year (below 0°C) in 2016-2025.
What is within walking distance of the centre of Portbou?
Within 1.2 km of the centre there are 2 grocery stores, no pharmacies, no doctors and clinics and 1 café. In a straight line, the nearest train station is 0.2 km away, the nearest bus station is 18 km away, the nearest hospital is 24 km away, the nearest beach is 0.2 km away and the nearest coastline is 0.4 km away.
What is the nearest airport to Portbou?
Perpignan-Rivesaltes (Llabanère) Airport (PGF), 42 km from the centre in a straight line.
How much daylight does Portbou get in winter?
9 h 04 min on 21 December, against 15 h 18 min on 21 June.
When is the best time to visit Portbou?
By the published month rules: walking and cycling from June and September.
Is the sea warm enough to swim in Portbou?
The open sea nearby averages 20°C or more from July to September, warmest in August at about 22°C. Beaches can be a degree or two warmer.
Who is Portbou a good fit for?
By the published rules: beach lovers (A beach 0.2 km from the centre); people who dislike heat (28°C July highs and 1 day a year above 35°C).
Sources & methodology
Every value comes from one of the open datasets below and is computed the same way for every town. Each section names how precise its values are: town-level, modelled or regional. Distances are straight lines from the town centre, and amenities are counted within 1.2 km of it. Read the full methodology.
"Who Portbou suits" lines come from fixed rules applied to every town in the same way. A rule only uses values that are modelled or better, and each line shows the numbers that triggered it. How the rules work.
| Dataset | Used for | Version | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (30 m elevation) | Elevation | glo30_s120 | Copernicus DEM licence (free for any use, with attribution) |
| PM2.5, European air quality data (EEA, interpolated 1 km map) | Air quality | pm25_2023 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Burnt areas (European Forest Fire Information System, EFFIS) | Wildfires | 2016-2025 | CC BY 4.0 |
| ERA5 monthly sea surface temperature (Copernicus Climate Data Store) | Sea temperature | monthly_1991-2020 | CC BY 4.0 |
| ERA5-Land reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Data Store) | Climate | points_1991-2025 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Broadband coverage by municipality, Spain (Información de cobertura) | Broadband coverage | 2021-2025 | Spanish public-sector reuse conditions (Ley 37/2007, RD 1495/2011; datos.gob.es aviso legal) |
| ESA WorldCover 2021 (10 m land cover) | Land cover | v200_2021 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Broadband coverage by NUTS 2 region (European Commission, Digital Decade connectivity KPIs) | Broadband coverage | mid-2025 | CC BY 4.0 |
| EU Census 2021 population grid (Eurostat) | Census grid | V3 | Free reuse with acknowledgement (European Commission reuse policy) |
| Electricity and gas prices for households (Eurostat nrg_pc_204, nrg_pc_202) | Electricity and gas prices | 2026-11-02 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Air passenger transport by airport and route (Eurostat avia_par_<country>, avia_paoa) | Flights | 2026-11-02 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Physicians and hospital beds by NUTS 2 region (Eurostat hlth_rs_physreg, hlth_rs_bdsrg2) | Doctors and hospital beds | 2026-11-02 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Nights spent in short-stay accommodation booked through online platforms (Eurostat tour_ce_omn12) | Crowds | 2026-11-01 | CC BY 4.0 |
| Price level indices, COICOP 2018 (Eurostat prc_ppp_ind_1) | Price levels | 2026-11-01 | CC BY 4.0 |
| GeoNames | Place names and populations | 2026-10-31 | CC BY 4.0 |
| INE Spain (urban indicators and municipal register) | Rents, house prices, crime and population | 2026-11-01 | Free reuse with attribution (INE legal notice) |
| Natura 2000 protected sites (EEA, end 2024) | Protected areas | end2024 | CC BY 4.0 |
| OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik extracts) | Stations, hospitals, beaches, coastline | 2026-10-31 | ODbL 1.0 |
| OurAirports | Airports | 2026-10-31 | Public domain |
| Overture Maps places | Amenities | 2026-10-21.0 | CDLA-Permissive-2.0 |
| TEMIS UV index climatology (KNMI / ESA) | UV index | v2.0_clim_2004-2020 | Free use with credit; TEMIS asks to be told how the data is used |
| USGS earthquake catalog (ComCat) | Earthquakes | 2026-10-31 | Public domain |