The harbour, and a little history.

Port Vendres, the 3rd deepest port in France, still lands more fish than any other place on this stretch of coast. In the 19th century it bustled with colonial trade and ferries from North Africa, today it is also a yachting harbour and often there are cargo boats here too. When the trawlers lamp-lit fighing boats and tuna fishing boats return each day between 4:30pm and 6pm, you can watch them unload and auction the catch on the dock at the far end of the harbour.

Port Vendres is located just a few yards from Collioure on the road which goes along the sea in te direction of Spain (half an hour away). In antiquity, Port Vendres was a stopover for the Greek and Roman boats connecting the city of Agde to the Hispanic coast. Its name "Port of Venus" comes from the Latin name "Portus Veneris"and was adopted from Romans who built a temple to the glory of Venus here. In the 13th century, under the reign of the Kings of Aragaon and Majorca, Port Vendres was an important commercial port - notably Perpignan draperies and Roussillon wines. Under the reign of King Louis XIV it became a naval base, thanks to the king's architect, Vauban. Louis XVI englarged the pot and built the Royal place with its fountains and its pink marbled obelisk, with a sphere surmounted by a lily flower. On the other side of the port, the Cap Bear and lighthouse offer a panoramic view of Port Vendres.