Costa Brava and Girona
Private Transfer from Barcelona to Empúries
From your address in Barcelona to the Greek and Roman ruins of Empúries by the sea, or to your hotel in l'Escala beside them. Every journey is quoted on request.
- From
- Barcelona
- To
- Empúries
- Estimated distance
- about 140 km
- Estimated drive
- about 1 h 45 min
Estimate from Plaça de Catalunya to Empúries: OpenStreetMap road routing (OSRM), no traffic, checked September 30, 2026.
What the transfer covers
Empúries is the archaeological site of two ancient towns at the southern end of the Gulf of Roses, in the municipality of l'Escala. Greek traders from Phocaea first settled in the 6th century BC on the promontory where the village of Sant Martí d'Empúries stands today, then built their main town, Empòrion, on the coast south of the old harbor. In the 1st century BC the Romans founded Emporiae next to it, over an earlier military camp, and the two grew into a single Roman municipality. The Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya (MAC), which has one of its branches here, calls Empòrion the only Greek city preserved on the Iberian Peninsula.
On the road, the estimate takes the C-31 and the C-33 out of Barcelona, stays on the AP-7 until the exit signposted for L'Escala and Empúries, and finishes on the GI-623. A transfer here can end at the site itself, where a museum stands between the Greek and Roman remains, or at a hotel in l'Escala, the fishing town whose seafront promenade leads north to the ruins.
Start of the journey
Pickup in Barcelona
The journey starts at the Barcelona address you send: your hotel, a rented apartment, your home or your office. Add the time you would like to leave, or the time you want to reach the ruins.
Landing at Barcelona Airport and heading straight up the coast? The Barcelona Airport to Costa Brava transfer covers journeys that start at the terminal.
End of the journey
Arrival at Empúries
Give the drop-off address with your request. For a visit to the ruins, that is the MAC-Empúries address on Carrer de Puig i Cadafalch in l'Escala. For a stay, it is your hotel, apartment or house in l'Escala or in Sant Martí d'Empúries, and the quote is for that address.
The MAC recommends allowing at least about two hours for a visit to the site, and its opening times change with the season (MAC). Check them before you choose the pickup time in Barcelona.
At the site and around it
-
The Greek town (Neapolis)
The main sector of Greek Empòrion, south of the ancient harbor, which grew to 4 hectares. You enter through its southern wall, built in the 2nd century BC with three square towers.
Source: Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya, checked October 3, 2026
-
The Roman city
Laid out on the hilltop at the start of the 1st century BC with a grid of streets over 22.5 hectares. Only about a quarter of it has been excavated.
Source: Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya, checked October 3, 2026
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The Greek breakwater
The stone structure on the beach known as the Greek pier is in fact a large 2nd-century BC wall that sheltered the harbor from storms.
Source: Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya, checked October 3, 2026
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Sant Martí d'Empúries
The village on the promontory of the first Greek settlement, the Palaiapolis or old town, and the only part of the ancient site lived in without a break to the present day.
Source: Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya, checked October 3, 2026
Why book a private chauffeur
Ends at the ruins
The route estimate finishes at the archaeological site itself, so the transfer can stop at the museum's address instead of in the center of l'Escala.
Time for a full visit
The MAC suggests at least about two hours on site. If you also want the drive back, put the time you expect to leave the ruins in the same request.
One vehicle from your door
From your address in Barcelona to the site or to your hotel on the shore, with no change of transport on the way.
Return from Empúries to Barcelona
There is no separate page for the Empúries to Barcelona transfer. Ask for the return in the same request, with its date and time, and we quote both directions.
Other journeys from Barcelona
-
Barcelona to l'Estartit
Barcelona to L'Estartit Transfer
About 140 km, about 1 h 55 min by road.
-
Barcelona to Empuriabrava
Barcelona to Empuriabrava Transfer
About 152 km, about 1 h 50 min by road.
-
Barcelona to Roses
Barcelona to Roses Transfer
About 156 km, about 1 h 55 min by road.
-
Barcelona to Costa Brava
Barcelona to Costa Brava Transfer
About 70 to 172 km, about 1 h to 2 h 15 min by road.
Journey times are road estimates: OpenStreetMap road routing (OSRM), no traffic, checked September 30, 2026. Traffic and the exact addresses change the real time. Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), routed with OSRM.
Chauffeur services in Barcelona.
Every route in this group.
Questions about the Barcelona to Empúries transfer
What is the travel time from Barcelona to the ruins of Empúries?
The estimate ends at the archaeological site itself: about 140 km from Plaça de Catalunya, or about 1 h 45 min with no traffic (estimate: OpenStreetMap road routing, no traffic, checked September 30, 2026). Traffic on the AP-7, or a drop-off in l'Escala instead, changes the real time.
Is Empúries a Greek or a Roman site?
Both. The MAC describes Empúries as the only archaeological site on the Iberian Peninsula where the remains of a Greek colonial settlement and a Roman city stand side by side. During Rome's war with Carthage, at the end of the 3rd century BC, Empòrion was an allied city and played a key part in the first landing of Roman legions on the peninsula (MAC).
What is there to see at Empúries?
The walls and streets of the Greek town, the Roman city on the hill, and a museum between the two. Systematic excavation began in 1908 and brought to light finds such as the sculpture of Asclepius (MAC), whom the Generalitat's Costa Brava guide describes as the Greek god of medicine, venerated in the city. The site keeps close to 170 mosaic floors, which the MAC says can be visited again now that conservation work is finished.
Can we be dropped in l'Escala instead of at the ruins?
Give the address of your hotel or apartment in l'Escala and the quote is for it. According to the Generalitat's Costa Brava guide, a seaside promenade runs from the northern edge of the town to the archaeological site and the medieval village of Sant Martí d'Empúries, so the ruins are a walk along the shore away.
How long does a visit to the ruins take?
The MAC recommends at least about two hours on site, and its opening times change with the season (MAC). If you want the drive back the same day, give the time you expect to leave the ruins when you ask for the quote.
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