Cala de la Foradada (Vinaròs)

Cala de la Foradada is a small cove on the north coast of Vinaròs, the northernmost town of the Costa del Azahar, about 4.7 km in a straight line north-east of the town centre. It is named after a rock with a hole worn through it, and a couple of steps lead down from the cliff-top path to coarse sand and clear water that the Valencian tourist board singles out for snorkelling (Comunitat Valenciana). It suits swimmers and snorkellers who are happy with a small cove and basic services; skip it if you want a long sandy beach with lifeguards.

Quick facts

• Names: Cala de la Foradada (Valencian), La Foradada cove. Foradada means “pierced”, after the hole in the rock.
• Where: the north coast of Vinaròs (Castellón), on the Carrer de Costa Mar cliff path; the tourist board gives the address as Calle Costa Mar, 293–299.
• Coordinates: 40.5055, 0.5055.
• Type: semi-urban cove of coarse sand below low cliffs (tourist board).
• Services listed: parking, foot shower, bus or taxi stop. Certificate: ISO 14001.
• Bathing water: the tourist board notes it is a bathing area not monitored by the regional environment department.
• Entry: free.
• Tourist office: Vinaròs Tourist Info, Passeig Blasco Ibáñez 1, tel. 964 45 33 34.

Access and parking

By car: from the centre of Vinaròs follow the coast road north, the Avinguda de Francisco José Balada (formerly the Carretera Costa Norte), which runs a little inland of the coves with a 30 km/h limit in this stretch. Side streets of the Les Cales and Triador housing areas lead down to the Carrer de Costa Mar, a paved and pebbled footpath along the cliff top. The cove is on this path; concrete steps go down to the sand about 40 m from the cove, as mapped on OpenStreetMap. The national road N-340 is the main road into Vinaròs from north and south (Comunitat Valenciana).

Parking: the tourist board lists parking among the cove’s services. OpenStreetMap shows no marked car park in the few streets around the cove, so expect to park on the residential streets and walk the last part. In summer, arrive early.

By bus or train: the tourist board says the cove can be reached by public transport and lists a bus or taxi stop. We could not confirm the line or the timetable. Vinaròs railway station is about 5.7 km away in a straight line, so from the train a taxi is the simplest option.

What to expect

A small cove framed by cliffs, slightly larger than the coves around it, with turquoise water and the pierced rock that gives it its name; through the hole you see the sea (Comunitat Valenciana). The tourist board recommends it for snorkelling and even diving, with fish and other species living among the rocks. The sand is coarse, so water shoes help.

It is one of a chain of coves. Vinaròs has almost 12 km of coast with 26 beaches and coves, and the northern stretch is a series of small coves protected by cliffs and Mediterranean scrub: Sòl de Riu, Les Deveses, Les Timbes, La Foradada and El Saldonar among them, all signposted (Comunitat Valenciana, Barbiguera page). The tourist board suggests walking the Camino de Calas, the cove walk, along this coast; on OpenStreetMap the Carrer de Costa Mar path runs along the cliff top past several coves. Behind the path are residential streets, not wild land.

The tourist board also recommends it for its sunsets and the sound of the waves on the shore.

Practical details

• Bring everything you need. The listed services are parking, a foot shower and a bus or taxi stop; the tourist board lists no lifeguards, toilets or beach bar for this cove.
• Snorkel and mask: the main reason to come. Stay close to the rocks and away from boats.
• Shade: there is none on the sand once the sun is high. Bring a parasol or come early or late.
• Restaurants: OpenStreetMap shows a few restaurants in the streets just inland of the coves. For the local king prawn, go back to the town centre and the port.
• Information: Vinaròs Tourist Info in the old coach house (Antigua Cotxera de Batet) at Passeig Blasco Ibáñez 1, open Monday to Saturday 9:30–16:00 and Sundays and holidays 11:00–14:00, checked November 2026 (Comunitat Valenciana).

Accessibility and safety

Best time to visit

Summer is the swimming season; the cove is small, so in July and August come early or late in the day. For snorkelling, choose a calm day. Outside summer the cove is a good stop on a walk along the cliff path. February brings the Vinaròs carnival, eleven days before Lent and declared of regional tourist interest, if you want to combine a winter walk with the town at its liveliest (Comunitat Valenciana).

Nearby alternatives

• Vinaròs town guide, 4.7 km away: the pedestrianised old town, the church-fortress of the Assumption and the port.
• Ermita de la Misericòrdia, 6.3 km away: the hilltop sanctuary of Vinaròs, with a Moorish tower, an Iberian site and very old olive trees.
• Alcanar and Les Cases d’Alcanar, 4.8 km away: the first town over the border in Catalonia, on the Costa Dorada.
• Peñíscola, 18 km away: the walled old town and castle on its rock, with Playa Norte running towards Benicarló.
• Ebro Delta, 30 km away: the wetlands and long beaches of the delta, for birds and rice fields.
• Other Vinaròs coves on the same path: Les Timbes, a small gravel cove reached by a stairway, and Cala de la Sunyera and Sòl de Riu further north, in the Jardí de Sòl de Riu natural area, where nudism is practised at Sòl de Riu (Comunitat Valenciana).

Distances are in a straight line from the cove. All of these places are on the Vinaròs and Benicarló guide.

FAQ

Where is Cala de la Foradada?

On the north coast of Vinaròs, in Castellón province, on the Carrer de Costa Mar cliff path, about 4.7 km north-east of the town centre. Coordinates: 40.5055, 0.5055.

Is there parking at Cala de la Foradada?

The tourist board lists parking, but OpenStreetMap shows no marked car park right by the cove. Park on the nearby residential streets and walk down to the cliff path.

Can you snorkel at La Foradada?

Yes. The Valencian tourist board describes it as a cove popular with snorkellers, with fish living around the rocks and clear water.

Are there lifeguards?

None are listed. The services the tourist board gives are parking, a foot shower and a bus or taxi stop, and the bathing water is not monitored by the regional environment department.

Can you get to La Foradada by bus?

The tourist board says the cove is reachable by public transport and lists a bus or taxi stop, but we could not confirm the line. Ask at Vinaròs Tourist Info before you go.

Sources and freshness