Among the traditionally most representative catches of Cadaqués are the scorpionfish, the forkbeard, the grouper, the dentex and the spiny lobster. Sardines, anchovies, red porgy, gilthead sea bream, rock mussels and sea urchins —or "grotes", as they are traditionally called in Cadaqués— are also part of the local food culture, always subject to the season and to fishing regulations.
Professional fishing is far smaller today than in other times. In 2020, the data of the Fishermen's Guild recorded three boats, all of them small-scale, a figure that shows just how much an activity that for generations had been part of the town's daily life has declined.
It is an activity small in volume, but of enormous cultural value: one of the last continuities of a way of life that for centuries set the rhythm of Cadaqués.
From the sea straight to the town
Cadaqués has a peculiarity: it has no fish market of its own with an auction. Traditionally, local fishermen have been able to sell their catches directly at retail to fishmongers, bars and restaurants in the municipality.
This direct relationship between fisherman and town has a very old history. Traditionally, the fishermen's wives played a key role in selling the catch. Historical records even recall the women of Cadaqués loading their baskets with the freshly caught fish and walking all the way to Roses to sell it. The cry with which the sellers announced the arrival of the catch has also remained in popular speech: «Hala, noies, el peix viu!» ("Come on, girls, the fish is alive!").
Today, the Cadaqués Fishermen's Guild is integrated with that of Roses, and Cadaqués boats can market their catches through the Roses fish market.
In any case, when you are looking for truly local produce, it is always worth asking where the fish comes from and what the catch of the day is: in artisanal fishing, it is the sea, the season and the weather that ultimately decide what reaches the shore.