Museo del Mar (Lloret de Mar)

Museo del Mar in Lloret de Mar is a small, focused maritime museum set inside a historic mansion in the heart of town. It's the kind of place easy to walk past on the way to the beach, which is a shame — in under an hour it tells the full story of how a fishing settlement turned into the resort town known today for its nightlife and wide sandy shores.

What building is this?

The museum occupies Can Garriga, a so-called "indiano house" — a mansion built by a local who made his fortune trading and sailing to the Americas, then returned home and raised an imposing residence as a visible mark of his success. Houses like this are a common sight along the Costa Brava, scattered through several coastal towns that share this same emigration history. The town council bought Can Garriga in 1981, and the Museo del Mar opened inside it in 2007.

What will you see inside?

The collection is organized into five thematic areas that walk visitors through different chapters of Lloret's relationship with the sea:

• Sons of the sea — the people whose lives revolved around fishing and sailing
• The Mediterranean — coastal trade and local shipping routes
• Gateway to the ocean — the era of transatlantic voyages
• Lloret after the sailing ships — how the town changed once the age of sail ended
• Beyond the beach — everyday life shaped by the sea

The heart of the collection is its group of ship models, widely regarded as exceptional for a museum of this size, alongside tools and objects tied to shipbuilding and traditional fishing. Together they trace a route that runs from small-scale Mediterranean coastal trade all the way to high-seas Atlantic crossings.

The museum also brings out a less obvious side of the town's history: a time when Lloret's shipyards worked around the clock building vessels bound for the Atlantic, while women stayed behind on the beach mending fishing nets and waiting for the men to return from sea. That contrast — today's holiday beach sitting on top of a much harder working past — is what tends to stick with visitors longest.

How does it connect to the rest of town?

Museo del Mar serves as the entry point to MOLL, the Museu Obert de Lloret (Open Museum of Lloret), a network of historic sites scattered across town — old houses, cemeteries, and viewpoints tied to the same seafaring and emigration story. Visiting the museum first is a good way to get oriented before exploring those other scattered landmarks on foot.

How do you get there?

Can Garriga sits right in the center of Lloret de Mar, within walking distance of the main beach and the seafront promenade, so a visit fits easily into an ordinary stroll around town. It's convenient whether you're staying at a hotel in the town center or closer to the coast.

When should you visit?

Given its compact size, a visit usually takes 30 to 60 minutes, which makes it an easy add-on for a hot afternoon or a break from the beach. It's a good option for anyone wanting something beyond sun and sand in Lloret — a dose of local history in a cool, indoor setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Museo del Mar in Lloret de Mar? It's a maritime museum covering the history of sailing, fishing, and transatlantic voyages tied to Lloret de Mar, housed in the historic Can Garriga mansion.

Where exactly is the museum located? Inside the Can Garriga building, in the center of Lloret de Mar, close to the main beach and the promenade.

What's the museum's main highlight? Its collection of ship models, along with five thematic areas covering different sides of the town's maritime history.

How long does a visit take? Given the museum's compact size, 30 to 60 minutes is usually enough.