Blanes still functions as a working fishing port, and the harbour is one of the most genuine on the Costa Brava. Each afternoon the fishing boats come in and the catch is auctioned in the lonja — the fish market on the quayside — usually around five or six in the evening. The auction is open to visitors and worth watching: it's fast, efficient, and gives a sense of the real economy behind the tourist veneer.
The harbour front has a line of restaurants that serve whatever came off the boats, with an emphasis on grilled fish and the rice dishes that the Catalan coast does well. Sa Palomera, the large rock that divides the harbour beach from the open sea, has a cross on top and is a local landmark — swimming around it is a traditional rite of passage in summer.