The Lonja de Pescado at Vinaròs port is where the fleet's catch is auctioned each afternoon, Monday to Friday. The auction itself is not open to casual visitors but the activity around the port in the late afternoon — fishing boats returning, crates of fish and shellfish being unloaded, buyers and vendors congregating — is worth watching.
The port area is also where the best seafood restaurants are concentrated. The gamba roja de Vinaròs (local red prawn) is the thing to eat: a deep-water prawn from the Mediterranean shelf off the Costa del Azahar that has Protected Designation of Origin status. The season runs from roughly March through November; outside that window the prawns are either from cold storage or from elsewhere. At peak season, fresh gambas a la plancha (grilled) or gambas al ajillo (with garlic) at the port restaurants are exceptional.
story: > The gamba roja de Vinaròs (Aristeus antennatus) lives at depths of 400–800 metres on the Mediterranean shelf and is caught by trawlers working the deep water. Its colour comes from carotenoids in its diet at depth, and unlike cold-water prawns it has a rich, intense flavour that concentrates when grilled. Chefs from Barcelona and Valencia regularly drive the two-plus hours to Vinaròs specifically to buy fresh stock from the morning auction.