Empúries is the only archaeological site in the Iberian Peninsula where the remains of a Greek city Empòrion coexist with those from the Roman city, Emporiae. It is also the gateway to the classical culture: Ten centuries of history that transformed, forever, the ancient Iberian peoples that inhabited it.
The first settlement of the Greeks was in the 6th century BCE. In 218 BCE, the port of Empúries was used as an entry point to the peninsula for the Roman troops in their fight against the Carthaginian army. Between the 6th century BCE and the 5th century AD, Empúries has been a port, a commercial enclave, a western colony of Greece, the first Roman encampment on the peninsula, a prosperous Roman city...
tIn the ruins of the Emporium, the ancient city of Empúries, were the used to be factories of salted fish, a model of conservation of fish that has been maintained until today. In 1697, the Alfolí of salt was finished, a gothic style construction used for the storage of the salt destined for salting. This salt was transported from the salinas of Torrevieja, an activity that remained until the 20th century.
The production of the anchovies in La Escala remained artisan until century XVIII, in which many artisan methods began to be industrialized.
Since 2017, Entrepreneur and Artistic Director Gerard Argemí has transformed the iconic Ultramarclub into a jazz haven on the Costa Brava, attracting both emerging and renowned artists. His vision has made the venue a vital stop for those devoted to the true spirit of jazz.
Over the past five years, Ultramarclub in L'Escala has hosted esteemed jazz artists such as Melissa Aldana, Roberto Fonseca, Michael Kanan, Shalosh, Daniel García, Giulia Valle, Eddie Henderson, Endea Owens, Gorka Benítez, Chann Domínguez, Antonio Lizana, Majdi Riahi, Benjamin Herman, Kassa Overall, and Theo Croker, solidifying its reputation as a premier Costa Brava jazz venue.
In 2026, Ultramar´s Founder & Artistic Director Gerard Argemí and Radiolaab’s Executive Producer Victor Zabrockis, driven by a shared devotion to jazz, have launched the region’s first initiative dedicated to jazz’s historical legacy, transforming every session into a high-fidelity, analog historical document. Together, they are building a living archive of jazz rooted in L’Escala-Empúries.
200 Historical Box Sets of 8 vinyl records each are to be produced and shared with over 60 of the world’s most respected jazz listening bars, institutions, patrons and performers themselves.
