La Junquera unfolds as a place where unique characters gather, a border town with a dawn-streaked atmosphere. The streets of Los Limites—where France begins just beyond the pavement—host a mix of traders, long-haul drivers from the east, exhausted cyclists seeking supplies after crossing the Pyrenees, and a cast of shady figures whose origins are rarely clear.
In this borderland, the most visible activity belongs to those chasing budget-friendly goods: the French residents moving along the Spanish lanes in floods of activity. The aim is simple: affordable alcohol and tobacco. Packages can cost around half of what they do in neighboring France, with bottles often priced barely above two euros. So much so that the Ministry of Finance contemplated auctions for new tobacconists in the town, raising questions about whether La Junquera could be the town with Spain’s highest per-capita tobacco consumption.
Another notable draw is the region’s prostitution scene, historically advertised as Europe’s largest brothel, Paradise, which serves a highly French clientele enticed by a form of commerce that is banned across the border. The town’s gasoline trade also remains a major employer. Refueling locally before continuing into France is a common practice, with drivers fueling up to full capacity to cross the border.
La Junquera today hosts as many as seven gas stations, drawing thousands to the roadways that cut through the municipality. The AP7 and N-II routes connect towards Europe, shaping a long-standing cycle of commerce. The price gaps between neighboring countries have long driven professional and private drivers to fill tanks here, and to explore nearby supermarkets and eateries.
However, since last September, circumstances shifted. Faced with the energy crunch, France increased its fuel discount, raising it from 18 to 30 cents per liter during September and October. The result was gasoline cheaper in France than in Spain, dampening demand for Spanish gas stations.
The change initiated a realignment of the local service sector. Shops remain magnets for tourists, and the Gran Jonquera outlet mall still features a parking lot filled with French-registered cars. Yet the lines at tobacconists persist in a landscape where street-level activity has altered. Bernadette, a resident of Perpignan, visits to shop and dine at the free buffet, but notes she does not refill her deposit—an anecdote that captures the nuanced shifts in behavior and consumption.
On the ground, the scene for service stations has grown quieter. Fewer cars are refueling, and those on the forecourt often leave with partially filled tanks. Benoît, a 31-year-old dealer, explained that he paused for fuel because his resources were stretched, yet still managed to reach France with a nearly empty tank in a gray Peugeot 307. In response, station managers describe a dramatic drop in business after the summer, with hopes for a rebound next year, even as staff reductions—five workers at one site—become a visible measure of the downturn.
Matías, the manager at another nearby station, notes that the effect has been softened by contracts with major shipping firms, and he remains hopeful that things will return to normal soon. Nevertheless, several avenues of employment now sit idle, and drivers like Joachim, a German operator delivering fruit to his country, confirm that the station still receives some company-favored traffic.
Isabel Vera, a member of the local trade association Comerc Jonquera, reports that sales have dropped due to higher fuel costs. She adds that customers visiting her hairdressing salon have declined and that regulars are less inclined to visit for routine services. There is a cautious sense that policy changes in neighboring France may alter the economic landscape again, with observers watching for responses from policymakers and market actors alike. Attribution: Local economic reports and on-the-ground observations compiled by regional traders and transport stakeholders.