Dalí daytrip from Barcelona - Figueres or Cadaqués?

Every information source I've ever seen has focused primarily on the Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres, so though I haven't been to either of those sites I have no hesitancy in saying that Figueres should be your #1 goal. It is also closer to Barcelona; you have to take a train to Figueres then switch to a bus to get to Cadaques.

Figueres has two train stations. The one used by the fast (more expensive) trains is Figueres Vilafant. It's a bit farther from the Dali Theatre and Museum, but there's a bus you can take if you don't want to hoof it. Google Maps will show you the location of the station and the theatre. The other station, just called "Figueres", is used by the slower trains and is very close to tne bus station. I think it's also closer to the Dali site.

I have not done any sightseeing in Figueres, but I'm sure others have and will comment. Cadques is a former fishing village (now very touristy) full of lovely white cubic houses dripping with bougainvillea. The Dali site is not actually in Cadaques, but rather in the neighboring Port Lligat. I think a sign down at the port in Cadaques said the house was about a 20-minute walk, but the port itself is a 10- or 15-minute walk from the Cadaques bus station.

I think both Dali sites pretty much require pre-purchased tickets. If you arrive empty-handed, you'll probably end up in a very long line and might possibly miss out entirely.

It's easy to walk from the downtown train station to the Dali Museum in Figueres. From the Vilafant station, I would opt for a taxi. Cadaques is beautiful but I agree that, if you have to choose one, Figueres will work out better. Although RS doesn't have anything much positive to say about Figueres itself, we enjoyed our strolls around the town. There is quite a bit of interesting art deco architecture and decoration.

Well I have to say that I loved both places. Figueres is easier to get to and the museum was marvelous. But we also loved Cadaques. Harder to get to but no problem with a car. We enjoyed the city and loved visiting Dali’s home in Port Lligat. Too bad you couldn’t do both!

Just for info... the Museu Dali is divided in four different locations: two of them in Figueres, one in Cadaqués, and then the castle at Púbol. It's complicated (if not impossible) to visit all of them on the same day using public transportation, but two -being one Figueres- is attainable. It's difficult to choose just one, as each one has unique features. For more info: https://www.salvador-dali.org/en/museums/

I should also have mentioned that the bus ride from Figueres to Cadaques is very scenic.

I understand why people say Figueres is the more interesting option, especially if you are a big fan of Dali. Personally, though, I preferred Cadaques and his home at Port Lligat. I thought it was beautiful there, and the house was so unique and gave me a sense of Dali as a person.

However, you can do both in one day! I did it through this tour company and felt it was a good experience and certainly more convenient than trying to string the two together with public transit: http://spanish-trails.com/culture-art-tours/surreal-cadaques-all-things-dali-day-trip

They are two very different experiences. The museum in Figueres has an immense collection of his art works. If seeing his work is your primary interest, then go there. It's also easier to get to. A couple of years ago, one could arrive first thing at opening and easily get a ticket. Lines did seem to grow throughout the day.

Cadaques and Port Illgat where his home and studio was is a fantastic house museum, You don't see as much of his art, but how he lived and his studio. All left intact. Cadaques is a very delightful seaside town that is reminiscent of a Greek island. You can easily spend a day there just exploring the town. Unfortunately, it is much harder to get to by public transportation. You also MUST have a reservation to tour the house - no walkups.

With a car, both are easily done if you get a house tour reservation for mid to late afternoon and get an early start for Figueres. It is a long day though. A tour package as noted above might be a good option for both.

You probably have reasons for not driving but it is the easiest way to see the Dali properties. Here's what we did. For me it was a pilgrimage of sorts and I wanted to see all 3 sights.
We got up bright and early in Barcelona, rented a car and drove to Cadaques using our pre-purchased timed ticket to see the house.
We spent the night in Figueres and the next morning we went to the big museum, with our pre-purchased tickets that were for the first entry time and then veered over to the Castle on our way back to Barcelona.
I loved it and it all worked out well. Driving is easy in Spain, there was no trouble with traffic or parking, compared to where I live at least, and our Google maps was great. We stopped in Girona for dinner and a little walk about.
Have a great time!

Haven’t been to Cadaques, but loved the Dali museum in Figueres. It’s and hour train ride from Barcelona and a 10 minutes or so walk to the museum.

This has been a great help. It seems that for a museum visitor, Figueres is the place to visit. We'll see if we can somehow do both, because Cadaqués also has a lot to offer. My thanks to all of the responders,
FrancisSD