Els Aiguamolls de l’Empordà

“Els Aiguamolls de l’Empordà is the most important set of marshes in Catalonia, considered to be the second most important wetland on the Catalan coast. It is located near the Pyrenees and between the mouths of the Fluvià and Muga rivers. It is an essential place for the refuge of birds on the days when the tramontana closes the passage of migration towards the north. Birds make the Aiguamolls their refuge and resting place. There are more than 300 species, many of them protected and of great beauty.

This park has three areas of strict nature reserve: the island of Caramany, “Les Llaunes” (the brackish coastal lagoons) and “Els Estanys” (including Vilaüt), which gives the natural park a very rich and diverse biodiversity. In total it covers 4,866 hectares, making it the second most important wetland area in Catalonia. It is bordered to the north by the Muga and to the south by the Fluvià.

It is open all year round, from Monday to Friday from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm and from 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Its main interest lies in the richness of the bird fauna, especially migratory birds. The most abundant fauna are the birds, there are many species, but the most abundant are the mallard, common moorhen, wagtail, wagtail and reed warbler. The most symbolic of these are the teal, which is the symbol of the park, and the lesser grey shrike. There is also a great variety of fish, the most abundant of which are the carp, furniture, hairy and fartet. There are also reptiles, amphibians and mammals such as otters and fallow deer.

As for the flora, it is also very variable, abundant and with special characteristics that can be classified into: vegetation of saline soils, such as sea nettle plants, vegetation of coastal sandbanks such as reeds, marsh vegetation on the banks of rivers, ditches and flooded meadows, such as cattails, and finally the water and lake vegetation of lagoons and watercourses, such as water buttercups or common duckweed.

This natural park was created on 28 October 1983 by the law of declaration of natural sites of national interest and integral, zoological and botanical reserves, which aims to preserve, improve and strengthen the natural systems and, on the other hand, to make protection and economic development compatible.

*From Boats Mediterrani to the natural park it is 20 minutes by car, two hours walking which is about 10 km, 40 minutes by bicycle and approximately 45 minutes by public transport.

There are several routes that can be done to discover the variety of fauna and habitats that exist in this wonderful park, such as the route from over the Matà to the “Llaunes” or coastal lagoons, which are 2.3 km long. This route is adapted for people with mobility problems, wheelchairs and pushchairs. With this route you will be able to access a part of the Natural Park, discovering fresh and shallow water ponds in the Matà farmhouse, up to the beach, going along the coast of the Massona coastal lagoon. From the great Senillosa tower you will have a marvellous view of the fauna, habitats and a large part of the geography of the region.

“Els Aiguamolls is one of the most interesting places to visit.