PARC NATUREL DU MONTGRI, ÎLES MEDES ET BAIX TER

Classified as a nature park in 2010, it covers 8,192 ha, of which 6,155 ha are on land and 2,037 ha are in the sea. It has 3 different landscapes:

The Montgrí massif. Made up of 3 mountains, it functions as the epicentre between the Alt and the Baix Empordà. From north to south, we find the Ullà mountain with the Anill peak (309 m high), the Montgrí (303 m high) and the Montplà, which is just over 300 m high. From peak to peak, it covers more than 2,300 hectares and is about 8 km long. The landscape today is made up of pine trees, scrub oaks and moorland, which is continuously eroding. There are about fifty caves and grottos, the main ones being Cau dels Ossos, Cau de l'Olivar d'en Margall, Cau d'en Calvet, Cau de les Dents and Cau del Duc.

The Medes Islands. About 1 nautical mile from the beach of l'Estartit, these 7 islets occupy 23 hectares and have become one of the most important reserves of marine flora and fauna in the western Mediterranean.

The Baix Ter plain. The Ter is the most important river in the Girona region, with its source in the Pyrenees, and it flows into the Mediterranean 3 km south of Estartit, between the Cap de la Barra and the Cap de Begur. From the bridge at Torroella to the site of La Gola, the river flows past lands planted with fruit trees, early crops and rice fields. Not far from the mouth of the river is the Ter Vell, a coastal lagoon into which fresh water enters in places. The actions carried out in this area have made it possible to conserve the dune systems, but also an endangered species: the Spanish aphanius, a small freshwater fish.

The most interesting fauna arethe birds, with 189 species counted, from the sea, but also living on the rocks and some birds of prey. On the coast of the massif and in the islands, one will find the peregrine falcon, the kestrel or the eagle owl. The garrigues have become an ideal breeding ground for the grey harrier and Bonelli's eagle. Caves and holes in the cliffs are home to pairs of crested cormorants, half of the population of this species in Catalonia.

Get information. There are 17 signposted routes to follow, on foot or by bike. The routes are flat or mountainous and vary in difficulty. You can find information about the park and the necessary maps at the Estartit and Torroella de Montgrí Tourist Offices.