14 natural parks in Catalonia

In Catalonia there are 14 natural parks distributed in the four Catalan provinces: Girona, Tarragona, Lleida and Barcelona.

They are:

• Aigüestortes and Sant Maurici Lake: Located in the heart of the Pyrenees, with altitudes ranging from 1,200 to 3,000 meters, it consists of a spectacular set of sharp peaks and dizzying ridges, lush forests and green meadows, where the water, with more than 200 ponds and numerous rivers, ravines and wetlands is the protagonist.
• Alt Pirineu: The Alt Pirineu Natural Park, declared in 2003, is the largest protected natural area in Catalonia, with an area of ​​almost 80,000 ha. Beneath the highest peak in the Catalan Pyrenees, the Pica d’Estats (3,143 m), this unique territory is a reserve of Pyrenean natural and cultural heritage. It stands out for the extensive pastures maintained by the action of such emblematic cattle and animals as the capercaillie, the badger or the brown bear.
• Cap de Creus: Between land and sea, a space of great beauty, a unique geological configuration with structures and ornaments that form a unique set in the world. The effect of the north wind has led to the appearance of capricious forms of erosion and has transformed the landscape.
• Collserola: A massif in the middle of the metropolitan area of ​​Barcelona that becomes a privilege for the large population that lives around it. More than 8,000 ha. where forest spaces predominate but with a variety of plant formations that give it a valuable diversity.
• Delta del Llobregat: The Natural Areas of the Delta del Llobregat are amazing for the biological diversity they host, especially for birds. They are located next to crop fields, important infrastructure and very close to the main metropolitan cities. We can find different natural environments: part of the Llobregat river, lagoons and wetlands, coastal pine groves on dunes and pristine beaches with redundant vegetation.
• The Montgrí, the Medes Islands and the Baix Ter: Landscape made up of a coastline with cliffs, coves and beaches that go into seabeds of undoubted ecological value. A mountainous massif that rises between alluvial plains and wetlands formed by the river Ter when it empties into the bay of Pals.
• Montseny: Natural Park and Biosphere Reserve formed by a mosaic of Mediterranean and Central European landscapes. Its extraordinary biodiversity and the cultural footprint that man has left over time have inspired artists, intellectuals and scientists.
• Serra de Montsant: The unique landscape of this park, characterized by the footprint of human activity and an abrupt orography of cliffs, ravines and gorges, offers a rich natural and cultural heritage linked to the spiritual values ​​of the mountain.
• Aiguamolls de l'Empordà: The second wetland on the Catalan coast, a kaleidoscope of different environments, also unique for its location near the Pyrenees, essential as a bird sanctuary on days when the north wind blocks the passage of migration to the north. More than 25 observatories allow you to enjoy a rich, abundant and diverse fauna.
• Cadí-Moixeró: The two great mountain ranges of Cadí and Moixeró form an impressive mountain barrier, a junction between the Pre-Pyrenees and the Pyrenees. The park hosts, in addition to a great biodiversity, places of beauty and a special attraction.
• Capçaleres del Ter i del Freser: Declared in 2015, this natural park is located in the eastern Pyrenees and has an area of ​​14,500 ha in the Ripollès region. With peaks that reach almost 3,000 m, a unique natural space is born, the last typical example of the high Pyrenean mountains that descend towards the Mediterranean. It has a special relevance for its natural and intangible heritage.
• Delta de l’Ebre: The Delta de l’Ebre is the largest aquatic habitat in Catalonia. The uniqueness of the Delta is expressed in its physical, geographical and natural reality, and also in its particular traditions, culture, gastronomy, architectural and historical heritage.
• Els Ports: Located between Catalonia, Valencia and Aragon, this limestone massif, with a steep and steep relief, offers from typically Mediterranean areas in the lower parts of the massif, to corners of humid and foggy environments of the beech forests of Central European landscapes.
• La Garrotxa volcanic area: The best example of volcanic landscape in the Iberian Peninsula. It has about forty volcanic cones and more than 20 basaltic lava flows. The orography, the soil and the climate provide a varied vegetation, often lush, of exceptional landscape value.