ROSES / NATURAL SPACES

Natural parks to visit on the Costa Brava, Spain

Bay of Roses

The beautiful bay of Roses has several kilometres of coastline divided between beaches, coves and cliffs. In the centre of town, we can find large and extensive beaches, such as Santa Margarida, that of Salatar, the Rastrell or Platja Nova among others, all of them ideal for the family to enjoy and for practising water activities.

Outstanding beaches

While remote from the centre, and travelling along the coastal roads, Roses has different-sized idyllic coves such as Cala Joncols, Cala Montjoi or Cala Rustella. The small coves are ideal to disconnect, as they are surrounded by nature and stand out for the peace and relaxation breathed there.

In this sense, and always striving for excellence, the beaches and coves of Roses are certified by an international environmental management system that certifies the quality of the sand, water and services offered.

Cap de Creus

The Cap de Creus is a headland on the Alt Empordà coastline (Catalonia), located north of the Costa Brava and at the easternmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. The area belongs to the municipality of Cadaques and is part of the Natural Park of Cap de Creus. It is an area full of stunning cliffs that have taken many forms due to the north wind blowing all year and causes the movement of the waters of the Costa Brava, giving an unparalleled view of the sea and forming one of the largest coral enclaves in the Mediterranean.

The Natural Park of Cap de Creus is a nature reserve, where you can enjoy nature right next to the sea, and with a variety of animal and plant species that give it a unique appeal.

Aiguamolls de l’Empordà

Formerly, the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà occupied almost the entire plain of the Bay of Roses and Baix Ter. The Montgrí mountain range was isolated by the waters, and when the Greeks settled in the area, they did so on an island located between the old mouths of the rivers Fluvià and Ter, where Empúries was later founded. The extensive swampy area disappeared mainly due to agricultural expansion. The great Castelló pond with its three islands, the Siurana, Vilamacolum, Riumors, Bellcaire, Ullastret and Pals ponds, are already history.

Its natural heritage is a space for coexistence between water, land, human beings and nature. A mosaic of interdependent ecosystems, but at the same time well differentiated gives the Aiguamolls a unique natural wealth and makes it a true oasis for migrating birds. The Gulf of Roses offers shelter to flora and fauna in times of strong Tramontana storms. Along the entire coastline of the area there are extensive sandy areas that constitute some of the last virgin beaches on the Costa Brava. Freshwater ponds and wetlands, the most emblematic of which is Vilaüt, are what currently remains of the old Castelló pond.

Landscape in Sierra de l'Albera in autumn

Albera Natural Park

The Sierra de l’Albera is the easternmost stretch of the Pyrenees, from Pertús to the Mediterranean Sea. This massif separates the great plains of Empordà and Roussillon (France). It is well differentiated by two sectors: the western, or Requesens-Baussitges, and the eastern, or Sant Quirze de Colera-Balmeta.

The first presents the wettest and highest areas, with almost 100% forest coverage and an extraordinary varied vegetation, made up of cork oaks, holm oaks, chestnut groves, oak groves, beech groves and the meadows of the higher zone. The Requesens area comprises the headwaters of the Anyet river and is characterized by riverside vegetation, splendid with willows, ash trees and alders.

The Baussitges area, for its part, embraces the upper valley of the Orlina River, where the easternmost beech populations of the Peninsula persist.

The Sant Quirze de Colera sector is structured around the important Monastery of the same name, a true jewel of Catalan Romanesque art, and is fully Mediterranean in character. Places of interest to visit: Sant Quirze de Colera Monastery, Requesens Castle, Puig Neulós, Albera Turtle Breeding Center.