Today we explore and walk from Aiguamolls de l’Empordà to Sant Martí d’Empúries.
Aiguamolls de l’Empordà
Aiguamolls de l’Empordà is a protected Natural Park, a natural wetland area located in the northeastern part of Catalonia and featuring diverse ecosystems, including marshes, lagoons, wetlands, and salt flats. The region is situated near the town of Castelló d’Empúries, between the Gulf of Roses and the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains.
The wetlands are renowned for their rich biodiversity and ecological importance. They provide habitat for a wide variety of birds, including both resident and migratory species, and are a crucial stopover for many birds during their migration routes. The wetlands also encompass a range of habitats, including reed beds, ponds, salt flats, and coastal dunes.
Sant Pere Pescador
Surrounded by wetlands and apple orchards, the village of Sant Pere Pescador is the center of an extense playground for nature lovers. The tranquil last few kilometers of the river Fluvià flow through the village to the sea where we can easily spot otters, tortoises, storks and other wildlife.
Kayaking is great way to explore this beautiful river area. In the 7-kilometer-long beach, kitesurfers and windsurfers find a paradise for their sport, and cyclists and hikers can enjoy countless kilometers of flat trails along the river, coast and apple orchards.
Every summer, thousands of tourists come to Sant Pere Pescador to stay in the camping facilities on the beachfront. These campsites were built on the wetlands in the 1960s when the area was not yet protected and as a part of the Spanish strategy to attract tourism at any cost. From then on, tourism became the main asset for the village alongside the important apple industry.
Apple Orchards
Around Sant Pere Pescador and l’Armentera, travellers will discover an extensive area of apple orchards. Self-sufficient agriculture has a long history in the fertile lands of L’Empordà but when the farming cooperatives were formed in the 1960s and 70s, the local farmers increased their production. Today under the umbrella of the EU Geographical Indication (GI), 25% of the 8,000 tons produced are exported around the world. The terrain and climate are ideal for large-scale production of Golden, Red Delicious, Gala and Granny Smith apples.
