Top 9 Lakes around Vila-Sacra

A beautiful small gravel path perfect for gravelbiking. This gravel is super smooth. This path takes you away from the main road so you can enjoy the beauty of the natural park.

Before you start a walk in this beautiful nature park, it is interesting to visit the information center. You will find more information about the park and the routes you can follow. There are also brochures available of the routes you can follow. ---------- Parking and toilet nearby. There are many lookouts and rest benches in the park.

The Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l'Empordà is a 5,000-hectare wetland area where many bird species occur. The natural park is located south of Empúriabrava between the mouths of the Riú Muga and the Riú Fluviá. It is a swamp area that also includes a beach and dune area. You will find salt pans and freshwater lagoons in the area. In the 1970s, there were plans to build a holiday resort in the area, but after fierce protests among the population, these plans were not implemented and the area was declared a protected natural landscape in the 1980s. Today, part of the area is open to the public. The El Cortalet information center offers you information about the area and leaflets of various walks you can take through the area. You will find this center when you turn right on the road to Castelló d'Empúries about 3 km after Sant Pere-Pescador. There is a parking lot at the center and you can then explore the area on foot. Along the various hiking trails you will find observation huts that offer you the opportunity to spot birds. 323 different bird species have been observed in the area, including flamingos, storks and bearded birds. You will see many birds, especially in spring and autumn, because this is the time when migratory birds visit the area.

Please note, within the Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l'Empordà, bicycles are not allowed. However, it seems that the practice is tolerated out of season and outside busy periods. While respecting the calm of the reserve.

"Slow down and quietly approach the pond at the end of the trail. It won't be long before you start seeing birds you've never seen before, and hopefully, maybe some more surprises. In my case, the surprise was a beautiful one example of a feral cat. Due to the strong north wind, the cat had not seen me when I approached. However, when it noticed my presence, it chose to crouch down and blend in with its surroundings. I knew I had seen it, and the distance between us was of only 5 meters. The cat used a surprising tactic by moving its eyes in the direction I had come as if something was going to happen. When I turned my head in that direction, I gained a few precious seconds to disappear among the weeds. It was a memorable encounter with nature and a lesson on the cunning and adaptability of feral cats in their natural environment. Feral cats are domestic cats that return to a wild state due to the lack of interaction with humans. They often originate from abandoned or lost cats. They have a similar appearance to domestic cats and are good hunters. In some areas, they form feral colonies. Overpopulation can be a problem, and it is controlled by sterilization. The presence of feral cats raises public health concerns and can have a negative impact on the local fauna. Animal welfare organizations often work in programs for their management and care. The lake of Cortalet is a wetland with a surface area of about 146 hectares. It consists of the Cortalet lake itself and an additional plot located to the north, called Les Mollerusses, made up of some closes and also managed as a wetland, with a sheet of water during most of the year. Estany del Cortalet is a large artificial pond designed and built in old meadows adjacent to the Information Center of the Natural Park. Its main purpose is to facilitate the observation of birds for many of the Park's visitors, its ecological interest being basically ornithological. The most abundant community in the space is the reedbed.

Don't miss Bassa de l'Enric and its educational activities. Starting point of several routes, most walking and in silence. You have a bar in summer and WC all year round. https://castelloempuriabrava.com/que-visitar/parc-natural-dels-iguamolls-de-lemporda/ Contact: El Cortalet GIV-6216 (ctra. Sant Pere Pescador-Castelló d'Empúries) km 4.2 17486-Castelló d'Empúries Tel. 972 45 42 22 Fax 972 45 44 74 pnaiguamolls@gencat.cathttps://parcsnaturals.gencat.cat/ca/xarxa-de-parcs/iguamolls-emporda/inici/

This route will take you to discover a varied and extensive area of the Aiguamolls de l'Empordà Natural Park. It passes through several municipalities that make up the park, including Castelló d'Empúries and Empuriabrava, Palau-Saverdera, Pau, Peralada and Vilanova de la Muga. You will visit places of great landscape and ecological interest, such as the two integral reserves: Llaunes and Estanys. The route will also take you through the Garrigues ponds, Sant Joan dels Erms, Rec del Molí, the Vilanova de la Muga lock and the lower part of the Muga river. It is indicated to start it from any point and do it in its entirety or in sections. The texts of the speakers are intended to help you understand the history of the Empordà plain, written in the mosaic of protected landscapes.

A nice “singletrail” passage in the plain of Roses.