Els Ports Natural Park
The backdrop to our finca.
Seeing it from the car in the morning makes every journey down to work in the finca feel good. Some of the pictures are taken up our barranc (de Lloret), the others are from the neighbouring barranc de Galera. The last few are from, on and around Mont Caro. Barranc de Galera and Mt. Caro
Barranc de Galera is huge. The car navigable track is about 21 kilometres long, winding in along the base of the barranc before climbing and winding its way up to a lookout point called "Tres Reyes" The Three Kings, as you can see Catalunya, Arragon & Valencia from there.
The first six pictures were all taken on a walk on a path up one side of the barranc, till the scarp fell away in a steep cliff into the Barranc de Lloret. There were some amazing rock formations.
Barranc de Lloret
Our finca is the first one you drive down to the bridge in the Barranc de Lloret. the road then winds on up the barranc for about 5 kilometres to where it finishes just after the Charnego bull farm (complete with bullring). From there you can walk up to the waterfall forms the start to the barranc, or walk up a side valley that has a cave that has stone age drawing in it. Both walks are tricky as the paths are poor.The barranc rarely has water in it down at our finca, although in years past, when it had water in it all year round, the villagers used to swim in the pool that forms below the bridge at our finca.
Terra Alta
Is the land behind the Els Ports park. As the name suggests, it is fairly high up and it is a good wine growing region, if rather remote. Picasso lived in Horta St Joan for a time (his Blue period). Behind Horta are the wine growing towns like Gandesa, Batea, Bot & Pinell de Brai (Famous for its Gaudi designed Cooperativa). Of these towns, Batea is my favourite.
It has a lovely square and a cloistered street up to the church.
Out in the countryside, there are some wonderful views and lovely quiet roads that you can drive on for miles without g seeing another car.
Paddy Fields and Beaches
The paddy fields disappear into the distance, criss crossed by raised canals, ditches and dirt tracks. Montsia rice is a big label round here. A lovely, slightly sticky rice. Perfect for paellas. Platge Eucalipt runs from the southern side of the river mouth, all the way down and round to the hook of the delta where the salt flats are. Big lorries use a track at the back of the beach to reach the salt works. (The van had just overtaken the fairly fast moving lorry)
You can always find a good place to sunbathe here however many people are on the beach, because it is so huge. The beach shelves gently into the sea and forms sand banks about 50 ft offshore. Lots of people rake the sand for shellfish while they are at the beach, getting some sun, a swim and a meal all in one.
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