In the “second part” of this section we suggest a trip to nature, great to get away for a few hours from the hustle and bustle of the city. If you are spending some time in Barcelona, staying in one of our rental apartments and want a weekend off, doing a cycling tour through the Delta del Ebro is a perfect choice, without any doubt. You can get in shape while breathing the fresh air of this natural environment. Surround yourself with the flora and fauna of this south area of Catalonia!
The area of the Natural Park of Delta del Ebro is located at the Ebro River’s mouth, which has been depositing there every flowing material carried during its wide course to the delta. It is located in the province of Tarragona and from Barcelona by car it will take between 1 hour and a half and two hours to get there. The river high salinity makes it an incredibly fertile land for cultivation and with a varied and interesting vegetation. In the Ebro Delta are nest each year 95 bird species, but is home to another 360 species of birds during their migrations. Delta’s population is up to 50,000 people, a very low number compared to its extension, as only a 20% of it is developable, the rest are cultivations, fruit trees and rice fields. In recent years, Delta’s growth has come to a standstill and it even has shrunk worryingly its extension, because of the construction of hydroelectric dams in riverbeds.
In order to enjoy this unique landscape you have several options, from ShBarcelona we suggest you do a bike route to the Delta’s north or south. There are several places where you can rent bikes per hours or for a day at a very affordable price (Natura y Aventura –south-, Deltaventur –center-, Todo actividades, etc.)
North Itinerary
–North Itinerary: as seen on the map the route has several sections of no more than one hour. You can enjoy spectacular landscapes in the Marquesa beach to The El Fangar Peninsula, also observe the main birds nesting areas and even see them flying over and inhabiting the area, cycling through rice fields, see the Olles lagoon (one excellent fauna and flora observation point), fruit trees, Camarles Tower (from the twelfth century), etc. It will take you a whole morning to complete the journey but if you get tired halfway you can also choose to ride only one of the sections as you have agreed with the bike rental service.
South Itinerary
–South Itinerary: This itinerary goes from Sant Jaume to Els Alfacs Badia. This area is a little more populated than the north, but its beauty and its landscapes are equally amazing. During the tour, you will see vegetable crops, la Casa de la Fusta, reedbeds, ditches, fishing areas, la Tancada observation point, l’Encanyissada, etc. The Delta flat extension will surprise you and its rich fauna and flora will convince you that it is a space to be protected from human activity.
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