Protecting natural environments
The Costa Brava boasts several nature parks designed to protect ecosystems and raise public awareness via discovery trails and birdwatching observatories.
Cap de Creus Nature Park: located near Cadaqués, this mountainous peninsula is home to exceptional flora and fauna, both marine and terrestrial (corals, posidonia meadows). Its beautiful landscapes are said to have inspired Dalí.
Parc naturel du Montgrí, des îles Medes et du Baix Ter. Situated between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean, this park is home to a wide range of natural environments: mountains, hills and high plains, as well as beaches, marshes, dunes and deltas, all of which provide sublime backdrops for hiking. The Medes Islands are also a beautiful reservoir of biodiversity, popular with divers.
Cadí-Moixeró Nature Park: the largest park in Catalonia, it protects mountain ecosystems (Cadí and Moixeró ranges).
Other parks include Parc naturel dels Aiguamolls de l'Empordà, Parc naturel de les Capçaleres del Ter i del Freser, Parc naturel del Montseny, and Parc naturel de la zone volcanique de La Garrotxa.
Challenges related to tourism
Tourism contributes to soil artificialisation. Pressure on land is threatening unspoilt areas such as the Bay of Cadaqués, which is in the crosshairs of real estate projects aimed at luxury tourism. An environmental association describes these projects (over 20) as an "ecological attack", and legal action is underway to stop them. Travelers to the Costa Brava can easily reach their destination by train, and use soft mobility throughout their stay. Preserving the environment also means using resources sparingly, consuming local products that respect the environment (be careful when choosing sun creams) and reducing waste.
The Costa Brava facing pollution and climate change
The Mediterranean, which accounts for 1% of the world's marine waters, concentrates 7% of plastic pollution. Most of this pollution is invisible to the naked eye (plastics in the form of nano and micro-particles), and comes from aqueous effluents. "A biodiversity hotspot, the Mediterranean is also one of the world's climate change hotspots, warming on average 20% faster than the rest of the world. On the Costa Brava, this is reflected in rising sea levels, coastal erosion and a greater frequency and intensity of extreme phenomena (heat waves, higher winter waves). The threshold of a one-metre rise in sea level by the end of the century is possible, if the latest observations are to be believed. This would mean the submergence of beaches, with catastrophic consequences for the entire coastline. Rising sea temperatures and acidification are also having a deleterious effect on corals and plankton, an essential link in the food chain. The Mediterranean Network of Experts on Climate and Environmental Change (MedECC) produced a report in November 2020 on environmental risks in the Mediterranean region, aimed at scientists and decision-makers. It calls for urgent action.
