A rich and varied flora
Because of the Mediterranean climate, the woods and coppices of the Mediterranean type occupy a large area of the territory. But the flora also changes according to the height. In the regions with moderate height, we will find yew, maple, boxwood, holly as well as wild rose and hazelnut trees. When on the coastal areas will abound holm oak, pine (green and umbrella) and also palm. The areas of Mediterranean scrubland are home to the only native palm species, the dwarf palm. And the agricultural landscapes will be typically Mediterranean with their expanses of olive trees, vineyards and almond trees. Going to the parks will be the best way to appreciate its fauna and flora.
Park of the forest of Poblet
Stretching across the northern slopes of the Prades mountains (Conca de Barberà), this natural area declared of national interest by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan government) includes the Cistercian monastery of Poblet, as well as the source of the Francolí river that flows into Tarragona. There is a beautiful vegetation dominated by holm oaks (the largest reserve in Catalonia), chestnut trees, pines, cedars and firs, but also the only colony of tauzin oaks. Its highest point is the Tossal de la Baltasana, at 1,202 meters.
Montsant Natural Park
Declared a natural park in 2002, the Montsant mountain range covers 9,242 hectares of steep terrain composed mainly of rounded limestone rocks. The numerous ravines, caves and other crevices that characterize it, the work of time and erosion, give the visitor the spectacle of some geological singularities as for example the facades of the cliff mayor, surmounted by the highest point of the park, the Corbatera rock (1 163 m). In the shade of the holm oaks, cats and wild goats thrive, while golden eagles and peregrine falcons hover over the many hermitages of the massif
Natural Park of Els Ports
Dominated by Mount Caro, which rises to 1,141 meters above sea level, the massif of Els Ports spreads its virgin and preserved nature in the extreme southwest of the Terres de l'Ebre, extending its borders to Aragon and the Valencian Country. It is classified as a natural park since 2001. Covered by forests and splendid beech forests, pierced by caves and gorges where rivers flow, the park multiplies the steep reliefs and idyllic groves. Sanctuary of the Hispanic goat (it is even the emblem of the park), we can also find wild boars, golden eagles, peregrine falcons and griffon vultures.
The delta, a unique ecosystem
Listed and recognized by the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism, the Natural Park of the Ebro Delta, an immense alluvial plain, reveals 320 km² of green rice fields bordered by reeds and rushes, lagoons and beaches, home to an impressive birdlife. More than 300 species of birds can be observed there, such as the seagull, the pink flamingo, the heron or the tern. Since 1986, the park includes the mouth of the river, the Fangar and Banya peninsulas, as well as several lagoons.
