Tarragona (province)

Tarragona is the southernmost province in Catalonia, Spain.

The Montsià is an administrative region within Tarragon. It has a geographical variety that makes it a concentrated, very small synthesis of the continent: the coast in the Mediterranean sea, the last length of Ebre river crowned with its Delta, the plain extended to the inland framed by the Mediterranean mountains of Montsià and of Godall at the littoral side, and inland by the mountains of Ports.

This natural geographical variety means also a cultural, social and gastronomical wealth. Walking along the different environments we can discover towns walking down picturesque streets; visits to monuments, museums, interpretation centers and archaeological remains, relaxation, leisure and sporting activities, craftsmanship and a wide variety of flavors with Designation of Origin (D.O.)

Cities

 * — Roman age capital, has beaches, close to Costa Daurada
 * — a centre for rock-climbing and the birthplace of architect Antoni Gaudí
 * — another popular beach resort in Catalonia

Other destinations

 * wide variety of landscapes of the Ebre's course and delta

Understand
It includes the Costa Daurada (Golden Coast) and Montsià regions.

Nature
The county of Montsià offers a contrast geography. On one hand, its main touristic active is around the municipalities of d’Amposta and Sant Jaume d’Enveja  where you find the Natural Park of Delta de l'Ebre, the largest wetland of Catalonia, with a surface of 320 km².

The Ebre Delta offers a wide range of possibilities for the tourists: easy rides by bike in the heart of Delta (there are bike lanes), a new touristic active as the birdwatching, the visit to the traditional rafts of the Encanyissada and the Tancada, enjoy infinite beaches without crowding, adventure sports like kitesurf boarding, or calm activities like fishing.

But if you really want to enjoy nature purely you must visit the Natural Park of Ports, from Montsià you can enter it through the municipalities of La Sénia and Mas de Barberans. The Ports are a group of rock-solid mountains with a complex relief, between the Mediterranean mountain range and the Iberian mountain range. The human beings have traditionally found in the Ports a source of natural resources to survive and to their interests. They are part of the landscape with subtle historical touches like the masos, the calcium ovens, the snow wells, the coal bunkers, the marges of dry stone and the stone lanes.

The Natural Park of Ports has leisure areas; those areas are, besides a resting and entertainment place, the starting point of family tours as those of la Vall or those of la Fou and for more intrepid hikers: long-distance trekking (GR) traversing the Natural Park of Ports.

The sea and the coast, are also represented in Montsià. The municipalities enjoying these landscapes are Sant Carles de la Ràpita and Alcanar. Towns with maritime tradition with fishermen fraternities where we can enjoy the typical fish auctions in the very llotja (traditional Gothic style open building). You can have a unique photo moment before 17:00, observing the fishing boats coming back to the harbor. Besides the sun and beach you find in these locations, you can have activities related to nature and gastronomy, like the mussel and oyster tour or have a boat ride driving ourselves.

By plane
Barcelona, Reus and Lleida-Alguaire  are the main airports in the area.

From Barcelona-El Prat Airport, trains run from Terminal 2 to Barcelona Sants, Barcelona's central railway and bus station.

By train
From Barcelona you have several options. If you want to discover the coasts in the southern vicinity of Barcelona, you can take the Cercanias Line 2 sud, which is a commuter service, to villages like Sitges, Vilanova i la Geltrù, and Sant Vicenç de Calders (Coma-Ruga).

If you want to go to places that are more to the south, like Tarragona and Salou, you'll need to take the 'Media Distancia' lines 14, 15 or 16 for Tarragona, and 16 for Salou. These trains are more expensive than the commuter trains and are priced according to the amount of stations they call at. Slower, regularly stopping trains are called 'Regional' and faster services are called 'Regional Exprés' or 'Catalunya Exprés'.



By car

 * Highway AP-7, to get around the region, through inland roads, with good communication between municipalities.

By bus

 * Much of the regional lines are operated by Plana Bus.
 * For tourists the T-10 card is convenient. €15 for a new card with 10 trips, €12 for a recharge.

Do
In Montsià there is network of itineraries of great natural and cultural value that cover the region with the presence of traditional human activities and remains of the past. The network of "Ways of the South" covers some of the most scenic spots and ethnocultural areas of the ravine of La Galera, the Montsià drylands, the Godall Mountain, the river La Senia and the Montsià Mountain, which gives its name to the region.

Buy
There are many options if you want to buy typical products from Montsià:

Markets

 * Mercado Municipal de Sant Carles de la Ràpita  De Dilluns a Dissabte 08:00-14:00
 * Mercado Municipal de Alcanar Dijous de 08:00-14:00
 * Mercado Municipal de Amposta Dilluns a Dissabte de 08:00-13:30
 * Mercado Municipal de Mas de Barberans Dilluns, Dimecres i divendres de 08:00-21:00, Dimarts, dijous i Dissabte de 08:00-11:00 i de 18:00-21:00
 * Mercado Público de Ulldecona Divendres de 08:00-15:00