Cap de Creus Natural Park

Somewhere between the earth and the sea, the Cap de Creus Natural Park offers a landscape of incomparable diversity and beauty. Dolmens and castles, sea-cliffs and vines dominate the valleys and the hills, while in the sea, curiously-shaped islets and reefs conceal spectacular coralline depths and a wealth of marine species. Let yourself be carried by the wind and water to this earthly paradise with its host of treasures.

The Cap de Creus Natural Park, with a total area of 13.843 hectares, is Spain's first maritime-terrestrial park. It is located in the Alt Empordà region and includes the municipalities of El Port de la Selva, La Selva de Mar, Cadaqués Llançà, Vilajuïga, Pau, Palau-Saverdera and Roses. It vas created in 1998 to protect the Cap de Creus peninsula and its marine surroundings.

The Park is divided into two parts: land, with a surface area of 10,780 hectares, and the marine area, of 3,064 hectares. The land area encompasses three Natural Sites of National Interest (NSNI): to the North, the NSNI of Cap Gros-Cap de Creus; to the South, the NSNI of Punta Falconera-Cap Norfeu; and to the West, the NSNI of the Rodes mountain range. The first two, moreover, include two Strict Nature Reserves (SNR): the Cap de Creus SNR, with the islands of s'Encalladora and Massa d'Or, and the Cap Norfeu INR. As for the marine area the Natural Park encompasses the area around the Cap de Creus peninsula, from the end of the Bol Nou point tho the cove of Tamariua (El Port de la Selva), to Falconera point (Roses), excluding the bay of Cadaqués. The width of the protected area varies between 0.2 and 1.3 miles. Within this protected marine area there are three Partial Nature Reserves (PNR): Els Farallons (between Brescó and the Tres Frares point), Cap de Creus (between the island of Culleró and the Jugadora cove) and Cap Norfeu. Finally, there is also an Integral marine reserve, s'Encalladora (to the north of the island).

Cap de Creus is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, with the exceptional beauty of the coastal areas providing a contrast with the interior areas, where often human action has had a lasting influence on the harmony and shaping of the landscape we can see today. It is important to mention the rich architectural heritage of the area, represented to perfection in the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, and the interest of the land and marine archaeological sites, and Dalí's haven at Portlligat.

The waters surrounding the Cap de Creus peninsula are very clean, with extremely low levels of pollution. The morphology of the coast, with its sea-cliffs, rocks, islets, reefs, coves and bays, and the nature of its rocky bottom (which can reach great depths) and sediments also offer enormous diversity of habitats for marine creatures, a diversity that leads to extremely rich submarine life, to which the algae and the coral pools bear the best witness. The centuries-old fishing activity and the more recent tourist activity have left their mark, especially on the fish community, but despite everything, the richness of the zone, including its fish species, is evident.

THE PLA ALFA

The Pla Alfa is the operating procedure established by the Corps of Rural Agents for surveillance, prevention and control of risk activities, in the face of dangerous forest fire situations that may occur. These danger situations are graded on a scale of 5 operational levels, from 0 to 4. Each one corresponds to a forest fire danger level. When level 4 is activated, all risky activities are prohibited, with some exceptions for essential activities, such as agriculture, which are regulated. Some of the prohibited activities are:

Any type of fire
Smoking in forest land
free camping
Faults or torches
Blowers
Radials
Hot Air Balloons
Hunt

During level 3, access to the Cap de Creus Natural Park is also restricted, that is, access on foot, by bicycle or other transport is not allowed, with the aim of reducing the risk that a fire occurs and protect people by preventing them from being in a natural space in the event of a fire breaking out.

The Pla Alfa map is updated daily at: https://interior.gencat.cat/ca/arees_dactuacio/agents-rurals/pla-alfa/

THE ECST

The European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (ECST) is a European initiative that promotes responsible and sustainable tourism in protected natural areas and in their sphere of influence. It is a management and work tool aimed at protected natural spaces throughout Europe and tourism companies that voluntarily assume the commitment to apply the principles of sustainable tourism.

The Cap de Creus Natural Park has been accredited with the ECST, which guarantees that the territory has a sustainable tourism strategy developed and agreed upon with the agents
involved in the area. This is a territorial project that includes 8 municipalities, including El Port de la Selva, which are part of the Natural Park and its area of ​​influence.

The ECST is structured around 5 fundamental principles:

1. Give priority to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage
2. Contribute to the sustainable development of the territory, including the social sphere, environmental and economic.
3. Involve all the agents involved in sustainable tourism.
4. Plan sustainable tourism effectively, with agreed objectives and actions.
5. Promote continuous improvement in all areas.

In El Port de la Selva we are committed to the responsible management of resources, the protection of our heritage and the well-being of all those who visit us and live in the territory. We believe firmly in the ECST as a tool to preserve the natural and cultural wealth of our territory, while we offer enriching and responsible experiences to our visitors.

The companies accredited by the ECST in our municipality are:

- Centre d'Immersió Port de la Selva (CIPS) - http://www.cips-dive.com/

- Club Nàutic Port de la Selva - http://www.cnps.cat/

For more information, you can consult the website of the Cap de Creus Natural Park