Mar d'Amunt's naturalistic path

This hike, which leaves from El Port de la Selva, coincides in some sections with the long-distance path (GR11). Once the route is finished we have to go back the same way. Counting back and forth is about 20 km, and a total time of six hours. The hike begins on the Camí de la Costa which is a continuation of the street of the same name in El Port de la Selva.

1. CIM DE LA COSTA

From there you can see the whole bay of El Port de la Selva, and even the village of La Selva de Mar. On the northern slope, you can see Tamariua beach where a brackish water pond is often formed, near the abundant tamarius.

2. FOREST TRACK TO MAS PUIGNAU

It is an old forest track that was used to go to the vineyards of Sant Baldiri. On both sides you can see the plants that make up vegetation adapted to the Mediterranean environments of great drought, as well as exposed to northerly environments and saline aerosols: milkweeds, carnations, steppes, argelagues, brambles, brooms, heather. Tree vegetation is absent due to frequent fires. The path follows the left bank of a ravine that comes from Mas Puignau. Before that, however, another torrent was added, the Fuster irrigation canal. In half an hour we will have arrived at Mas Puignau, currently in ruins. It's time to stop and see the Cap de Creus and the Gou from there. You can see the Cala Prona floor, we can distinguish it by the lighter shades of the rock.

3. HERMITAGE OF SANT BALDIRI

We leave the Mas Puignau and head to the hermitage of Sant Baldiri. To get there we cross a pine grove, a thicket of steppes and heather. At the bottom of Sant Baldiri we can see many holm oaks that give a very pleasant foliage to the area. Here, we can take a break after walking for about 15 minutes. We can see reeds that show the proximity of water that comes from a canal that runs along the east side of the hermitage.

4. MAS PALTRÉ

If we walk another 15 minutes, we will reach Mas Paltré. It is a narrow path that passes through a hill saving a small slope we can hardly pass without encountering the heather bushes and steppes that will rub us on both sides. At some point they are so high that they will cover us. This is why this vegetation is called maquis (it was used by the "maquis" to hide, at noon in France). Going down the hill we arrive at the Talabre irrigation canal where there are cork oaks and oaks of great beauty and size. Below the stream there is an esplanade where we can rest and enjoy the coolness and song of the birds that often come to seek water in these places.

5. TABALLERA BEACH

If we walk 45 minutes we will arrive at the beach of Taballera, where we will take the forest track leaving Mas Paltré on the right, we will pass through a pine forest located on our right, and then by the side of a fern that is in a curve and finally we will follow the path which is flanked by the area of ​​steppes and heather, heading east. When the path heads north, it follows a path that crosses properties that were well delimited by walls that are still well preserved. Some materials appear with lighter colors, probably due to the abundance of pegmatite they contain. It should be noted that before reaching the path that goes down to Taballera, there is a myrtle bush, one of the few remaining specimens in the area. We go down a steep path to reach the beach, leaving on the left some recumbent formations of Moorish jaguarzo bushes, which are a good example of adaptation to the wind and sea salt. When arriving at Taballera beach, the large number of environments that are found are surprising:

The meadow in the area of ​​the fishermen's houses that goes into the interior of the beach near the well.
The central part of the beach is occupied by a pool of salt water with abundant reeds and vegetation adapted to saline environments.
On the other side of the beach, you can see the typical coastal vegetation: carnations, plantains, erinaceas, etc.
On the same shore as the previous point, entering the valley, there is an "eagle fern" fern that shows that in this area of ​​the beach more oriented to the north there is a higher degree of humidity.

6. MAS DE LA BIRBA

In 30 minutes we can reach Mas de la Birba. Taking the path that goes up to the opposite side from where we came from, we will see the Taballera irrigation canal that reveals the fluvial origin of this beach. In the background we can see the Puig Gros. Further on we will find the Mas de la Birba with some fields that precede it. On the right hand side there are some outcroppings of marble with dark veins. The Mas de la Birba is a private property, so you should not go out of the way.

7. PRAT DE ROGAMÒS

We found it 30 minutes away. Following the forest path that passes near the Mas de la Birba, we head east until we find a cereal field on the left hand side of the track. We leave it behind bordering the field, and arrive at a depression in the land that opens up more and more to the north, giving rise to a very wide valley with abundant vegetation, and with some ponds surrounded by reeds. We follow this depression through the meadow in an easterly direction. We find a path that leads us to a point from where the entire Cap de Creus can be seen. We take a detour to the left heading north, which will take us to the Cala Prona irrigation canal.

8. PRONA BEACH

In another half hour we arrive at Cala Prona, following a canal of great beauty and abundant vegetation. Here the rocky materials acquire a whitish coloration again since pegmatite abounds in quantity. We find myrtle again in this area and abundant reeds that show a certain degree of humidity. Through a fairly bumpy road we arrive just above Cala Prona. There it is worth noting the existence of some outcrops of pegmatite with very marked forms of erosion, very spectacular. There are some with holes big enough to fit a person. We leave these pegmatites behind and immediately arrive at Cala Prona where we are surprised by its beauty, with a fishermen's house-shelter. It is worth noting the small beach in the background with abundant fine sand, with dark colors coming from the alteration of very gray schists. The forms of erosion of Cala Prona are very marked with abundant ridges and holes. The vegetation is what we find in the immediate area of ​​the sea: sea marigolds, sea fennel, bolaga, erinaceas, cat's uva, etc.

This itinerary has been created with the advice of Dr. Santi Musquera from the University of Girona.