Garraf Massif Protected Natural Area. Garraf Park

With an extension of more than 12,000 hectares and a radius that includes up to nine towns of the region, the El Garraf Nature Reserve is one of the most important biological reserves in Catalonia. With a particular orography that combines the white of the limestone with low areas of vineyards and dry stone walls, the park offers a varied sample of Mediterranean fauna and flora. With regard to the flora, fundamentally comprising of large areas of scrubland, worth noting is the palm (an almost native and abundant species in the area), reeds (a plant that is difficult to find outside the park) and species of African origin. We can also find less exotic shrubs, such as the mastic or the kermes oak. The further we go into the park, the shrubland becomes forest with, most notably due to the number and colourfulness, holm oak and Aleppo pine forests. With regard to the fauna, it must be mentioned that the weather conditions of the Garraf massif, where the park is, act as a rigorous selection mechanism. There aren't many species that have managed to make this area their own, but precisely due to their privileged condition they can be considered highly valuable. We can find birds such as the blackbird and other less well known birds such as the wheatear, Ortelan bunting or the crested lark. Even the eagle or falcon find the craggy silhouette of the massif a perfect place for deploying their predatory skills. We can also find species that, as in the case of the fauna, have adapted their African origin to the conditions of the area: horseshoe whip snake, vipers or salamanders. The geological peculiarity of the park has also led to the existence of species used to cavernous environments, such as the greater horseshoe bat. The routes, of different levels of difficulty, enable visitors to get to know the details of every corner of the park. The Fondo de Vallgrassa route offers fantastic views of the massif and surroundings, and that of the Masies del Garraf visits the masias that are spread throughout the area. There is also a sensorial itinerary for the blind, where contact with the park is reinforced by using the stimuli that sound and smell offer. To guarantee the dissemination of the natural heritage, the park also has documentation centres of flora and fauna, as well as of its peculiar geography. These are the Centre d'Historia de la Ciutat, in Gavà, and the Biblioteca Joan Oliva i Milà, in Vilanova i la Geltrú.

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