Castell-Cap Roig Protected Natural Area

Nature area / Countryside / Open space, Natura 2000 network

Castell-Cap Roig natural area is one of the most symbolic protected environments on the Costa Brava. Covering both sea and land, it includes a sector of rugged, wooded coastline, dotted with small coves and an extensive beach, the only one in the area that remains unspoilt.

Castell-Cap Roig Protected Natural Area is located in the easternmost part of the region of Baix Empordà. Together with the Gavarres massif, which is separated by the Palafrugell corridor, a tectonic rift formed in the Alpine orogeny, and the Begur mountains, they form the northern extreme of the coastal range. The exact location is between the area of El Golfet and Platja del Castell beach.

The part on land, which is practically triangular in shape, is bordered by the Canyelles and Aubi brooks and the sea. The marine environment occupies an expanse of 677.68 hectares, reaching 1,600 metres out to sea with an approximate bathymetry of fifty metres.

This is a stretch of coastline which has maintained its original appearance despite the presence of humans and the passing of time. At Platja del Castell we can find the remains of an Iberian settlement. From this point to El Golfet, a splendid sector of wooded coastline appears, dotted with small coves and rocky islets.

Regulations: Law 12/1985, of 13 June.
Area: 1219
District: Palamós; Mont-ras; Palafrugell.
Visitor centres: N

Annual closing: Open all year round.
How to get there: One of the most direct points of access is via the road leading to the Platja de Castell beach, which is signposted at the turning at km 327.5 on the C-31 between Palamós and Mont-ras.
Languages: Catalan, Spanish

Flora

The flora and vegetation are typical of the Mediterranean coast. Since the phylloxera infestation (1879-1900), which meant that the vineyards that covered a good part of these coastal mountains had to be abandoned, holm oaks, kermes oaks and white pines have taken over. In the marine environment, we can see meadows of Neptune grass (Posidonia oceanica), among other species.

Fauna

The wildlife is mainly of a Mediterranean nature, adapted to relatively dry environments. However, taking advantage of the mountains or gullies and the humid nature of the cork oak and holm oak groves, certain elements of wildlife that are more characteristic of Atlantic and central European regions also make their home here. The coastal context in which the area is located determines the presence of numerous species that thrive in such an environment. This includes those that inhabit rocky areas and cliffs, as well as, in the case of the birds, those that favour a marine environment or seek their food in the sea.