mar-i-cultura-per-les-terres-de-lebre26-3-38

In Terres de l'Ebre, a two-day route awaits you to enjoy the marine, cultural and gastronomic universe of the Ebro Delta, an hour and 45 minutes' drive from Barcelona. You can do the route whenever you want, but keep in mind that the Tuna Tour experience takes place from June 19 to October 12, and it's worth not missing it.

You will stay at the Hotel Restaurant Amposta . Located in the Delta de l'Ebre Natural Park , this 3 star-hotel has a terrace with swimming pool and a fitness centre. It also has a reading room with views of the Encanyissada and Tancada lagoons, where you can quietly read books about ornithology and bird watching, a star activity in the Delta de l'Ebre. The restaurant of this gastronomic hotel serves home-grown rice, which is never missing from their menu, along with duck and seafood.

Day 1: Bluefin tuna and diving in L'Ametlla de Mar and a guided tour of Tortosa

The sea will be the protagonist of the first two activities of this route. From Amposta you move to the fishing village of l'Ametlla de Mar . You will first take a scuba diving test with the Plancton Diving centre. The meeting point with the instructors is an area between Sant Jordi and Cala de Vidre beaches, two enclaves frequented by divers due to their great beauty.

There, you will receive practical instructions, before diving for 45 minutes at a maximum depth of 5 metres. They will also provide you with all the information about the fauna and flora that you will see during the dive. The whole activity lasts 3 hours.

Then, you move to the fishing port of Ametlla de Mar to board the Tuna Tour catamaran and experience swimming among bluefin tuna. You will sail for 2.5 miles until you reach the separate pools in the sea where these fish are found. Once there, the instructors will give you the instructions on how to swim among 400 bluefin tuna, some of which can weigh 600 kg and measure up to 2.5 metres.

In the afternoon you leave the sea of the Costa Daurada to immerse yourself in the culture of Tortosa with Conficon Turisme i Tradicions. You will discover this medieval town walking through the streets of its old quarter, which has been declared a Historic-Artistic Complex for the legacy that various cultures have left there over the centuries.

During the 3-hour walk you will stop in front of Castle Suda , a fortification that presides over the city and that offers good views. You will also access the Santa Maria cathedral , at the foot of the castle. This Gothic temple was built in 1347 on the remains of a Roman temple, a mosque and a Romanesque church from the 12th century. Inside, the chapel of the Mare de Déu de la Cinta, patron saint of the city, is worth a visit. Its baroque ornamentation and the marble altarpiece with the image of the Virgin are very colourful.

In July, Tortosa celebrates the Festival of the Renaissance , an event commemorating Tortosa as the most important cultural and artistic centre of Catalonia in the 16th century. A party with colourful shows, such as the entourage of city flags, markets and music, theatre and circus performances.

Day 2: Kayak route through Deltebre and lunch with tasting menu in Santa Bárbara

On the second day of the route you set out on a Deltebre a kayak excursion along the Ebro river. The guided route Buda Island Route , organised by Riu a L'Ebre, starts at Gola del Migjorn, one of the old mouths of the Ebre River. This space borders the Island of Buda, one of the most inaccessible and wild areas of the Delta, and ends on an long beach.

You will cross in a boat that was used in the past in the winter when the storms made the beach entrance inaccessible. In the final section of the Ebro river, the waters are calm. The return is made in reverse and the excursion lasts an hour and a half.

At lunch time, after the river journey, you will enjoy a tasting menu at the Hotel Restaurant Diego at Santa Barbara . This gastronomic rural hotel is located between the Delta de l'Ebre Natural Park and the Ports de Tortosa-Beseit Natural Park . It offers local cuisine based on seasonal products. The gastronomic menu changes every month, which always offers vegetables and beef from the farm, and fish and seafood from the market in Sant Carles de la Ràpita. All cooked with their own virgin olive oil.

With this gastronomic menu with a taste of the sea and the mountains, you say goodbye to this maritime and cultural route through the Terres de l'Ebre.

p>