L'Estartit
Encyclopedia
L'Estartit is a small town and seaside resort
on the Costa Brava
, on the north-eastern coast of Spain
.
The town is situated between the foothills of the Montgrí Massif and the Mediterranean Sea
, and is part of the borough of Torroella de Montgrí
, in the Baix Empordà
county, Girona
province, autonomous community of Catalonia
.
L'Estartit stretches North-South from Cala Montgó, at the southern tip of the Bay of Roses
(Badía de Roses) to the Ter River
estuary in the Bay of Pals (Badía de Pals). East-West it extends three kilometres inland from the shoreline, and includes the hills of Roca Maura and Torre Moratxa.
A kilometre off shore lies the Illes Medes
archipelago, composed of various uninhabited islands. The area has been protected by Natural Park status and is home to many different species of flora and fauna, both above and below the waterline.
Initially a fishing village, the advent of tourism in the Costa Brava from the 1960s onwards brought a large influx of visitors to the town during the summer months. The community grew exponentially for the next two decades, initially with houses and villas built up the hills that surround the harbour, and later with hotels, apartment blocks and campsites extending along the beach and the flood plain of the Ter estuary.
The tourist industry also led to a large immigrant population (mostly from other parts of Spain), needed to serve the ever-growing number of visitors. Tourists visiting L'Estartit originate mainly from France
, the United Kingdom
, Germany
and the Netherlands
, whilst the majority of the labour force hails from the south of Spain, especially Andalusia
.
Like many other tourist resorts around the world, massification and uncontrolled growth led the town to lose the charm that had made it popular in the first place. Tourism has been dwindling since the 1990s. However the underwater beauty of the Illes Medes, the large and well-equipped sports marina and the abundance of nearby golf courses keep divers, sailors and golfers coming back year after year and has seen a revival in the area's fortunes.
There was a LORAN-C transmitter
of the Mediterranean Sea Chain in L'Estartit, which has now been demolished.
Some links to underwater video of the Medas Islands:
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
on the Costa Brava
Costa Brava
The Costa Brava is a coastal region of northeastern Catalonia, Spain, in the comarques of Alt Empordà, Baix Empordà and Selva, in the province of Girona. Costa is the Catalan and Spanish word for 'coast', and Brava means 'rugged' or 'wild'...
, on the north-eastern coast of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The town is situated between the foothills of the Montgrí Massif and the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, and is part of the borough of Torroella de Montgrí
Torroella de Montgrí
Torroella de Montgrí is a small town in Catalonia, on the north bank of the Ter river.-Features:The town is 22 km east of Girona and 5 km west of the resort of L'Estartit...
, in the Baix Empordà
Baix Empordà
Baix Empordà is a comarca in Catalonia, Spain, one of the two into which Empordà was divided in the comarcal division of 1936. It is popularly known as L'Empordanet .- Geography :...
county, Girona
Girona (province)
Girona is a province of north-eastern Spain, in the northern part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. It is bordered by the provinces of Barcelona and Lleida, and by France and the Mediterranean Sea....
province, autonomous community of Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
.
L'Estartit stretches North-South from Cala Montgó, at the southern tip of the Bay of Roses
Roses Gulf
The Gulf of Roses is the most north eastern bay on the Catalan coast.The Bay is 16 km wide and is formed by the valley of the Fluvià river but also contains the esturies of the Manol and la Muga rivers. These rivers drain the southern flanks of the eastern end of the Pyrenees and Alberes...
(Badía de Roses) to the Ter River
Ter River
The Ter is a river in Catalonia that rises in Ulldeter at an approximate altitude of 2400 meters, at the foot of a glacial cirque delimited by the nearby peaks of el Bastiments, el Gra de Fajol, or el Pic de la Dona...
estuary in the Bay of Pals (Badía de Pals). East-West it extends three kilometres inland from the shoreline, and includes the hills of Roca Maura and Torre Moratxa.
A kilometre off shore lies the Illes Medes
Illes Medes
The Illes Medes or Islas Medas is a small and craggy group of islets in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. They are located close to the shore, east of the coastal town of L'Estartit....
archipelago, composed of various uninhabited islands. The area has been protected by Natural Park status and is home to many different species of flora and fauna, both above and below the waterline.
Initially a fishing village, the advent of tourism in the Costa Brava from the 1960s onwards brought a large influx of visitors to the town during the summer months. The community grew exponentially for the next two decades, initially with houses and villas built up the hills that surround the harbour, and later with hotels, apartment blocks and campsites extending along the beach and the flood plain of the Ter estuary.
The tourist industry also led to a large immigrant population (mostly from other parts of Spain), needed to serve the ever-growing number of visitors. Tourists visiting L'Estartit originate mainly from France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, whilst the majority of the labour force hails from the south of Spain, especially Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
.
Like many other tourist resorts around the world, massification and uncontrolled growth led the town to lose the charm that had made it popular in the first place. Tourism has been dwindling since the 1990s. However the underwater beauty of the Illes Medes, the large and well-equipped sports marina and the abundance of nearby golf courses keep divers, sailors and golfers coming back year after year and has seen a revival in the area's fortunes.
There was a LORAN-C transmitter
LORAN-C transmitter Estartit
Coast Guard LORAN-C Station Estartit was the Zulu secondary station of the Mediterrean Sea LORAN-C Chain .It used a transmission power of 165 kW.Estartit LORAN-C transmitter, was situated near Estartit at...
of the Mediterranean Sea Chain in L'Estartit, which has now been demolished.
External links
- Torroella de Montgrí and L’Estartit official tourist website
- Torroella de Montgrí Town Council
- Pictures of l'Estartit and Torroella de Montgrí
- L'Estartit Travel Guide in english
- L'Estartit weather report and webcam
- Diving on the Medas Islands
- L'Estartit Map
- Coast battery of Punta Milà
Some links to underwater video of the Medas Islands: