L'Estartit (; es, Estartit, link=no) is a small town and

seaside resort A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germ ...

on the Costa Brava, on the northeastern coast of

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, located in the province of Girona,

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...

. The town is situated between the foothills of the Montgrí Massif and the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

, and is part of the municipality of

Torroella de Montgrí Torroella de Montgrí () is a coastal municipality on the Costa Brava, and small town in Catalonia, Spain. The town lies on the north bank of the Ter river, a few kilometres before it flows into the Mediterranean. The beach resort of L'Estartit als ...

, in the Baix Empordà county,

Girona Girona (officially and in Catalan , Spanish: ''Gerona'' ) is a city in northern Catalonia, Spain, at the confluence of the Ter, Onyar, Galligants, and Güell rivers. The city had an official population of 103,369 in 2020. Girona is the capital ...

province,

autonomous community eu, autonomia erkidegoa ca, comunitat autònoma gl, comunidade autónoma oc, comunautat autonòma an, comunidat autonoma ast, comunidá autónoma , alt_name = , map = , category = Autonomous administra ...

Geography

L'Estartit stretches North-South from Cala Montgó, at the southern tip of the Bay of Roses (''Badía de Roses'') to the

Ter River The Ter is a river in Catalonia, Spain, that rises at an approximate elevation of near the Ulldeter refuge 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. It runs throug ...

estuary in the Bay of Pals (''Badía de Pals''). East-West it extends three kilometers inland from the shoreline and includes the hills of Rocamaura and Torre Moratxa, and to the north of these the old farmhouse of Torre Ponça. The Montgrí Massif ( Massís del Montgrí) plunges into the sea forming about 9 kilometers of high, rocky and cut coast, in which we find several coves, including Cala Calella, Golfet del Falaguer, Cala Pedrosa and Cala Ferriola, as well as different caves, including the tunnel Roca Foradada and the Tres Coves, closest to Cala Montgó. The Medes Islands are an elevation within the sea of the Montgrí Massif range. From the GI-645 road, you can also see the lower peaks called Tossal Gros, Tossal Mitjà, Tossal Petit, and Puig de la Reina. To the west of Torre Ponça opens the Alt de la Pedrosa, a plateau where the abandoned LORAN base is located, a former military base of the United States Coast Guard, which has now been demolished.

Economical activities

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 harbor, 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 (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, whilst the majority of the labor force hails from the south of Spain, especially

Andalusia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The t ...

. 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. The important development of nearby campsites or even within the center of Estartit is also noteworthy, so the type of tourism that hosts Estartit has a more familiar profile than in other tourist spots. In addition, the town is considered one of the best destinations in the world for scuba diving, which makes the tourist season longer than in other towns that only offer traditional sun and beach tourism and do not have this additional tourist asset. Despite this population shift to tourist activities, agricultural and livestock activities are still maintained. The port of the Club Nàutic Estartit has 687 moorings for boats from 4 m to 25 m in length with water and electricity connection and bathrooms with shower. The facilities of the Club Nàutic Estartit occupy an area of 15,945 m² with parking for vehicles, crane, ramp, service dock, waste collection point, social club, and WIFI service.

History

The first news of L'Estartit appeared in the 17th century when the activity of Turkish and Berber piracy on the Catalan coasts had already decreased and until the middle of the twentieth century, its development was linked to maritime activity. Its port allowed the departure of the town's products by sea, such as wheat, rice, wine, and spirits, to large markets such as Barcelona. More recently, a pro-independence movement has emerged to make Estartit an independent municipality, but after long administrative and judicial processes they have not prospered. However, pro-independence sentiment is still alive in the majority of the population.

Gallery

File:Vue sur les îles Medes depuis L'Estartit.jpg, View of the Medes Islands from L'Estartit File:Torroella de montgri l estartit.jpg, The L'Estartit port File:L'Estartit (Costa Brava).jpg, A walk to the port

External links

Torroella de Montgrí and L’Estartit official tourist website
{{Baix Emporda Populated places in the Province of Girona Seaside resorts in Spain