The Gaià () is a 59 km long river in
Tarragona Province
Tarragona (; ) is a province of eastern Spain, in the southern part of the autonomous community of Catalonia. It is bordered by the provinces of Castellón, Teruel, Zaragoza, Lleida and Barcelona and by the Mediterranean Sea.
The province's po ...
,
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
.
Course
Its source is at
Santa Coloma de Queralt
Santa Coloma de Queralt () is a municipality in the ''comarca'' of the Conca de Barberà in Catalonia, Spain. It is situated in the north-east of the ''comarca'' about from the city of Tarragona. The town is linked to the rest of the ''comarca' ...
, situated in the
Catalan Central Depression
The Catalan Central Depression () is a natural depression between the Pre-Pyrenees and the Catalan Pre-Coastal Range in Spain. It widens towards the west, linking with the Ebro Depression, , of which it could be considered an eastern extension ...
, gathering the waters of the
Serra de Brufaganya and
Serra de Queralt mountain ranges. It flows through deep gorges across the
Catalan Pre-Coastal Range
The Catalan Pre-Coastal Range () is a system of mountain ranges running parallel to the Mediterranean Sea coast in Catalonia. It is part of the Catalan Mediterranean System. Its main axis runs between the Catalan Transversal Range and the Ser ...
and then close to
Santes Creus
The Monastery of ''Santa Maria de Santes Creus'', () is a former Cistercian monastery in the municipality of Aiguamúrcia, Catalonia, Spain.
The abbey was erected in the 12th century, in today's municipality of Aiguamúrcia, in the village of ...
and, at the end, into the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
at the
Tamarit Castle,
Tarragonès
Tarragonès () is a comarca (county) in Camp de Tarragona, Catalonia (Spain). It lies on the Mediterranean coast, between the comarques of Baix Penedès to the northeast and Baix Camp to the south. Over 60% of the population live in the capital, ...
, near
Altafulla
Altafulla () is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of Catalonia, ''comarca'' of the Tarragonès in Catalonia, Spain. The town of Altafulla has a beautifully intact old quarter crowned by the Castle of Altafulla, and an old fis ...
forming a coastal
lagoon
A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') an ...
separated from the sea by a
sandbar
In oceanography, geomorphology, and geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material, and rises from the bed of a body of water close to the surface or ...
. The river mouth is a
protected area
Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
.
Tributaries
Its main tributaries are:
[Josep M. Calbet& Teresa M. Jové, ''Alt Camp: marc físic marc humà'', Generalitat de Catalunya. Valls May 1983 ]
*
Torrent de Claret
*
Riu de baix
*
Torrent del Biure
*
Torrent Sant Magí
*
Torrent de Vallespinosa
*
Torrent de Rupit
*
Torrent Rubio
*
Torrent de Pinatelles
*
Riu de Boix
*
Torrent d'en Serrat
*
Torrent de Biany
*
L'Escurri
See also
*
List of rivers of Catalonia {{short description, None
The rivers of Catalonia can be classified into four groups according to their source.
*Rivers of the Ebre basin, which can be further divided into:
**the lower basin of the Ebre itself, which corresponds with the ''coma ...
References
External links
Gaià River – On the route of the castles in Camp de Tarragona region – part I., in Catalonia, Spain(in English)
*
Rivers of Spain
Rivers of Catalonia
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