This region provides a wealth of opportunities for different activities
These are just some of the activities you can undertake whilst staying here
| Culture |
Museums & Places of Interest |
The Rice Fields Natural Park |
The EcoMuseum looks at this important wetland area. It also has an aquarium . |
|
| Miravet & Castle |
A beautiful town, famous for its ceramic potteries and beautiful castle of the Knights Templar. |
|
| Centre Picasso |
16th century house at Horta de Sant Joan where Picasso lived and worked.
Centre Picasso |
|
| The Montsia Museum |
Based in Amposta, this museum has a collection of archaeological, ethnological and natural history items, including a Rice Hall.
Montsia Museum |
|
| Caves of Benifallet |
Stalactites, stalagmites, ice runs, curtains and prehistoric cave paintings.
Benifallet Caves |
|
| Amposta |
A lively town on the way to the Delta, it provides a large number of the activities listed on this page and is also a very interesting place. Guided tours and craft workshops are also available. |
|
| The Delta |
This amazing area, which is the most important wetland area on the Mediterranean coast, is rich in flora and fauna. Water birds are abundant here and with its towns, sandy unspoilt beaches and lagoons provides an unforgettable experience.
A Coastal Guide to the Ebro
A guide to the Ebro Delta |
|
Food
This area is a food and wine lover's delight. Fresh produce grown locally is always available, there are markets in all the towns and villages and the restaurants on the coast offer a wide range of mouth-watering dishes based on locally caught, fresh seafood. Wines and Cava from the region are excellent and cheap. |
Olive Preparation
Rice |
The town of Santa Barbara provides you with the opportunity to discover how to use olives in a variety of different ways.
The town of Amposta hosts a centre where you can discover how rice is grown and harvested. You can go into the rice fields on boats pulled by horses or ride in a cart.
|
|
Fishing
The Ebro river is world famous for its fishing. There are a large number of different companies available which can organise any type of trip to suit you.
Fish caught in March by our German guests
146 pound catfish caught June 08 by one of our guests with Natalie of Catfishing Adventures |
The Wels Catfish is a regular catch here, often weighing in at over 100 lbs. Carp, roach, barble, mullet, bass and Zander are also found in very large sizes.
Seafishing and fly fishing are also available.
Fishing licenses are required, but they are easy to obtain. Some of the companies mentioned below are able to get your licenses for you.
There are a number of companies around here which will offer fishing excursions. Amongst these are:
catfishingadventures
Catfishing on the Ebro
Ebro Catfish Excursions
All of these companies are happy to pick guests up from the river bank at the bottom of the garden.
|
|
Birdwatching and Nature
This whole area is a birdlover's paradise. The region covers the wetlands of the Delta, the valleys of the river Ebro and the mountain ranges on either side.
|
Residents include the rare red-crested pochard, shelduck, purple swamp hen, bittern, greater flamingo, little and cattle egret, little and great crested grebe, redshank, crested and lesser short-toed lark, Cetti's, moustached and fan-tailed warbler, yellow-legged gull and black-headed gull, and marsh harrier. Breeders include the audouins, mediterranean and slender-billed gull, as well as little bittern, oyster catcher, black-winged stilt, avocet, kingfisher, tern (gull-billed, little, sandwich and whiskered), purple, night and squacco heron, and pratincole. Passagers include black tern, water pipit, greenshank, caspian tern, great egret and glossy ibis. Winter birds include hen harrier, waders such as lapwing, snipe, curlew, bar-tailed godwit, ducks such as teal, shoveler, pintail and wigeon. And that's just on the Delta!
The nearby mountain range of Els Ports is ideal for spotting an assortment of birds including the griffon vulture, golden, short-toed, booted and bonelli's eagle, honey buzzard, osprey, chough, great spotted woodpecker, jay, firecrest, goldcrest, golden oriole, nightingale, rock bunting, blue rock thrush, black wheatear, spotted flycatcher, black redstart, great grey shrike, cirl bunting, bee-eater (in summer), alpine swift, crag martin and a variety of wagtails, warblers, tits and finches.
Many of these birds can be seen just in our garden. We even have a pair of Bonelli's eagles nesting nearby and in spring 2008 we have seen nightingales, golden orioles, red-necked nightjar, ospreys, woodpeckers, Sardinian warblers amongst many. The Scops owl provides a regular night-time serenade.
For an idea of the birds that can be seen around here, have a look at our birdwatching diary. Birdwatching activities can be undertaken on your own or with guided tours.
Audouin Birding Tours
Casa de Fusta exhibition centre(Amposta)
Els Ports habitat |
Mountain Biking & 4 x 4 
The whole region is absolutely ideal for mountain biking, whether along the purpose built Via Verde, around the Delta, or up in one of the mountain ranges close by.
|
There are many companies which offer biking, from just the hire of bikes to fully guided tours with pick up. The Via Verde follows the old railway line and provides a surfaced road for cycling. It passes over rivers, through tunnels, viaducts and villages and the Font Calda sanctuary. It is only a short cycle ride from Casa Ribera to one part of the Via Verde.
Esplai Ciclista is a bicycle hire shop which is located only a 10 minute drive from here. We are happy to provide a pick-up and drop-off service for guests. We can take you to collect your hired bikes and return them and also to take you to places further afield and collect you at the end of your ride.
www.naturayaventura.com offer a whole range of activities, including mountain biking, 4 x 4 vehicle excursions, photographic safaris as well as a whole range of adventure sports and guided activities.
Parcs Naturel dels Ports organise climbing and biking excurisions and provide a host of routes.
www.gubiana.com offer excursions into the Els Port range on foot or by 4 x 4 Esgambi organise cycling tours with pick-up, as well as a range of other activities, (see climbing). |
Hiking
Guided tours, or do-it-yourself, round the town, along the beach, over mountains, follow the river. The choice here is limitless. |
www.gubiana.com offer excursions into the Els Ports mountains.
Detailed maps are available showing the many hiking routes around here. |
Watersports & Beaches
The beaches of the Costa Daurada are beautiful and diverse. Choose the sandy beaches of San Carlos or the rocky coves by L'Hospitalet de L'Infant. All are clean, safe with full facilities including lifeguards. A wide variety of watersports are available both in the sea and on the river. |
Jetskis are available to hire at various points along the coast
Kayak tours alone or accompanied with Deltaventur
Canoe around the lagoons and reed beds of the Delta.
Scuba diving and various other watersport activities are all available within easy reach of Casa Ribera. |
Horse Riding
From short lessons to horseback excursions on full-moon nights. What better way to experience Catalonia. |
Aldover Hipica is a small stables located only 10 minutes drive from here. Run by English professionals, it offers lessons, treks into the mountains and horse and pony parties for children.
Hipica Delta in Deltebre offer a full range of horseback excursions in the Delta.
|
Climbing
The Els Ports mountains offer a wealth of different climbs and associated activities. There are many companies around which offer a whole range of packages. |
Esgambi organises a range of activities in the Els Ports Range, including canyoning, Tyrolean traverse, climbing, potholing, bungee jumping. |
Shopping
Anywhere! |
Sorry, no Tesco's or Marks & Spencers here! The towns are filled with independent retailers offering a wide choice of goods and services. Little boutiques tucked away in small side streets help you re-discover the joys of shopping. Shopping here is a completely new experience - closed in the afternoons for siesta means they stay open until 8 or 9 at night. |
Further Afield:
|
| Port Aventura & Caribe Water Park |
Within easy striking distance of Casa Ribera either by car or by the excellent and cheap train system, Port Aventura and the Caribe Water Park need more than a full day to appreciate them. Packed with rides and thrills, this adventure park has a range of facilities. The food stalls and restaurants sell a good range of well cooked food at very reasonable prices. |
| Tarragona |
This beautiful town with its Roman heritage is located near to Port Aventura and Reus airport. Easily accessible by car or train this town is well worth a visit. Tarragona hosts a wide range of exhibitions, museums and early archaeological treasures, all within easy reach of the beach. The town website gives a great deal of information about its facilities. |
| Amposta |
Amposta is a large town situated not far from the coast, the Delta and the seaside resort of San Carlos de la Rapita. It hosts many of the facilities featured above. |
| Barcelona |
Barcelona speaks for itself, and although it is a 2 hour train journey (it's not worth taking a car into the city!) it's well worth doing this during your stay. |
| Fiestas |
Every town and village hosts a mass of different fiestas. Some last a day, some can last a whole week.
|
For an excellent website with details on activities and facilities in the region visit
www.costadaurada.org/
|
"self-catering, accommodation, self-catering accommodation, self-catering cottage, Spain, holidays, unspoiled Spain, rural Spain, rustic, countryside, horse riding holidays, horse-riding, special interest, bird-watching, bird-watching Ebro, bird-watching Ebro Delta, fishing, nature, Ebro, child-friendly, hotel, Catalonia, swimming pool, golden oriole, bonellis's eagles, Bonellis eagle, red-necked nightjar, Scops owl, ospreys"
|
