National Parks
Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici
By h.b. - Jul 9, 2007 - 7:38 PM
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The Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park was originally created by decree in 1955. Today, the core protection area covers 14,119 hectares, with an additional 26,733 hectares forming an area of peripheral protection.
Its main feature is water, with its more than 200 lakes or ‘estanys,’ and the meanders – the ‘winding waters’ of the aigüestortes of the Sant Nicolau Valley - giving the park its name.
It lies in Cataluña, in the High Pyrenees of Lleida province, with the heads of Sant Nicolau and Escrita – the two valleys which make up the park – meeting at the mountain pass of El Portarró d’Espot, at an altitude of 2,423m. It’s highest peak is Comaloforno Peak, standing at 3,033m: the most famous feature is, however, the two majestic peaks of the Encantats massif, rising up to 2,747m opposite the Sant Maurici Lake.
The park is a stunning example of the work of the glacial ice sheets on the granite and slate which make up the majority of the rocky substrata, with its numerous ‘U’-shaped valleys, or glacial cirques, sculpted out of the landscape over millions of years.
Its diverse landscape is described as a true paradise for nature lovers: leafy forests, spectacular waterfalls, craggy mountains, and the flat wet plains which are interwoven with a network of meanders or aigüestortes.
The waters of the park are home to many species: the common trout, rainbow trout and minnow, and the Pyrenean brook newt, as well as the otter: birds such as dippers, mallards and herons also inhabit this area, as do the pied and the grey wagtail.
Other species include the ptmarmigan, the marmot, chamois, pine martens and boreal owls, or the rarely-seen Pyrenean desman.
The endangered bearded vulture, or its more common cousin, the griffon vulture, may sometimes be seen high up in the skies, along with the golden eagle.
Just outside the park lies the narrow, steep-sided valley of the Valle de Boi, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 for the Catalan Romanesque churches which are found in each of the valley’s small villages.
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