Page 112 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL EATING IBERIA

At least I can be reassured that I’m burn-
ing some of the thousands of calories I’ve been
consuming on my cycling tour of this reso-
lutely resilient region of Spain, which main-
tains its own language, culture and cuisine. It’s
not just the paella and shellfish I’m sampling,
but the rich diversity of the landscape and vil-
lages of Catalonia’s Terres de l’Ebre, a 1,420-
square-mile UNESCO Biosphere Reserve em-
bracing the Ebro River basin, two national
parks and 88 miles of coastline.
“Once you are here, you are off the beaten
path,” says Albert Folch Giro, deputy director
of the Tarragona Tourist Board for the Terres
de l’Ebre.
Nothing could hammer this home more ef-
fectively than the 28,000 hectares of rice
fields which mirror the sky in the Delta, the
second most important rice-growing region in
Spain. But beyond agriculture, a special breed
of travelers is increasingly contributing to the
economy, as well.

“The tourists that come here are looking
for nature, not massive buildings,” says Josep
Culvi, who shows me around MonNatura Delta
de l’Ebre. Located in the coastal marshes of
Amposta, about a two-hour drive southwest of
Barcelona, this nature and cultural heritage
center encompasses a bird-watching tower,
19th century salt pans, and a chance to try
your hand at navigating a traditional flat-bot-
tomed boat.
“We want to draw people that respect the
landscape, who want to hear that,” Culvi says,
cocking his head towards the sound of bird-
song wafting along the breeze.

The Ebro River valley stretches out
below the village of Miravet in
Catalonia. Copyright Amy
Laughinghouse. Right: Josep Culvi (far
right) demonstrates the proper way to
navigate a traditional flat-bottomed
Catalan boat at MonNatura Delta de
l'Ebre in Amposta, Catalonia. Copyright
Amy Laughinghouse.

112 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2020