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Mountainous region
The autonomous region of Catalonia is located in the northeast of Spain and lies on Mediterranean coast. It borders France and Andorra in the north, the Mediterranean sea in the east, the region of Valencia in the south, and Aragon in the west.
The Catalan coast has two distinct features. One side is full of cliffs and deep coves found mainly in the northern part of the region where the mountains close in on the coast. The other is full of vast, smooth and extensive beaches that stretch out along the south of the region. In spite of this the differences are not as marked as may seem, with both areas offering the delights that the other also has to offer. For example, in the south of Tarragona, almost on the border with the province of Castellon, cliffs once again begin to appear around the Montsia massif.
The most notable natural landmarks on the coast are: cape Creus, Cadaques inlet, cape Norfeo, cape Falco, gulf of Roses, Trencada point, Medes island (opposite the mouth of the river Ter), cape Begur, cape San Sebastian, the Maresme, Castedefells beaches, Garraf headlands, the beaches of Sitges, cape Salou, the Ebro Delta, cape Tortosa and the coastal spurs of Montsia.
One of the most beautiful and residentially developed areas along the coast with regards to tourism is the Costa Brava, that stretches along the beaches of Girona, from cape Creus, in the north, to the mouth of the river Tordera, in the south.
The region has a diverse mountain terrain, including fertile mountain valleys and wide fast-flowing rivers.
The mountainous terrain of Catalonia can be divided into three main systems: The Pyrenees, the Mediterranean and the Central depression.
The Pyrenees border the region in the north from west to east. This can further be divided into two parts: The Main Pyrenees (with its central axis) and the pre-Pyrenees, with its parallel spurs. The highest peaks include Puig Pedros (2,911 m), Puigmal (2,913 m), Els Encantats (2.982) and Pica d'Estats (3,143 m).
At right angles from the Pyrenees axis, there are numerous lush valleys that open up southwards.
The Mediterranean system includes two mountain ranges that run parallel with the Mediterranean sea: the Prelitoral (before the coast), with Turo de l'Home its highest peak at 1,712 m and the Litoral (coastal) with Montnegre at 763 m comprising its highest peak, that extends up to the Campo de Tarragona.
The Central depression is basically an extension of the Ebro depression, but it is not as flat. It has a staggered appearance with altitudes varying from 100m to 1000m.
The rivers of Catalonia tend to be short and with little water flowing through them, either starting their life in the Pyrenees or being tributaries of the Ebro basin. The most notable of the rivers is the Segre.
The Ebro penetrates Catalonia via Fayon and flows into the Mediterranean having been nourished by the waters of the Segre, both Nogueras rivers, the Ciurana and the Galera rivers. Before flowing into the sea the Ebro forms a vast delta.
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