Catalonia's only national park, Aigüestortes, set to grow by 16%

Mountain lakes, pine forests and Pyrenean summits: that is Aigüestortes, in the province of Lleida, the only national park in Catalonia. And it is about to get bigger. On Tuesday 3 November Spain’s Council of Ministers approved a proposal, prepared by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Catalan government, to widen its boundaries.

2,259 more hectares under the highest protection

Under the proposal, the national park takes in 2,259.10 hectares in the municipalities of La Torre de Capdella (Pallars Jussà) and Sort (Pallars Sobirà). The land was until now part of the peripheral protection zone, the buffer ring around the park, and moves up to the highest level of protection. That is 16.25% more national park land.

The buffer zone grows too, adding 3,577.43 hectares in La Torre de Capdella, Vilaller, Rialp, Espot and Vielha e Mijaran. Altogether, park and buffer zone would go from 39,995 to 43,573 hectares, almost 9% more.

Another view of the park, with the peaks behind. Photo: Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition (Government of Catalonia).

The part that comes out

The proposal also removes 201.63 hectares in Espot, partly taken up by the ski resort, which will fall outside the boundaries.

A law is still needed

The expansion is not final. Under Spain’s National Parks Act, changing a national park’s boundaries requires a law passed by the Cortes Generales, so the next step is for the bill to go through Congress and the Senate.