THE NATURAL PARK OF
MONTSENY

THE MASSIF MASSÍS

THE NATURAL PARK

THE CREATION OF THE
NATURAL PARK

THE BIOSPHERE RESERVE

TWINNING

BETWEEN THE
MEDITERRANEAN
AND CENTRAL EUROPE

THE TERRAIN

LA TORDERA

INTRODUCTORY LETTER
BY MARTÍ BOADA

Les Agudes

THE TERRAIN

The area of Montseny is flanked by two plains (the basin of El Vallès and the Plain of Vic) and two valleys (that of the river of Arbúcies and that of El Congost), and in the middle, the Valley of La Tordera. The Montseny area is a large mountainous area which stands out from the lands which surround it. It is made up of three large mountainous blocks, separated by cols which are used by two roads which cross the massif. To the east the mountain of El Turó de l'Home (1,706 m) and Les Agudes (1,703 m), which, together with El Turó de Morou (1,300 m) encircle the valley of Santa Fe. The upper reaches of La Tordera and La Riera Gran or the river of Arbúcies separate the former block from that of Matagalls (1,697 m). The col of Sant Marçal (1,090 m) is the highest point.

El Matagalls is a compact mountainous block which appears as a giant mass with both steep-sided and gentle slopes. Between the summit and the col of Sant Marçal are the smaller formations of El Collet de l'Home Mort, and El Coll Pregon, El Turó de Sesportades (1,600 m), El Coll de Sespor-Tadores and El Turó de Sant Marçal (1,523m). To the north, the river Major and its tributaries take shape, with the River of Sant Segimon and the stream of Hortes de Sobrevia which all flow into the River Ter. Between the valley of the River Major and that of the River of Arbúcies, to the northeast there is an area of hills and cols; El Coll de Bordoriol, which the road to Sant Marçal passes through, El Turó de la Tremoleda (1,169 m), Vilarmau (1.052 m), the Plain of Tions, El Coll de Cerdans, El Serrat de la Roquera (901 m) and El Coll de Ravell, an important point of communication between the Montseny and Les Guilleries.

To the north-west of El Matagalls there is another mountainous outcrop; El Turó Gros (1,528 m), the Plain of La Barraca, El Turó dels Esqueis (1,318 m), El Turó d'en Sala (1,262 m), El Matagalls Xic, El Turó del Pou d'en Sala and El Serrat de l'Oriol (1,235 m).

The westernmost mountain block is formed by La Calma, which as its name suggests is a high flat plain although flanked by long, steep mountain slopes.This block is linked to El Matagalls by El Coll Formic (1,154 m), used for the road from Palautordera to Seva. The upper reaches of El Gurri, of La Riera de Picamena and El Torrent de Collformic and a sector of La Tordera separate both blocks.

La Calma forms a narrow, elongated plain which runs to the northwest with its point at Puig Drau (1,350 m). At its southern face a group of streams and depressions run into the River of Picamena. Some of the waters from the southern slope reach the river of La Tordera (the Castanya and Bascona rivers), and others flow to the Mogent-Congost (the rivers of Canyes and Vallforners), and a final part to the Congost-Besòs (the River of Vallcàrquera).

To the extreme west of La Calma lies El Turó de Tagamanent (1,067 m), where the scenery is now different due to the presence of limestone rocks. Further on lies La Vall del Congost.