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

La Tordera, el gorg de l'Home

LA TORDERA

La Tordera has its origins in the Montseny massif, in the spring of La Font Bona of Sant Marçal, at some 1,100 m in height, which after travelling some 60km reaches the sea between Malgrat and Blanes. The course of the river follows its own unique path over diverse types of terrain. The river has its source at El Coll de Sant Marçal, a valley marked by the peaks of El Matagalls (1,697m) and El Turó de l'Home (1,706m), it heads to the southwest, and some 4.5 km from its source it turns sharply at a right angle to follow the fault of Coll Formic, at Vilaseca (Montseny).

Further downstream the river crosses the municipality of Fogars de Montclús and enters into the area of Sant Esteve de Palautordera. After leaving the mountain, the river begins the second half of its journey on the alluvial plain of Palautordera, and is characterised by its pronounced meandering course. This is the most populated section of the river, with large areas of its banks dedicated to agriculture, industry and important population centres. At Sant Celoni, a town located at 150 metres above sea level, it once again turns at a right angle to run in a north-westerly direction. It continues on until it reaches Hostalric where it joins the River of Arbúcies, which runs along the fault which separates Les Guilleries from El Montseny.

La Tordera is a river fed by rainfall with an increased flow in spring from the snow melted on the higher parts of the massif. The river flow increases in autumn due to the high rainfall of the area, while the summer is a season of virtual drought. La Tordera is above all a river of sudden rises and falls which has modified the landscape of the plain, especially in its lower regions. Floods and broken banks have been part of the river’s history for centuries; they do not normally last for long and are seasonal, usually in the autumn.