Catalonia is a country with a long sports tradition. Apart from organising sporting events which have gone down in history, such as the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, and having world class facilities and celebrated clubs, over 300 sports are played in Catalonia at its more than 11,000 sports venues.
Swimming, athletics, mountain biking, skydiving, tennis, sailing, cycling, rowing, football, water polo… The land and the infrastructure created for sports tourism, featuring high quality resources and services, make Catalonia into a destination of choice for high-performance sport.
If you are a fan of sports, this is your country! Let’s see what can you do:
Hiking in Aigüestortes
Located between the regions of Pallars Sobirà and La Alta Ribagorça, the 105 square kilometres of Aigüestortes is the only national park of Catalonia. As its name suggests, one of its characteristics is water, which we can find in all its states and forms: rivers, waterfalls, ponds, glacial valleys, with almost 200 mountain lakes.
Its most famous form is the Lake of Sant Maurici, an area of great beauty that can be found at the foot of the park’s most mythical mountain: the Encantats, a fragmented calcareous rock formation which is said to be the silhouette of two hunters cursed by the divine powers when they went to hunt chamois (a type of deer).
he park is home to other species of great ecological value, some native to the area. The vegetation changes according to the altitude, from Mediterranean forests to alpine landscapes. The fir tree and mountain pine forests, the alpine pastures and the scree-slopes are home to animals such as the capercaillie, the chamois, the marmot or the bearded vulture.
There are five itineraries for discovering all corners of the park, of different duration and with different levels of difficulty.
Rafting, Hidrospeed & Kayak
Talking about going down a white water river conjures up thoughts of adrenaline and emotions experienced on an inflatable raft. If one is looking for a controlled adventure for people of all ages, rafting is perfect.
The sections of a river that are best for this sport are located in high mountain areas. The best season is spring, during the thawing period, when the volume of the water increases and the river flows faster than normal. Many companies in Catalonia provide guides, equipment and information, such as Ràfting Llavorsí, which has over ten years’ experience and whose headquarters are in the municipality of Llavorsí. Practically all these companies are located along the Noguera Pallaresa River, given that it has the best conditions for this sport: the ideal volume, drops and varying levels of difficulty.
The Noguera Pallaresa is the best river in Europe for practicing hidrospeed, with over sixty kilometres that are ideal for river-boarding. Before going down, the instructor gathers the group together on land and explains how to handle the board, control the speed, make turns, etc. The group then gets into easy waters, where all the instructions are put into practice, after which they are ready to begin the descent. One of the many Catalan companies that provides the equipment and training necessary for river-boarding is Yeti Emotions in Llavorsí (region of El Pallars Sobirà, Lleida).
There are different styles of kayaking. Rodeo kayaking consists of performing acrobatics in a specific white-water area. The descent is done by moving down a stretch of river at the fastest possible speed. Kayak polo is a ball game played with kayaks and goals in either a pool or in natural waters. Sea kayaking uses boats that are specially designed to resist the impact of the waves and is very well-established along the Catalan coast. All these variations require continuous practice. Beginners should learn the most basic techniques in calm waters. One of the companies that teaches these techniques is Yeti Emotions, headquartered in Llavorsí (El Pallars Sobirà region, Lleida). The 2-hour kayak “baptism” course in calm waters will give first-timers an idea of what it feels like on board one of these boats.
Flying!
All you need if you want to go paragliding is a desire to fly. You will feel an exhilarating sensation of freedom as you float in silence gazing down over the panoramic views from this engineless flying machine. The interior of Catalonia is one of the best areas in Spain for this activity, and there are many companies that provide the equipment and all the necessary information. For example, Entrenúvols, the oldest school in Spain, has very experienced pilots, guides and instructors, and is located in the middle of the Vall d’Áger valley, in the La Noguera region of Lleida. The flights take off from the summit of Serra del Montsec and land next to the town of Áger. It also offers initiation courses, which do not require any prior knowledge or training, as well as advanced and safety courses which allow gliders to improve their technique.
Anyone in good health can enjoy this experience. The parachute is a flying device that consists of a dome (similar to a large umbrella) and a harness designed to significantly reduce the speed of the free fall. The design has improved over time and parachutes can now control the speed of the drop and the effect of the wind, and maintain stability based on the weight and shape of the object being transported. The parachuting school Skydive, in Empuriabrava (Girona), is known all over the world. There are two ways of becoming familiar with parachuting and learning the techniques: the AFF course (Accelerated Free Fall) and the tandem jump (jump with a two-person parachute). The AFF and AFF introductory parachuting courses are for people who decide to practice free-fall and train as parachutists. The tandem jump is the simplest and fastest way to get started. The instructor is in charge of all aspects of the jump and control does not depend solely on the participant.
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