L'Armentera: Natural Environment and Local History

Natural Environment and Nature Park

L'Armentera lies on the alluvial plain at the mouth of the Fluvià. The municipality is one of those that make up the Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l'Empordà; the nature park can be accessed via L'Armentera. Its landscape comprises ponds, enclosed fields and flooded meadows, providing a particularly important habitat for waterbirds. Its location on the plain and access to the nature park are two distinct points of reference: the former describes L'Armentera geographically, while the latter draws attention to the wetland.

The areas around the Riu Vell, including its two meanders, are part of the Parc Natural dels Aiguamolls de l'Empordà, the PEIN and the Natura 2000 network. The meanders provide a specific point of reference for the river; the park landscape also includes ponds, fields and flooded meadows. This makes it possible to distinguish the designated areas of the Riu Vell from the broader description of the nature park's landscape.

Church and Architectural History

Several historical layers can be distinguished at the Església de Sant Martí de Tours. The parish of Sant Martí de Tours is documented from 974; the current church building dates from the 19th century and stands on foundations dating from the 12th and 13th centuries. The dates therefore refer to different things: 974 relates to the parish, while the later date refers to the current building. Architecturally, the church has a single-nave layout, a transept, side chapels and a pentagonal apse; its style is Neoclassical. Surviving paintings by Joan B. Panyó depict the four mysteries of the Rosary.

Other Historic Buildings

At Can Moret and Can Muñoz, too, dates are associated with specific architectural features. Above Can Moret's main doorway is the inscription “JACOBUS VIADER ME FECIT – 1686”. At Can Muñoz, the date 1820 is carved into the keystone of the flattened arch above the entrance. The inscription and the keystone offer different clues to the buildings' history: one is lettering above the doorway, the other a date in the arch.

The Búnquer in L'Armentera is a T-shaped concrete structure comprising two rectangular sections, both with loopholes. The machine-gun nest is located beside the road between Sant Pere Pescador and L'Armentera and is classified as part of the second line of passive coastal defence. El molí de l'Armentera was historically the most important mill in the County of Empúries; its restoration began in 1733.

Hiking and Cycling

The municipal route offering includes the hiking route “Itinerari pel marge dret del Fluvià”. A cycling tour called Ruta cicloturística L'Escala-Empúries al Fluvià passes through L'Armentera and then continues to the Fluvià River. The fifth stage of the GR 92 is a different route: it runs from Sant Pere Pescador to L'Escala through the village. These three details describe different route connections: a hiking route with its own title, a cycling tour continuing to the Fluvià, and a stage of the GR 92 that passes through L'Armentera.

Discover more destinations: Vidreres, Juià, Das, Pals, Sant Miquel d'Aro, Roses, Salitja, Viladamat

For the broader travel overview: Girona.