Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park

Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park is a national park located in Spain, in the region of Catalonia. It is the only national park situated within Catalonia, which makes it a distinctive presence among Spain's protected natural areas. The park was established in 1955, and its two-part name — Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici — reflects the two areas that make up the protected territory.

Where is the park located?

The park lies in Catalonia, in northeastern Spain, near the town of la Vall de Boí. Its geographic coordinates are approximately 42.577°N, 0.948°E, placing it in the Pyrenees, in an area spanning two Catalan valleys.

Why is it the only national park in Catalonia?

Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici is the sole area in Catalonia to hold national park status, the highest level of nature protection used in Spain. Spain has fifteen national parks in total, and this Pyrenean reserve is the only one of them located on Catalan territory. That status underlines the importance of this place for preserving the region's unique mountain ecosystems.

When was the park created?

The national park was established in 1955. Since then, the area has remained under legal protection as one of Spain's key nature reserves, with a history spanning more than seventy years of continuous protection of this part of the Pyrenees.

What does the park's name mean?

The park's name is made up of two parts, referring to the two distinctive areas that form the protected territory: Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici. Such a composite name is uncommon among national parks and immediately signals that the protected area brings together at least two landscapes of note under a single system of nature conservation.

Which authority oversees the park?

The park falls administratively within Spain's national park system, overseen by the relevant national and regional authorities. As one of the country's fifteen national parks, Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici is subject to the same strict conservation rules that apply to all Spanish parks of this category.

Frequently asked questions

Is this the only national park in Catalonia? Yes, Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici is the only national park located in Catalonia.

In what year was the park established? The national park was created in 1955.

How many national parks does Spain have? Spain has fifteen national parks, and this park is one of them.

Where exactly is the park located? The park is located in Catalonia, near la Vall de Boí, at coordinates of roughly 42.58°N, 0.95°E.

Where does the park's name come from? The name combines two designations — Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici — referring to the two areas that make up the protected territory.