The Medes Islands

The silhouette of the Medes Islands is a national and international symbol of Estartit, and the importance of the fauna and the flora, both at the islands and in the seabed that is surrounding them.

It is a small archipelago placed approximately 1500 meters from Estartit's harbour. It is formed by 7 islands and an odd reef.

Since the 50’s, for many years, when people started to scuba dive, the resources of the area started being exploited by fishermen and people collecting coral, putting them in danger. Until then, who wanted to capture these species had to snorkel, so then it was more difficult, but the scuba diving allows people to stay under the water for a longer time, leading to a massive removal.

During a long period of time, what was most in danger was the red coral (Russelia equisetiformis), highly valued on the market, especially in jewelleries. The stripe (Potamotrygon potamotrygon) was also another species that was in danger, as for the gorgonians that were receiving a great number of visitors who were coming to the area to dive without having a good level in diving were allowing the flora not to get damaged.

In 1983 the Catalan government fixed an area were it is forbidden to fish, that was extended during the years up until 1990, where the Medes Islands was known as a major Natural Reservation of Catalonia and one of the most important of the Mediterranean.

In 2010 another step was taken to protect even more the flora and the fauna by declaring the archipelago as a National Protected Nature reserve. From this moment the area was emerged (the area of the Islands that you find on the surface) turning into an integral reservation and the marine peripheral area into a partial reservation.
The integral reservation supposes that people cannot accede to it, the only people allowed are the scientists and with an authorization.

The partial marine reservation implies that a limited number of people will only be able to accede to the area and with previous authorization.
We have many clients that have known perfectly well, the seabed of the Medas Islands for many years, because they have either been diving or have visited it by boat (or having visited it by snorkelling or by kayak). Estartit also has several diving centres with schools so that those interested can obtain the titles that they wish for diving.
We hope that this brief explication has helped to make knowledge of the extraordinary
importance and variety both of the flora and of the fauna that is possible to find in the Medes Islands and to invite you in your near visit to discover them with a trip by boat or diving in these waters.

How’s Carnival like in Catalonia:

Carnival is a pagan native party which started in contrast with the privations and abstinences made in the Quaresma days. The catalan name for Carnival is: “Carnestoltes”. In the beginning Carnestoltes was only for one day, on Carnestoltes Tuesday, but now it refers to the whole period.

Important characters and celebrations:

The masks: essential to hide the face.

The costume: it makes the anonymity easier, in groups of friends it’s common that they all dress up with the same costume or theme, also, costume competitions are usual during dance parties.

His Majesty Carnestoltes: character born in the Middle Age, in the beginning it was only a straw dummy which was hanged up and burned in the end of the parties. As time went by he became the king of the party with a lot of ceremonies: arrival, speech, activities and his will and death,

Carnival march: party which goes through various streets animated with music. In Carnestoltes everybody wears a costume. The classical day for the Carnival march is normally Sunday.

Calendar:

“Fatty” Thursday: is the starting of the parties. There used to be big banquets to compensate for the future abstinence during Quaresma.

Carnestoltes Friday: his Magesty Carnestoltes arrives, he reads an ironic speech about the town or country problems, it also laughs about authorities. Everybody puts on a costume and there are several marchs.

From Saturday to Tuesday: parties, mask balls and marchs. In the last years “the women ball” has became very popular. It’s made normally in sports centres o big pavilions. Men are all suited up and women wear costumes, the woman asks the man she wants for a dance and the man doesn’t know about the woman’s identity.

Ashy Wednesday: the party ends. His Majesty Carnestoltes reads his will and invites everybody to end with the parties. That’s how the Quaresma can be started. There’s the tradition to bury a sardine, a lot of years ago people used to go to the countryside to have lunch the last day and end ith the parties, nowadays it has become another party.

L’Estartit is a little village and that’s why the party is also “little” but in the next video you can see how it is: