Start in town of Flix (trains run from Barcelona Sants station), finish in Tortosa (regular trains back to Barcelona). 75km total -- Very easy to camp, just be sensible. Accommodation options in towns/villages along river – Paddled using R1 inflatable kayak in February. Temps approx. 15OC in day, 4-5OC at night -- First obstacle is at nuclear power station where there is a weir. Tricky portage on left hand bank, more advisable to go down it on left hand side of river between 2 white posts -- Journey takes you first through scenic Pas de l’Ase (Donkey Gorge) nature reserve. Town of Miravet and castle is a must see/stop off point – Much of route then through Serres de Pàndols-Cavalls and Serres de Cardó-el Boix national parks. Recommended stop after Benifallet for 1km walk to local caves for guided tour (Coves Merveilles) – Second obstacle is the Xerta Dam. Options to a) portage (very long – not recommended), b) use canal and lock (requirement to call phone number – had trouble February, maybe easier later in year), or c) descend weir (fine for those with experience, but recommend scope first from canal or bank). – Finish in Cathedral city of Tortosa. Options to continue to wetland delta national park, before sea, but will need to arrange transport as no trains.
Long version
The Ebro bisects Northeastern Spain. Rising in the mountains of Cantabria, it flows 930km in a south easterly direction before sprawling into a vast wetland delta and then the Mediterranean. My trip would navigate its penultimate section. I started in Flix, a small town nestled in a sharp meander of the river, and ended in the Cathedral city of Tortosa, approximately 15 kilometers from the river’s end. The route, approximately 75 kilometers in total, would take me through three national parks, and a variety of sites of interest, some of which I was able to explore during my three-day trip. I did the trip in an R1 Ultra Inflatable kayak which meant getting in and out a lot easier. I camped for two nights and spent one in a B&B.
I arrived in Flix on Friday about 2pm*. It seemed a relaxed town, narrow cobbled streets running steeply toward the river on either sides of the hill, and townsfolk chatting outside cafes, taking their coffees in the afternoon sun. I made my way to the Eastern side of the meander to take a chain operated ferry crossing to the opposite bank, where I begin assembling my gear and pumping up the kayak. As I begin to strap bags to the kayak I hear a faint whistling. I anxiously run my hand along its sides and find its source. A puncture! This meant I spent the remainder of the day still in Flix, using a tent repair kit from a hardware source to fix it. This was about 80% successful – a very small amount of air continued to leak meaning that I would have to stop at the bank and give the kayak a pump every couple of hours. I camp on a grassy bank on the northern side of the meander, treating myself to a beer and packet of crisps after a stove cooked meal of pasta and tomato sauce. A full moon illuminates the 16th century castle sitting on an outcrop atop Flix, and I plan for the next day.
Saturday is overcast with periods of drizzle throughout, but it feels good to be out on the water. The route is scenic, and the section through Pas de l’Ase (Donkey Gorge) nature reserve especially so. Pine forest covered the hills stretch into the distance, with orange hued cliffs at times lining the river. Herons and stalks emerge from the bank beating their wings in flight with my passing. The only difficulty in this section is about 4 kilometers downstream from Flix, when you pass the Asco nuclear power plant (an incongruent bit of industry on an otherwise very picturesque river) where there is a weir. Portage is difficult; the right-hand bank looks inaccessible due to the power plant and there are large rocky boulders and dense bushes on the left. Whilst portage on the left-hand side probably is possible, it is much easier to run the weir. On the river’s left-hand side there are two white posts; the water running through here is significantly less voluminous than the rest of the weir and has probably been designed to allow for access. It was quite a fun bit of white water and shouldn’t be a problem for most; I was in an open top in February levels and was fine.
Having lunch on a bank in the Pas de l’Ase, I stumble through some bushes to happen upon a Dutch fishing guide and his clients, much to both theirs and my surprise! Whilst I saw quite a few people fishing on my journey, I saw no other kayaks, canoes or boats, apart from the few passenger ferries at towns. In summer, there would probably be more people paddling. Getting towards sunset, I decide to take a break from camping and to spend the night in the scenic village of Miravet. Its medieval buildings crowd in amongst each other between steep cliffs and the river, with an old Templar castle perched high on a bluff above them. I paddle to some stone steps and make my way to one of the few accommodations in town, a B&B in a pastel blue building run by the hospitable Aurelio. I would highly recommend this place for those looking for a nice place to stay. After a shower and an evening stroll up the narrow streets to the castle, I treat myself to some tapas in a bar by the river.
The next day is much sunnier. Winding a course through the Serres de Pàndols-Cavalls and Serres de Cardó-el Boix national parks, that morning was the most enjoyable of the whole trip. Whilst paddling beneath an indomitable cliff face several hundred feet high, I see a great pair of wings beating slowly. They are about two thirds of the way up the cliff, on white spattered ledge jutting out from the rock face, and I reflect I am glad that I have seen my first ever eagle. Later, I take a break from the water. I had scoped out on Google maps earlier some caves (Coves Meravelles), a kilometre or so up a mountain road inland of the river, south of the town of Benifallet. Around midday I stash my boat beneath a big tree on the bank, and climb up to meet the road. A guided tour** (in Spanish) is a requirement to visit, but the little operation they have up there is very friendly and the caves, whilst probably like most you will find around Europe, are interesting and worth a visit nonetheless. Evidence of human occupation dates back several thousand years, but they were most recently used by a few families from Benifallet seeking refuge during the Spanish Civil War. The Battle of the Ebro was one of the longest and bloodiest of the War, with up to 20,000 killed in the space of a few months. The two tour guides pass me on their car on the road back to the river, and kindly offered me a lift back to where I had stashed my kayak.
The river is fast and I soon found myself at the second of the journey’s obstacles; the Xerta Dam, where there is a small hydroelectric station. A long weir stretches across the river but there is a canal and lock down the right hand side for boats to pass through. Online I had read about a number you can call for the staff to operate the lock. About 500m down the canal I reach the lock and call the number, but there is no answer - clearly on siesta! More likely they don’t expect anyone to be kayaking in February. A few Alsatians bark at me behind the railings of a large building above, but there are no other signs of life, and so I begin a wearying paddle upstream to the head of the canal. Because of the dam and its surrounding infrastructure, portage would take a long time with all my gear, and so I resolve to go down the weir. From the canal, the easiest point looks to be about a quarter of the way along from the hyrdo plant. Using a wedged tree as my reference point, I nervously paddle toward the looming drop. Nosing slowly over, it doesn’t seem too bad, with a 15m descent down a steep slope with a thin amount of water flowing over it. I begin to slide down, trying to shift my weight in the kayak to avoid the large boulders where the concrete weir meets the water. I hit the river at speed and a crash of water piles into the opentop, filling it almost to its brim. However, I remain righted, and paddle quickly to a bank to bail the water out. This weir is probably worse than it looks, and shouldn’t be much of a problem for experienced kayakers. Later in the year, with less water on the river, the rocks at the bottom may pose more of a hazard. If running the weir, be careful to scope it first from the bank or the canal to assess its condition and your preferred point of entry. If deciding to use the lock, I would do the proper research beforehand. However, I imagine in Spring or Summer when locals use the river, there wouldn’t be the issues I had.
The remainder of the journey that day was pleasant. There are a great many waterbirds on the Ebro. At one point I saw three herons flying together ahead of me at once, which I imagine is a relatively uncommon sight. There are an increasing number of villages and houses the closer you draw toward Tortosa, but it is still very rural. I could finish the day in Tortosa but decided to camp instead, drawing up my boat just before sundown, about 5km north of the town on a large island in the middle of the river. I wanted another night camping, and it would save me some money. I would get up early and paddle the last few kilometres into town to catch an early train back to Barcelona.*** Having unloaded my bags, I sit on the bank and look out over the water and the reeds swaying in the cool evening breeze. It had been a good trip.
*Whilst the town has a train station, due to a faff with buying tickets in Barcelona, I missed the train I wanted, and so settled on a train down the coast to Reus, from where I caught a taxi to Flix. With proper planning, this extra cost can therefore be avoided for those coming from Barcelona.
**These start on the hour and there is a 2-4pm break when no tours are run.
***There are regular trains every few hours between Tortosa and Barcelona.
