Buda Island

One of the most emblematic and recommended places in the Ebro Delta is the Island of Buda. Its entrance is restricted and you need an authorization to enter, this has preserved it and makes it a very special place. It is located at the eastern end of the Delta, it has more than a thousand hectares of surface and about five kilometres long. It is the largest island in Catalonia.

Surrounded by mystery, a territory of birds, rice, century-old eucalyptus trees and wild horses.

Of alluvial origin, as it has been formed by the sediments left by the river Ebro at its mouth, it has the shape of an inverted triangle and is surrounded by the two arms of the river, the main one being the Llevant arm, which separates it from the island of Sant Antoni, and the secondary one, the Gola de Migjorn.

In the interior of the island are the lagoons of Calaix Gran and Calaix de Mar, which are the habitat of a large number of birds.

Nowadays rice is still cultivated and you can see horses adapted to the terrain that come from the French region of the Camargue. The Island of Buda is one of the great treasures of the Ebro Delta Natural Park.

At the end of June, on Saint Peter’s Day, a romeria is organized from Sant Jaume to the Island of Buda. One of the best ways to get there is by taking the so-called Eel Route, a walk of one and a half hours that follows the old road to Sirga. The route leaves from the Lo Pasador bridge and goes along the river to the Buda Island. In the small hermitage of Sant Pere, already in the interior of the island, the pilgrimage ends with a mass. Some make the trip to the Island of Buda on horseback and the day before they leave for Migjorn beach where they spend the night. The walk is a magnificent experience that allows you to get to know the old waterways and the heart of Buda Island.

The best option to know and to cross the Island of Buda is to participate in one of the diverse Buda & Bike that every summer organizes the City council of Sant Jaume. It is a unique experience considering that the route of about 7 kilometres and two and a half hours of duration goes through the most emblematic places of the island always accompanied by the explains of the guides of the Natural Park of the Ebro Delta.

The route begins at the Finca del Violí, passes by the Mirador de Migjorn and then, without leaving the bicycle, enters the Island of Buda until it reaches the Mas and the Ermita de Buda. During the itinerary there are several stops, a tasting of typical products of the Delta and the singing of traditional jotas.