For 21 years, this little wildlife sanctuary has been a haven for Hermann's tortoises, and a force for educating people about these little armoured tanks of the Pyrenees. There's an introductory film (Catalana, Spanish, English, French or German) explaining menaces to the region's tortoises, but the biggest thrill is a stroll around the boardwalk outside, to peep at scores of critters ambling among rocks and flower beds. The sanctuary is just north of Garriguella, a teeny town 15km northeast of Figueres.
The Hermann's tortoise is a tragic victim of its own cuteness. Not only is this armoured Pyrenees native felled by forest fires, its population is dwindling as curious children and adults nab them as pets. Tortoises have been native to this part of the Pyrenees for thousands of years, and the Albera Massif, jutting along the France-Spain border in northern Catalonia, is the last stronghold for these threatened animals. The centre breeds them to reinforce the wild population's numbers.
To see tortoises at peak activity (that is, a pacy stumble), time your visit for a sunny morning. The sanctuary is well signposted from the centre of Garriguella. It makes an easy half-day excursion from Figueres , Llançà or El Port de la Selva. It opens continuously between 10am and 6pm during July and August, and shuts in winter.
