More than a thousand years ago, the Muslims had already realised the benefits of living near the mouth of the Ebro, where the sea is calm and barely disturbed by waves and the land is sheltered by the natural port formed from the silt brought down by the river. That is why they built a rabita here, a small medieval fortress from which they could control trade and the vessels travelling upriver. Over the centuries, all types of fleets have called at the port, from the frigates of Alphonse the Magnanimous to Napoleonic troopships. It was from here, in the summer of 1610, that the Moors sailed into exile after being expelled from the Ebro Valley and also where Charles III planned a city that was to become one of the great ports of the western Mediterranean. The plan failed, but still today you can see its traces in the urban layout of Sant Carles de la Ràpita, a seaside town that is home to one of the most dynamic fishing ports in Catalonia and has become one of the most popular holiday resorts in the Terres de l’Ebre.
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