Estany i Riuet de Coma-ruga natural spring

The l’Estany i el Riuet spring is located at the beach of Coma-ruga, in the municipality of El Vendrell (Baix Penedès). The water originates from a limestone rocks spring in the Bonastre massif and descends deep through the faults that delimit the Penedès tectonic trench, until it reaches Coma-ruga, where it gushes spontaneously to the surface. Nowadays, the whole area is urbanized. In the past, however, this water formed several ponds of warm thermal waters, and therefore this site was called “calders” (calderas).

In the 19th century, it was discovered that the water that would gush from this spring had medicinal properties and flowed at a constant temperature between 18-21 °C. As a result of this discovery, a luxurious spa was built in the 1920s, which marked the beginning of the urbanization of the town of Coma-ruga.

Currently, the spring water is channeled to an outdoor ornamental fountain, from where it passes into the “Estany” lake and from there to the “Riuet” stream, which flows into the beach. Throughout the year it is common to see people of all ages taking a dip in the Riuet to take advantage of its healing properties.

The bottom of the “Riuet” stream is covered in sand from the beach brought by the wind. The intense constant current prevents mud and algae from accumulating in the river bed. For this reason, the bottom is not slippery at all. This feature and the shallow depth make the Riuet an ideal place for young and old to safely practise spa therapy activities.

Although l’Estany de Coma-ruga is a natural lake, it was built up years ago and the bottom was covered with artificial slabs (between which water also gushes) which are covered with spontaneous vegetation, such as seaweed and phanerogamous plants. As for the fauna of the Estany i Riuet, we find many fish that are not targeted by fishing. These include some of the most common species such as carp, mullet, eels and tiny crustaceans.