Grandfather Agustí, the taste of the Delta de l’Ebre

People from the Delta are quite modest. Being from place far away from everything can make one see things from a different perspective. For this reason, the singularities and marvels of the Delta de l’Ebre must be pointed out. Because stories like those of Grandfather Augustí shouldn’t go unnoticed and must be stories shared about a land of extraordinary experiences.

Living Delta history

Agustí Bertomeu is 76 years old and he’s been cultivating mussels and oysters with absolute dedication for 30. His farms are in the Bay of the Alfacs, an oasis of tranquil waters and rich marine life. Every day, with a contagious vitality, he wakes up early, gets on his small boat and heads to the middle of the bay, where he has the mussel beds and, also, a small, floating stand – the only one of its kind on the Catalan coast.

His weekly visitors “always ask for him in person”, explains Grandfather Agustí, because he loves to tell stories about the Delta sea life. And a couple of years ago, he decided to open the mussels beds to visitors, an authentic way to introduce the secrets of mussel and oyster breeding and to bring the everyday life of the Ebre to travelers.  A boat or a boat-taxi transports the curious, who finish their visit at the restaurant. They try the mussels in wine sauce, the fresh oysters and with cava, toast the tasty products of the sea.

Seafood menu in the middle of the sea

But Agustí Bertomeu recommends you live the experience like an Ebrenc, relaxed and unhurriedly. At the restaurant, you can have a complete seafood meal. Salad, prawns and seafood or lobster paella are the typical dishes on the menu. Floating on the Alfacs while you dine on the delicacies from the farms below your feet and listening to this veteran explain stories about the Delta is priceless. The 30-35€ for lunch and 10€ for transportation will be a mere anecdote after a gastronomical experience repeated by many.

Grandfather Agustí opens his stand, known popularly as “el parrillo”, every weekend throughout the year, and every day during summer. And soon it will be so popular that you’ll need to reserve weeks ahead. Because it’s experiences like this that are the real thing and are passed on non-stop by word of mouth.