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Pyrenees to the Garrotxa
The routeStarting in the Pyrenees, in the village of Molló, the Pyrenees to the Garrotxa Walk leads down from the mountains through the heart of the Garrotxa Alta, and into the Garrotxa Baja, whose landscapes are noticeably softer. The fourth day's walk winds through the Garrotxa Volcanic Natural Park, an area of great natural beauty and one of the finest volcanic landscapes in the Iberian Peninsula. This is a grade 2 walk of average difficulty, with ascents and descents each day. Daily distances range from 11 to 20 kilometres – around 5 hours' walking – leaving plenty of time for leisurely picnics, frequent pauses to admire the spectacular views of the Pyrenees and the sea, and exploration of the pretty villages and small towns in which you stay. Medieval Besalú, entered via a fortified bridge over the river, is perhaps the most attractive, boasting ornate houses with sculpted façades and a 13th-century Jewish mikvah (bath-house). Beget and Santa Pau are also characterful places – much less visited than Besalú and Santa Pau, the twisting, flower-filled streets of Beget in particular are a delight to stroll through. The volcanic natural parkDespite the fact that the last volcanic eruption was some 11,500 years ago, the volcanoes in the Garrotxa are theoretically dormant, rather than extinct. There are thirty cones altogether in the park and over twenty lava flows, some as much as 16 kilometres long. Following excavations of El Croscat volcano in the 1980s, it is now possible to walk inside the volcano, a fascinating experience. The route also leads round the crater of another volcano. Measuring some 420 metres in diameter, it has a Romanesque church at its centre dedicated to Saint Margarida, who, according to legend, tamed the dragon that lived in the volcano. Flora and fauna
CuisineOur hand-picked hotels and inns along the route are characterful and family-run and offer Garrotxan cuisine, which combines typical Catalan dishes with recipes unique to the area. Classic dishes are rabbit with meatballs and wild mushrooms, duck with pears, and apples stuffed with meat. The excellent local pork and mutton feature in many dishes, and wild game, such as partridge, is also quite commonly found on menus. Patatas de Olot, potatoes stuffed with mince and fried in a crispy batter, are a common starter or accompaniment. Being in Catalonia, you will of course find lots of varieties of cava on the wine list.  |
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The Garrotxa is a little-known corner of Catalonia, between the Pyrenees
and the coast. Divided by the River Fluvià into two parts
– the
Upper Garrotxa, a rugged wilderness of abrupt chalk landscapes, and the
more fertile Lower Garrotxa, characterised by low, forested mountains
and lush meadows
– the scenic diversity makes for a week of varied and
enjoyable walking. 
The Garrotxa has a very lush and diverse plant life, with woods of holm
oak and beech. This has in turn led to a greatly varied animal and bird
life. Among the 143 species of bird that are known to inhabit the Garrotxa,
woodland birds such as the nuthatch, tawny owl, peregrine falcon, short-toed
treecreeper, goshawk and great spotted woodpecker are particularly common,
while short-toed eagles and Bonelli's warblers are frequent summer visitors.
Animals include beech martens, wildcats, genets, badgers, wild boar and
common, pygmy and Etruscan shrews. The area also shelters various rare
flowers, some of them unique to the Garrotxa: the pinkish-purple Pyrenean
milkwort (Polygala vayredae) found in woodland, and shrubby gromwell
(Lithodora oleifolia), a scrambling plant whose pale pink flowers
eventually turn blue with age.