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The Mountains of CataloniaGreen, unspoiled peaks
For an active holiday with children who enjoy walking, nothing can beat the thrill of walking in the Pyrenees, and this walk is an ideal choice, with its combination of green, unspoiled mountains, superb routes and welcoming inns. This is a true family adventure, revealing amazing views and a unique mountain culture, with plenty of activities and home comforts to keep everyone happy. The wildlife is rich and varied, adding an extra dimension to the walking routes. Watch short-toed, golden and booted eagles soar above as you walk along ancient paths, and look out too for griffon vultures, lammergeiers (bearded vultures), choughs, wild boar (you are unlikely to see these shy creatures but may see some of the holes they create while digging for roots), chamois, otters, wild cats and fire salamanders (a black and yellow, nocturnal amphibian which nevertheless may make an appearance after a rain shower). Nights: 7
Starting point: Hotel Caçadors (3*), Ribes de Freser. A comfortable hotel centrally located in this small spa town. Day 1: you take the scenic rack railway (included) for the dramatic journey to the sanctuary of Nuria, one of Catalonia's holiest sites, high in the mountains, 1,960 metres above sea level. Once there, you can take a cable car (pay locally) to admire the fantastic views before walking back down to Ribes along a magnificent path past a beautiful Romanesque church. There is also a visitors’ centre at Nuria featuring impressive displays of flora and fauna, or you could hire a boat and take to the water of the idyllic mountain lake. (12km, 4hrs)
Day 2: today you have a spectacular walk along undulating paths and tracks to the panoramic Collada Verda Pass (1,500 metres), from where you descend gradually through a wild valley to Llanars. To shorten the day, we offer an optional transfer at the start of the day. (16km, 5hrs or 22km, 7hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Grèvol (4*), Llanars. Sure to be a highlight of the week, this high-quality, Alpine-style hotel is set in pleasant gardens and offers excellent accommodation and very good food. The spacious bedrooms, most with a balcony, have uninterrupted views of the dramatic scenery. While here, make the most of the heated indoor pool, sauna and jacuzzi in its excellent spa, use of which is free. There is also a games room, complete with billiards, table football, video games and table tennis, and there are spacious lounges for parents to relax in. Day 3: stroll to the neighbouring market town of Camprodón, two kilometres away, with its 12th-century bridge, ancient centre and interesting Art Nouveau quarter. Alternatively, you can head along quiet mountain roads via a splendid viewpoint to Santi Isidre (1,345 metres), which overlooks the Ter Valley, or ascend to the ridge above Llanars. (7km, 2.5hrs or 16km, 6hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Grèvol, as above. Day 4: a short but thoroughly enjoyable route high above the valley, with sweeping views in clear weather. You pass the astonishing village of La Roca, which seemingly clings to the rock on which it is built, then cross a mix of pastureland and forest. (12km, 4hrs) Accommodation: Hotel la Coma (3*), Setcases. This is an attractive hotel which enjoys lovely views of the surrounding mountains. The pleasant restaurant serves delicious regional cuisine. Set in the large gardens is a small outdoor pool, while inside there is another swimming pool, a jacuzzi, facilities for spa treatments (pay locally for treatments) and a games room with table tennis. Day 5: after a transfer, you head up the Ter Valley to the refuge of Ulldeter (2,220 metres), set in dramatic scenery in the heart of the mountains. To extend the walk, from the refuge you can ascend to the panoramic peak of Mount Bastiments (2,881 metres). (12km, 5hrs) Day 6: this last walk is a fitting climax to the holiday. You climb away from Setcases, across the northern flank of the Puig de les Agudes, to the Lliens Pass (1,800 metres), where you are rewarded in clear weather with an unrivalled panorama: to one side, the dramatic Pyrenean peaks, to the other, the warm, wooded hills of the Garrotxa. You then remain high up as you continue to the similarly panoramic Fembra Morte Pass (a good picnic spot) before descending through grand landscapes to Molló, close to the French border. (13km, 4.5hrs) Walking chart: the chart gives the distance and an approximation of the ascents and descents involved each day. If comparing holidays, please note the scale of each chart as this can differ.
Prices & travel 2008:
Start: any day Recommendations for extra nights: if you want to spend longer in the mountains, we recommend Hotel Caçadors (Ribes de Freser) for extra walking (if you return to Nuria via the rack railway, there are numerous walking possibilities in the high mountains above the monastery); and Hotel Grèvol (Llanars) for relaxation, good food and plentiful children’s activities. Or why not add on a visit to the city from which you are flying home? Stay in bustling Barcelona at the 4-star Hotel Colón, close to the medieval cathedral, or the 2-star Peninsular in Girona, historic and beautiful 'city of a thousand sieges'. Click here for more family walking holiday ideas. To receive a free copy of our Families programme, simply request a brochure. Alternatively, you may wish to subscribe to our email newsletter and be the first to hear of all our new programmes. |
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• self-guided hotel-to-hotel walking (with notes) • magnificent & rugged mountain region • luggage transported • suitable for families with older children • two hotels with a pool & spa 
The rack railway to Nuria
