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The Catalan Pyrenees

An unspoiled corner of the Spanish Pyrenees

The Catalan Pyrenees are dramatic and unspoiled, dotted with stone villages clustered around Romanesque churches. This is magnificent walking country, enjoying the warmest climate of all the Pyrenean range, and our route continues to delight walkers with its combination of superb walking through unspoiled mountains and welcoming inns. Watch short-toed and booted eagles soar above as you walk along ancient paths, and look out too for griffon vultures, choughs, wild boar, chamois and fire salamanders. Our route takes you into one of the loveliest regions of the Spanish Catalan Pyrenees, an area largely unknown to outsiders that nevertheless boasts great scenic beauty, handsome villages and age-old traditions. This is the heart of Catalonia, where the red and yellow Catalan flag flies proudly. As you walk from village to village, you discover two distinct landscapes – the final mighty peaks of the Pyrenees, with spectacular views of the range from Puigmal to Mount Canigou, and the warm, wooded hills of the Garrotxa towards the Mediterranean. Discover, too, Catalan food and wine, with delicious sausages and cured meats, trout from the rivers, and robust wines from the coastal plains.

Nights: 7
Grade: 2-3
Terrain: mountain paths, drovers' roads, meadows, broad ridges
Hotels: three 3-star hotels; one 4-star hotel
Meals: dinner & breakfast each day, plus 3 picnics
Climate: average temperatures range from around 16°C in May and October to 23°C in July and August, with cooling breezes on the peaks.

Nuria

The rack railway to Nuria

Astonishing views

The area is rich in flowers

Walk across flower-filled meadows

Camprodón's 12th-century bridge

Camprodón

La Roca

Starting point: Hotel Caçadors (3*), Ribes de Freser. A friendly, 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. There is time to climb above the monastery to admire the breathtaking views before you return on foot to Ribes de Freser along a magnificent path past a beautiful Romanesque church. (12km, 4hrs)

Accommodation: Hotel Caçadors, as above.

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. A high-quality, Alpine-style hotel set in pleasant gardens and offering excellent accommodation and refined cuisine. The spacious bedrooms, most with a balcony, have uninterrupted views of the dramatic scenery. The public areas are beautifully furnished, and there is a spa incorporating an indoor pool, a sauna and a jacuzzi, use of which is free of charge.

Day 3: stroll to the neighbouring market town of Camprodón, two kilometres away, with its 12th-century bridge, Romanesque monastery, small shops, bustling, 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 and facilities for spa treatments (pay locally).

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)

Accommodation: Hotel la Coma, as above.

Day 6: this last walk is a fitting climax to the holiday. You start with a steep and challenging ascent away from Setcases, across the northern flank of the Puig de les Agudes, to the extraordinary 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)

Accommodation: Hotel Calitxo (3*), Molló. A friendly hotel decorated in rustic style. We include the delicious à la carte menu in our arrangements.

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 and good food.
Alternatively, 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'.
For a two-week holiday, this holiday combines well with the Pyrenees to the Garrotxa route.

Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system. You can also read our website travel diary for a personal account of the holiday.

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.

Similar holidays: The Grand Cerdagne (grade 2-3), Castles of the Cathars (grade 2-3), Pyrenees to Atlantic (grade 2-3), White Towns & Rugged Mountains (grade 2-3)

Prices & travel 2008:

Recommended destination airports: Barcelona & Girona
Latest flight arrival time: Barcelona 1700; Girona flexible
Earliest flight departure time: Barcelona 1230; Girona flexible
*Connecting travel: return taxi from Girona (out 1h40/home 1h30) £118pp;
return rail/taxi from Barcelona (out 2h20/ home 2h40) - pay locally for rail, taxis £36pp
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Extra night prices 2008 (extra nights can be booked at any hotel):

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