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Pyrenees to the GarrotxaCatalonia's ancient volcanoes
The warm, wooded hills of the Garrotxa lead down towards the sea from the great peaks of the Pyrenees, and mark the transition from the mountain to the Mediterranean landscape. Around the little town of Olot rise the conical masses of ancient volcanoes, a truly surprising topography. This is an enchanting and little-known corner of Catalonia, wild and unspoiled and blessed by a truly Mediterranean climate. There is real sense of adventure as you walk across the secret hills along ancient paths that connect the old stone villages, watched by the buzzards, kites and eagles that soar above. You stay in intimate, authentic inns where you get a glimpse of rural life and sample traditional country cooking accompanied by robust, earthy red wines. Nights: 7 or 9
Starting point: Hotel Calitxo (3*), Molló. A friendly hotel decorated in rustic style. We include the delicious à la carte menu in our arrangements. Day 1: this first walk offers the greatest variation in scenery as you leave the mountains and pastures of the Pyrenees and enter the chalk landscape so typical of the Upper Garrotxa. You ascend steadily to the Boixeda Pass, from where, in clear weather, you can admire the views over the Empordà plain and the Garrotxa before starting to descend through increasingly Mediterranean landscapes to Beget, a medieval village famed for its beauty. (11km, 4hrs) Accommodation: Hostal el Forn (2*), Beget. Run by the charming Catarina and Eric, this is a rustic inn with just four rooms and a small restaurant offering delicious regional cuisine. Duck and rabbit dishes are a speciality, which you can enjoy on the pleasant veranda in summer with views across the river to the wooded hills. Day 2: today’s route is long but rewarding and takes you right into the heart of the Upper Garrotxa, through wild, isolated valleys framed by walls of rock. In the morning, you ascend the northern slope of the Puig de Bestracà through woodland of oak and box, with views back to the Pyrenees in good weather. You then descend into the Hortmoier Valley and walk along this for some distance before rising once more. The final section crosses holm oak woods. (17km, 5hrs) Accommodation: Can Pei (country house), Oix. Sympathetically converted from a handsome stone masía (farmstead) in which many original features have been retained, Can Pei offers attractive gardens and an outdoor pool. Day 3: for the first part of the day, your path winds uphill through woodland before eventually emerging into open countryside affording views of the volcanoes. As you draw nearer to the volcanic region, you pass an expanse of basaltic columns similar to the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. Finally, you enter the volcanic region itself, walking around the rim of the crater of one volcano to reach Olot, a pleasant small town famous for its textiles, religious statues and school of art. To shorten the walk, you can catch a bus for the last leg - pay locally. (18km, 6hrs) Accommodation: Hotel la Perla (3*), Olot. This is a comfortable, well-equipped hotel where you stay in small apartments usually comprising a bedroom, bathroom and small sitting room. Day 4: this is a fascinating walk which takes you past the main highlights of the volcanic park: a beech wood that has grown out of a lava flow, the Fageda de Jordà and Croscat volcanoes, and the Santa Margarida crater, in which there is a small church. Of the thirty or so cones in the Garrotxa, the Croscat volcano was the last one to erupt some 11,500 years ago. It was excavated in the 1980s and there is time to walk inside the volcano along the tunnel dug during the excavations. (14.5km, 5hrs) Accommodation: Hotel Cal Sastre (2*), Santa Pau. Situated adjacent to the old wall which protects the medieval village centre, the Cal Sastre is one of the best hotels on the holiday, with pleasant sitting areas and a garden. Throughout, the hotel is decorated with great attention to detail. Its locally renowned restaurant (closed 1-9 July) is a short stroll away in the village’s delightful arcaded square. Day 5: today you discover a largely uninhabited area of great natural beauty, walking along and over the ridge above the Ser Valley (from which you can see the Mediterranean on a clear day). There are some pleasant sections through typically Mediterranean woodland dominated by holm oaks, while other parts of the walk lead across rocky landscapes in which various aromatic plants grow. (12km, 5.5hrs) Accommodation: Can Jou (rural inn), Can Jou. This popular equestrian centre is praised for its friendly, informal atmosphere and superb (albeit remote) location. Day 6: you finish the week with a relatively easy walk (it is mostly downhill) across beautiful, increasingly Mediterranean landscapes of holm oaks and strawberry trees, entering idyllic Besalú via the Romanesque bridge spanning the River Fluvià. As on the previous day, in clear weather you are rewarded with views of the Mediterranean as you walk. (10km, 5hrs) Accommodation: Jardins de la Martana (2*), Besalú. This delightful hotel, which combines original features with more modern touches, was originally a doctor’s house, and medicinal herbs still grow in the large garden that stretches down to the river by the town's Romanesque bridge. You stay on a bed and breakfast basis, leaving you free to try one of the restaurants in the town. Extension: for a spot of complete relaxation (or further walking), we highly recommend the 4-star Hotel Sant Ferriol which boasts a secluded location in extensive grounds, a pool, and beautifully styled bedrooms with a sitting area and balcony. To top it all off, there is an attractive spa, where we include a lengthy treatment, and a superb restaurant (dinner is included on both nights). You can either walk to the hotel direct from Besalú (it is set in woodland just a couple of kilometres away) or enjoy a circular walk from Besalú first of all which takes you past three Romanesque churches. Walking chart for 7-night holiday: 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.
Recommendations for extra nights: Besalú, Beget and Santa Pau are all delightful medieval villages and their twisting, cobbled streets are a delight to explore. We provide notes for a rewarding circular walk from Santa Pau. Extensions: for a contrast after your walk, we recommend visiting the city from which you are flying home. Spend two nights in colourful Barcelona's 4-star Hotel Colón, or enchanting Girona's 2-star Hotel Peninsular. Alternatively, for a two-week holiday, you could combine this walk with our From the Pyrenees to the Sea 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. Similar holidays: From the Pyrenees to the Sea (grade 2), Catalan Pyrenees (grade 2-3), Mountains of the Three Kings (grades 2 & 3), The Mountains of Alicante (grade 2), Andalucia's Tranquil Heartland (grade 2) Prices & travel 2008:
Recommended destination airports: Barcelona & Girona Extra night prices 2008 (extra nights can be booked at any hotel):
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Look out for wild flowers 
