Back in November 2010, we highlighted some of the best walking routes in the Catalunya region, and now we can add another trail to our list which has been brought to our attention by The Saturday Telegraph newspaper.
Journalist Jim White dusted off his hiking boots and headed to the foothills north of Barcelona to start his treck from the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean.
Jim began his journey near the walled city of Macanet de Cabrenys and then headed to Cantallops, walking 8km in a day. Cantallops is famous for its wine making, and hikers can relax in one of the quaint traditional inns, sipping a sumptuous red or crisp white wine. After a pit-stop in the small picturesque village of Garriguella, it is a steep hike to the restored monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes. While this section is not for the faint-hearted, the view from the Romanesque monastery down to the coast is worth the aching calves.
Jim’s final stop was Cadaques, one of Catalonia’s prettiest fishing villages. With a beer in hand, sitting on a sun soaked balcony, he reminisced about his accomplishment:
‘Wherever we went the landscape was intriguing, the history charged, the air clean and untarnished.’
The scenery changes drastically during the hike. Within a relatively short distance, the volcanic hills of the Garrotxa give way to a gently rolling landscape coated with olive groves, vineyards and cork forests. As you cross the final ridge before reaching the coast, another scene awaits you – rocky coves, sandy bays and rugged headlands. This variation in landscape heightens the sense of completing a true ‘journey’ on the walk from the mountains to the sea.