Catalan Coast and Mountains In Style
- Discover Salvador Dali's Spain on 'wild coast' and mountain trails
- Treat yourself to boutique hotels and upgraded rooms
- Climb to the Sant Pere de Rodes cloister, dating back to the first century after Christ
- Explore Greek and Roman ruins at the ancient cities of Empuries
- Dine out at world-class restaurants and sample the region's highly regarded food
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Girona or Figueres & transfer to Sant Pere PescadorA transfer from Figueres Vilafant train station (if travelling from Barcelona or France) is included. We can also collect you from Girona airport or centre and take you to your first nights' accommodation. You will have a welcome meeting with our local partner in Spain who will give you the route notes and maps, and make sure to answer any last-minute questions you have.
This hotel has an enviable beachfront location in a secluded cove, close to the ancient Greek and Roman ruins of Empuries Archaeological Site. The hotel has been stylishly renovated throughout and offers bright, simply decorated en-suite bedrooms. Each room features a flat screen TV, air conditioning and heating and a minibar. The hotel also features two restaurants: one informal and one serving Mediterranean gourmet food. A spa (payable locally) is available if you wish to recharge after your journey.
Today you begin by making your way onto a (fairly flat) and beautiful coastal trail. You wander along paths with fantastic views across to the Pyrenees and then head to the fascinating Greek and Roman ruins at Empuries. The ancient city has some well-preserved mosaics dating back to 218BC.
You then head through the stunning Catalan countryside via the sleepy hamlet of Cinc Claus and finally to Sant Pere Pescador. From here you will transfer by taxi back to L'Escala.
Ascent/descent: 12m/19m
This hotel has an enviable beachfront location in a secluded cove, close to the ancient Greek and Roman ruins of Empuries Archaeological Site. The hotel has been stylishly renovated throughout and offers bright, simply decorated en-suite bedrooms. Each room features a flat screen TV, air conditioning and heating and a minibar. The hotel also features two restaurants: one informal and one serving Mediterranean gourmet food. A spa (payable locally) is available if you wish to recharge after your journey.
After a taxi transfer to Sant Pere Pescador, today's walk takes you along the banks of the River Fluvia, across the beach at its mouth and into the Aiguamolls Nature Reserve. The reserve covers nearly 2000 hectares between the Muga and the Fluvia rivers.
The area is dotted with hides, ideal for spotting Ibis, Heron, Tufted Ducks, Pochards, Snipes, Redshanks, Marsh Harriers and Sandpipers. Castello D’Empuries is a beautiful medieval town, it has many historic buildings to visit, hidden in the labyrinthine maze of narrow winding streets.
Ascent/descent: 24m/9m
This beautiful boutique hotel has 15 bedrooms, each equipped with television and mini bar. The hotel sits in the heart of the medieval town of Castello d'Empuries, next to Santa Maria Basilica. The exposed stone of the old building is complemented by simple and modern yet luxurious decor throughout. Here you can enjoy the hotel's rooftop pool, gardens and garden bar sitting above the town walls, or relax in the sumptious spa housed in converted 17th-century stables.
After a short 15-minute taxi transfer you find yourself at Platja Canyelles and the start of a dramatic cliff path that winds up the coastline. Heading east you follow the path as it dips into secluded beaches, great for swimming in the crystal clear water, and crests up over heads and cliff tops that offer 360-degree panoramas.
There's a wealth of flora as you make your way through pine groves, past citrus trees and carefully thread your way around flowering cactus plants. In due course you’ll leave the coastline and head inland, climbing through old olive groves on ancient farmers trails, before reaching the broad track at the top. This twists and turns as it drops down into the fishing village of Cadaques; your stop for the next two nights.
Ascent/descent: 401m/440m
This avantgarde, boutique hotel sits in the heart of the pretty, white-washed village of Cadaques, and features an outdoor swimming pool and garden. Each of the beautifully-decorated rooms has a terrace, overlooking the village and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as air conditioning, satellite television, a fridge and a coffee machine.
There is no doubt that Cadaques is a popular place. It would be easy to wile away the day exploring the narrow streets that meander through the town, to visit the 17th-century church or take a stroll to the museum at Dali's former home, around the bay at Port Lligat (3kms). Being in the middle of the Cap de Creus National Park you may wish to walk out to the spectacular lighthouse at the easterly tip of the peninsula.
Optional Walk: 19.6km, ascent/descent: 223m/223m
This avantgarde, boutique hotel sits in the heart of the pretty, white-washed village of Cadaques, and features an outdoor swimming pool and garden. Each of the beautifully-decorated rooms has a terrace, overlooking the village and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as air conditioning, satellite television, a fridge and a coffee machine.
Today you move north through the heart of the Cap de Creus National Park, following a deeply rural route with stunning views of the Catalan countryside. You wind through this varied scenery before ending up at the small fishing village of El Port de Selva.
The village is famous for its varied landscapes, beaches and the mountain range at its back. Clinging to the mountain is the medieval community of Sant Pere de Rodes, with a castle, monastery, church, and village. Some of Catalonia's best beaches are here in El Port de Selva, offering sun lovers and beachcombers a reason to finish early and hit the sand.
Ascent/descent: 364m/364m
This hotel was an old Manor house from the late 19th century, built of stone from the Cap de Creus. Totally refurbished in the past few years it sits metres from the beach and has amazing panoramic views.
As you leave El Port de Selva you’ll ascend the hills behind the village. Your first stop will be at the Sant Pere de Rodes cloister, dating back to the first century after Christ. Continuing upwards you now make your way to the ruins of Castell de Sant Salvador. Your reward for the climb is magnificent views across the Albera mountains, to the Pyrenees.
As you traverse the other side of the mountain you wind your way down to the tranquil village of Palau Saverdera, sitting at the bottom of the hills on the flat plain. Here a well-deserved drink awaits you in one of the local bars, giving you time to reflect on your time in Catalonia.
Ascent/descent: 654m/561m
The Hotel Mas Lazuli is a fully-restored, former 12th-century convent at the heart of a 12-hectare estate. The hotel offers beautiful views of olive groves and vineyards, an on-site restaurant, large gardens and a swimming pool. Each of the 17 rooms feature contemporary styling, air conditioning, television, safe, minibar and WiFi.
After breakfast we will transfer you to Girona airport/centre or Figueres Vilafant train station for your onward connection.
This trip has a carbon score of 4kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 4kg is equivalent to 2.5 avocados. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?If you enjoy great, relaxed-pace walks in good weather combined with luxurious accommodation to unwind in each evening, then this is the tour for you. Reward your efforts each day with authentic Catalan food and local wines, in pretty white-washed coastal villages and stylish historic or boutique-style hotels. We also include Girona airport or Figueres station transfers to ensure you're able to relax as soon as possible.
In Style | After a day of exciting adventures and soaking up unbeatable scenery, retreat to stylish accommodations and unwind with fine food and wine. This trip type is for those who like sophisticated places to stay and are looking for active routes but still want the holiday to feel special.
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers
The minimum age for this tour is: 5 Years
This walk is graded Moderate. The days walk to Cadaques from Platja Canyelles is a little steep in places and may require a little more effort. On these isolated occasions a grade of Moderate to Strenuous is slightly more suitable. For the most part, the entire holiday is on terrain that is either on-farm tracks, coastal paths or mountain trails. Occasionally you may encounter a few moderately steep sections, especially on coastal trails. However, the ascent is not too difficult or prolonged. There are also some sections with steep drop-offs where extra care is required and for this reason, this tour is not suited to anyone with vertigo.
The stylish, unique and boutique-style hotels en route are one of this tour's highlights. We carefully select superb quality accommodation and upgraded rooms to give you a wonderful place to relax and unwind at the end of a rewarding day of walking. Each accommodation is different and full of character, from a converted 12th-century convent to avantgarde styling, yet you can anticipate a warm welcome to walkers, traditional Catalan hospitality and delicious food at each one. To make your stay really special, at some hotels we've upgraded your room to superior, junior suite or suite rooms, so you can relax 'in Style'. Full accommodation details can be found in the itinerary. Many of our clients choose to add extra nights as a luxurious treat or to sample more of the wonderful attractions and culture this vibrant region has to offer.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable.
Meals
A traditional Catalan breakfast is included each morning. Breakfast is a leisurely affair and adequate time should be allocated. Lunch is not included. Most accommodations are happy to provide a packed lunch - this should be requested on arrival. Dinner is not included, as we highly recommend sampling some of the world-class restaurants on offer in this area. Castello D'Empuries is home to a Michelin-starred restaurant, Cadaques has many great dining options, and Port de la Selva offers a wonderful array of local seafood. Dinner may also be available at your accommodation on some evenings. We strongly recommend booking any restaurants, you particularly want to visit, in advance to avoid disappointment.
The trails on this holiday are a mix of local paths and “GR” (Gran Recorrido) routes - which are marked with characteristic marks consisting of a white stripe above a red stripe. Some local paths are signed and some are not. However, the route notes that accompany each day's walk give a step by step, turn by turn account of your route and are complimented with photographs to give you points of reference.
- Arrival and departure transfers from/to either Girona airport, Girona centre or Figueres Vilafant train station (if travelling from Barcelona)
- Welcome meeting
- 7 Nights accommodation in ensuite rooms
- 7 Breakfasts
- Door to door baggage transfer
- A detailed info pack, route notes and maps
- Full information pack on local history, culture & traditions as well as advice on restaurants, bars and local attractions
- Emergency telephone support from our office in the UK as well as from a local office in Catalonia with English speaking staff
- Taxi transfer at the end of the walk on day 2 and start of day 3
- Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks
- Entrance fees (where applicable)
- Travel Insurance
- Transport should you need to skip a stage
- Extra nights along the route
This tour is available to start on any day of the week subject to availability, from April through to June, and then again from September through to the end of October.
Time of Year
The climate in Catalonia can be summarised as Mediterranean, total rainfall here is lower than in the rest of Spain, and it is concentrated in the late autumn-winter period. Temperatures are higher than the rest of Spain in both summer and winter. We recommend wonderful walking in the Spring and Autumn. We don't offer this holiday in the months of July and August as the temperatures are too high for walking.
By Air: The closest regional airport to Catalonia is Girona-Costa Brava and, as part of the package, we offer return airport transfers from Girona airport. You can also fly to Barcelona-El Prat and take a bus or train to the city's main train station, from here you can take a fast train (AVANT) to Figueres Vilafant where our local partner can collect you and transfer you to the first accommodation. Alternatively, you can take a regional train or MD train to Figueres. Figueres and Figueres Villafant are fairly close so pick up is possible at either, but please specify. Tickets can be bought at http://www.renfe.com
By Train: If you are arriving by train then the best station to arrive into is Figueres or Figueres Villafant. See above.
By Air: The closest regional airport to the end of the walk is again Girona-Costa Brava and, as part of the package, we offer return airport transfers from Girona airport. You can also fly out of Barcelona-El Prat - please let us know if you require a transfer to Barcelona instead of Girona which we can book for a small additional cost.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation onto your next overnight stop. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person. Please make sure they are clearly marked with your name and next nights accommodation.
It is a condition of booking with us that you have suitable travel insurance that covers you for cancellation, curtailment, illness or injury.
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