Villages of the Catalan Pyrenees

8 Days & 7 Nights 4.4 Read 11 reviews
  • Walking in the unspoiled heart of the Catalan Pyrenees
  • Quaint mountain villages - Camprodon, Setcases and Ribes de Freser
  • Enjoy hearty Catalan mountain food - delicious sausages and cured meats
  • Spotting booted eagles, griffon vultures, beautiful Chamois and wild boar
  • Travelling by rack train to the ancient monastery of Nuria
The Catalan Pyrenees are a walker’s paradise, offering unspoiled mountains, quaint villages, Romanesque churches, and the warmest climate of the Pyrenean range. Enjoy fantastic mountain walks through the warm, wooded hills of the Garrotxa and the dramatic final peaks of the Pyrenees, areas where the red and yellow Catalan flag flies proudly. Explore pretty villages featuring stone houses, cobbled streets and alleyways. And watch out for booted eagles, griffon vultures and the beautiful chamois. At the end of a wonderful day’s walking, enjoy a warm welcome from your cosy mountain hotel before tucking into a hearty Catalan dish of sausages or cured meats, accompanied by a delicious glass of wine.
The combination of pretty mountain villages, Romanesque history, a strong Catalan culture, and fantastic mountain walks combine to make this trip sure to appeal to many! If you enjoy exhilarating walking finished with comfortable overnight stays in small, friendly hotels and delicious, hearty meals this is the one for you!

Tour Type:

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Activity:

Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.

Ideal if you have an interest in:

Off the Beaten Track, Alpine Walking

Activity Level & Terrain

The walk is graded overall as moderate-strenuous. You will be walking on good paths for between 4-8 hours a day. There are some steeper sections and ascents of up to 750m. On your free day in Setcases, the optional walk up the Bastiments Peak would be graded as strenuous and should only be attempted by experienced walkers. We do not recommend this walk for anybody who suffers from vertigo due to some of the paths having quite sheer drop-offs.

Navigation

We will provide you with detailed route notes and the paths are well-defined and easy to follow so you shouldn’t have any problems finding your way. The trails are a mixture of farm tracks and mountain trails.

Accommodations

7 nights accommodation is included in hand-picked cosy mountain hotels of a 2-3* standard.

We have carefully selected charming mountain hotels in fantastic locations, which all offer great food and a warm welcome. Here you’ll see a selection of the properties we normally use, however they are subject to availability and therefore alternatives of an equal standard may be offered.

Accommodation Location

We will always try and accommodate you at the locations detailed in your itinerary. Occasionally, because of limited availability, there is the option to be accommodated at an alternative location. In the unlikely event that we have to accommodate you elsewhere, we will advise you of this before confirming your booking

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

Single rooms are available and a single supplement is payable. Unfortunately, this trip is not available to solo walkers due to the remote nature of some of the walks.

Meals

7 breakfasts are included. Packed lunches are available from your accommodation (order the night before) or you can stop on the way. Dinners are not included as standard but are available either at your overnight accommodation or close by. If you prefer you can choose to upgrade to half board to have your dinner included.

Additional Nights and Extensions

We recommend adding additional nights in either Girona or Barcelona to the start or end of your tour. Girona is a bit of an untapped treasure of a city with an abundance of museums, galleries and Gothic churches as well as some of the best restaurants Catalonia has to offer.  And then, of course, you have Barcelona with its fantastic architecture, beautiful medieval quarters and vibrant nightlife.

We can also arrange extra nights at any of the overnight stops on your walk.  You may also like to combine this walk with one of our walking holidays in the Costa Brava, for a combination of the mountains and the sea!

Included
  • 7 Nights in 2-3 star hotels
  • 7 Breakfasts
  • Daily baggage transfers
  • Transfer from Ripoll to Camprodon
  • Route notes and maps
  • 24/7 telephone support from our office and local partners in Spain
Excluded
  • Travel insurance (required)
  • Travel to Ripoll and from Ribes de Freser
  • Lunches and Dinners
  • Drinks and snacks
  • Personal equipment
Extras
  • Additional nights before, during or after the walk
  • Private transfer from Ribes de Freser to Ripoll
  • Half Board Supplement

When To Go

You can start your walk on any date between the middle of April and the middle of October, subject to availability. 

Time of Year

We recommend the spring months of April and May when the temperatures are cooler and flowers in bloom or September which is also very pleasant for walking. The months of July and August can get very hot.

Getting to the Start

By Air: The closest airport is Barcelona. On arrival at the airport, take the shuttle train to Barcelona Sants train station (20mins), then transfer on to another train to Ripoll (2 hours). You will be collected from Ripoll and transferred to your accommodation in Camprodon.

You can also fly to Girona Airport, and take a bus to Ripoll with Teisa buses.

Getting from the End

By Train to Barcelona: You can take the train from Ribes de Freser back to Barcelona. View times at the Renfe website.

By Bus to Girona: If you are travelling back to Girona, we can arrange a transfer to take you back to Ripoll, from where you take the bus back to Girona.

Luggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred for you each day so that you don't need to worry about carrying them and can simply walk with a day pack.

General Information

The distances and ascent/descents are approximations of the recommended routes. Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack. 

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

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Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Camprodon Day 2 Camprodon to Molló 10.5 miles / 17 km Day 3 Molló to Setcases 7.5 miles / 12 km Day 4 Free Day in Setcases 9 miles / 15 km Day 5 Setcases to Camprodon 7.5 miles / 12.5 km Day 6 Camprodon to Ribes de Freser 14 miles / 23 km Day 7 Free Day in Ribes de Freser 8 miles / 13 km Day 8 Onward Travel

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