La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone NP Hiking and Besalú medieval town. Small Group Tour.

Hike around La Garrotxa volcanic zone Natural Park, one of the most iconic areas of Catalonia and visit the medieval town of Besalú on this unique full-day excursion from Barcelona.

We will start hiking around La Fageda d’en Jordà, a unique beech tree forest on those latitudes. We will continue hiking through Santa Margarita and Croscat volcanoes and singular landscapes around. After this pleasant hike we will enjoy a well deserved catalan traditional lunch in a local restaurant. Before coming back to Barcelona we will visit the well-conserved medieval town of  Besalú, which will bring you back in time.

After about one and a half hour drive on a comfortable AC Minivan, we will arrive at La Garrotxa volcanic zone Natural Parc.

We will get ready and start hiking across the Fageda d’en Jordà,  a unique beech forest growing at low altitude (550 m) upon the rugged undulating lava flow emitted by the Croscat volcano. This place is magic and full of peace and if visiting in autumn you will have the chance to see the spectacle of the colors of nature.

After leaving the Fageda, the path will take us into the volcanic area, starting with Santa Margarida, a volcano, whose explosion opened up a wide circular crater in whose midst stands today the eponymous Romanesque church. We will continue hiking through Croscat volcano which with its 160 m in height make it the highest volcanic cone in the Iberian Peninsula. For many years one of its flanks was quarried and today an impressive scar remains as a reminder of the once active quarry.

After about  3,5 hour pleasant hike we will arrive back to the starting point and we will go straight to our selected traditional local restaurant to enjoy a well deserved 3-course meal.

After lunch we will have the chance to see the picturesque town of Castellfollit de la Roca, rising up on a spectacular basalt crag formed by the superimposition of two lava flows, 50 metres high and nearly a kilometre long that has been shaped by the river Fluvià.

Before coming back to Barcelona we will head to Besalú, one of the best preserved catalan medieval towns, where you will feel travelling back in time. There we will enjoy a guided tour across its magical streets and have some free time.