La Garrotxa Volcanic National Park Hiking & Besalú

After a 1.5-hour drive in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan, you will arrive at La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone National Park. Start hiking across the Fageda d’en Jordà, a unique beech forest growing at low altitude (550 meter) on the rugged, undulating lava flow from the Croscat volcano.

After leaving the Fageda, the path will take you into the volcanic area, starting with Santa Margarida, whose explosion opened up a wide circular crater in which the eponymous Romanesque church stands today. The hike continues through the Croscat volcano which, with its 160 meter elevation, is 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 hours of hiking, you arrive back to the starting point and go straight to a traditional local restaurant to enjoy a well-deserved 3-course meal. Then, 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 meters high, nearly a kilometer in length and shaped by the river Fluvià.

Before coming back to Barcelona, head to Besalú, one of Catalan's best preserved medieval towns, where you will seem to travel back in time. There, enjoy a guided tour across its magical streets and have some time to roam and explore for yourself.