What do you ask from a day of trekking in Catalonia?
The smugglers' trail, a circular hiking route between Beget and Rocabruna, has it all:
- A castle in ruins,
- the Beget river carved in rock,
- protected forests,
- a medieval village frozen in time
- and panoramic views of the Alta Garrotxa.
Are you up for it?
Technical specifications
- Difficulty: Moderate.
- Distance: 15.3 km.
- Travel time: 4-5 hours (almost 6 h counting almost 300 photos and stops for lunch).
- Elevation gain: 778 m.
- Start: Parking in Beget.
- End: Parking lot in Beget.
- Date of realization (photographs): March, 2019.
Where to park
You can leave your car in the free parking lot in Beget, but keep in mind that the number of spaces is very limited. It is likely to sell out quickly in high season.
Details of the circular trekking Beget - Rocabruna - Beget
1. Beget: can you be more photogenic?
Strolling through this town in low season is like traveling back in time.
You could appear around the corner someone mounted on horseback sporting his armor and you wouldn't think it strange 🙂
Streets, houses, bridges, churches... All built (and preserved) stone by stone.
After the astonishment, we bought sandwiches at the restaurant of the hostel El Forn and took the opportunity to refill our water bottles at the fountain in the square.
Once stocked, we started the route that starts right from the parking lot where we had left the car.
Follow the signs that you will find on the road, you can't get lost. It looks like you are going to cross a construction zone, but don't worry, you are going fine 🙂
2. Riera de Beget: following the course of the river.
The footpath follows the Riera de Beget and runs mostly in the shade of the trees.
The best part? The views of the river course.
Do you know those rocks excavated and rounded by the passage of water so curious?
A picture is better than a thousand words:
Cool, isn't it?
The ascent is slight, so this part of the route is easy, except for a small point of landslides next to the river where you have to walk carefully.
It crosses the road up to 3 times and in some of them you must go on the asphalt for a few minutes until you find the entrance to the trail again.
Always follow the signs and you will have no problems.
After the last junction you will pass by an abandoned house, La Solana.
I confess, I've always been a little scared of them. I watched too many horror movies in my teens... Ouch!
3. Molino de Sorolla: watch out for the dogs.
Now the route continues along the stream but leaves the road behind and heads towards the Molino de Sorolla.
We would have gotten much closer to it to photograph it up close, but the dogs in the house next to the mill (could it be the owners?) were loose and chased us with barking until we got far enough away.
The owner grabbed one of them while yelling at the one who was harassing us to calm down. In between shouting she explained to us that he did not bite.
So, instead of running away, I just walked fast. But the situation was too violent to stay and enjoy the scenery.
So, if you are afraid of dogs, keep this in mind.
4. Rocabruna: the charm of a ruined castle
Behind the mill, a sand and gravel road begins on which cars can drive.
Continue until you reach a private house.
Once there it is somewhat more difficult to identify where to continue, but a small path along the edge of the farm leads you to a wooded area.
You're already in the wild again! 🙂
Here begins the hardest and steepest climb of the route: reaching Rocabruna Castle (or what is left of it).
We took the opportunity to have lunch and rest in the shade of a tree among its ruins 🙂 🙂
We returned to the road we had left to continue our journey. However, as we came out into open meadow, we saw signs to the ruins on a different path than the one we were on.
So, probably, there was another path to leave Rocabruna and continue the route without having to turn back.
How did we miss it?
If you find it, leave me a comment and let me know!
5. Coll de Malrem: with one foot in France
From this point the road crosses a cattle pasture fenced with electrified fences (be careful when you open the gates, hold on to the protected areas). It then continues for a while along the road until it heads uphill again.
In this area the vegetation is sparse, without much shade until you reach the highest point of the circular route:
The Coll de Malrem.
With beautiful views of the Alta Garrotxa, in this place you can cross the border with France without even realizing it.
It is at this point that the name of the circuit, "The Smugglers' Trail.", takes on historical meaning, don't you think 😉 😉.
6. Grau viewpoint: the icing on the cake
Good news! From the Coll de Malrem to the end of the route it is all downhill.
We passed this area as fast as we could to get to the Grau viewpoint with enough light.
We had miscalculated the hours and were running late, but in the end we managed to see Beget from the heights:
The viewpoint is in a curve in full descent of steps. It does not go unnoticed.
And after a few more 15-minute "steps", you set foot on Beget eager to get to the fountain 😉.
Complete route on Wikiloc
Do you want to follow this route on Wikiloc?
You can see the route on the map in this link.
What to bring
- Food: be sure to bring food with you because the ride is long. We bought some local sausage sandwiches at the restaurant of the hostel El Forn before leaving and accompanied them with tangerines and dried fruits.
- Water: except at the Beget fountain, there is no drinking water along the way, so I recommend you carry at least one and a half liters of water per person (better two).
- A bag: to collect all the waste you generate. Please avoid littering this marvel.
- Sun protection: sunscreen, hat, sunglasses... The usual.
- Comfortable footwear: hiking boots or, failing that, sneakers that hold the foot well.
Where to stay
To travel the smugglers' trail at your leisure, I recommend spending the night in the vicinity.
There are several accommodations in Beget, such as the hostel El Forn, or near Rocabruna, which are ideal if you want to start the route early (or finish it late) 😉.
What did we do?
In our case a delicious accommodation was waiting for us, chosen for the occasion (that night was our anniversary) but it is a bit far from Beget (1 hour drive):
La Masía del Puig
To get there I recommend you to take the road that goes towards Castellar de la Muntaya from San Juan les Fonts.
Warning: if Google Maps wants to take you on a different road, resist. That other road is only suitable for 4×4 cars.
Even following these indications, there comes a moment when the asphalt disappears and becomes a gravel and sand track on which you must drive slowly so as not to destroy the tires.
Is it worth such difficult access?
Absolutely, yes 😉.
And if you don't believe it, judge it with your own eyes:
Why did I like Masía del Puig so much?
- It is immersed in Vall de Bianca with breathtaking views of the sunrise.
- They serve a delicious breakfast and dinner with local products, some from their own organic garden.
- Its location and appearance are cared for to the millimeter so that you can relax and forget all your problems just by looking at it.
The only downside is that it has a high price (impossible that it would be otherwise, this place is pure luxury for the senses).
The night with breakfast on the weekend cost 154€ and the 2-course dinner + dessert and drink 32.5€/person. This made a total of 219€ (109.5€/person).
Will you be back? As soon as I can 😉
Sustainable tourism in Catalonia
Do you know how I found this route and such a special accommodation?
Thanks to EcoTravelDesign.
The truth is that it is impressive how well Cristina Vilà knows her land. You can tell she is passionate about what she does.
I just had to answer a few questions about my tastes and preferences, and that was it! A few days later I had in my inbox a suggested route through the Garrotxa that came to me like a glove.
He seemed to have known me all his life.
It was she who discovered the existence of this smugglers' route and suggested the Masía del Puig to celebrate our anniversary.
You can take a look at how the first day of that escapade in Garrotxa went here. Not bad, right?
If you want to make a rural and sustainable getaway in Catalonia designed just for you, ask Cristina 😉.
Useful Links
- What we did the day before: hiking route Rupit - Salt del Sallent.
- Masía del Puig.
- Hostal El Forn de Beget.
- Other hotel offers in the surroundings of Beget.
- Flights to Catalonia: Trabber, eDreams, Momondo and Vueling.
- 5% discount when you take out your adventure travel insurance with IATI.
- EcoTravelDesign.
More trekking and destinations in Catalonia:
- Montserrat route: funicular-Santa Magdalena-San Miquel-monastery.
- Circular route through Montserrat: from the monastery to the top of Sant Jeroni.
- Circular route Rupit - Salt del Salent.
- Break your schemes in the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueras.
Very good route and very good content
Thank you! 🙂