Are you looking for an easy route, suitable for hiking with children and with breathtaking views of the Montserrat massif?
Font de la Pola is your destination 😉.
Technical specifications
- Difficulty: easy.
- Length: 4.6 km (round trip).
- Slope: 168 m .
- Travel time: 1 hour and 15 minutes.
- Sun exposure: 40-60% shade
- Start: L'Alzina del Sal-lari parking lot.
- End: Parking L'Alzina del Sal-lari.
- Completion date (photographs): July, 2020.
Road to Font de la Pola
Imagine that:
- It's summer (the hot kind).
- For some reason your body is asking for mountains and nature (call it post-quarantine effect if you want).
- And you have small children who want to run around in freedom (better if they are 5 years old or older, they can walk a lot without getting tired or you will have to carry them on a horse) 😉.
If you live in the surroundings of Barcelona, this route to and from the Font de la Pola (Pola fountain) is a good option to consider.
And especially if you go in good company, as the area next to the fountain is perfect for a cool and long after-dinner drink 🙂
Will you join us?
Parking L'Alzina del Sal-lari
If you go from Matadepera towards the village of Talamanca you will find the parking lot of L'Alzina del Sal-lari on your left.
It is well signposted (you can see it on the map at the end of this post) and has plenty of parking spaces, although it is likely that in high season (i.e. weekends in spring or autumn) they will run out early.
If it happens to you, along the road as you approach you will find more areas suitable for parking two or 3 vehicles a few meters before reaching the parking lot.
Ascent to Turó de Tres Creus
Go up the slope that starts from the parking lot and continue to your left on a paved road closed to traffic.
The road turns (and climbs) to the right at once.
This first stretch (approximately 1 km) offers plenty of shade on the sides if you walk it in the morning or in the afternoon, when the sun is not at its highest.
Crossroads
When you reach the hill of Tres Creus you will find a sign indicating the junction of this trail to the Font de la Pola and the GR-5 to the Paller de Tot l'Any, one of the icons of the Parc Natural de Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac.
Coming soon on the blog... 😉
To reach the Font de la Pola you must continue straight ahead along the narrow, shaded path that you will see in front of you.
A route with views of Montserrat
A few meters into this section of the trail you will begin to see the Montserrat massif silhouetted on the horizon, as well as the rock formations so characteristic of this area that share both Montserrat and the natural park of Sant Llorenç i l'Obac.
The intermittent views are mixed with caves along the trail and stretches of forest.
Enjoy! 🙂
La Pola Spring
When there are only a few meters left to reach the fountain you will see that the path forks in front of you.
I recommend you to choose the one on your right: you will get directly to the fountain by the easiest route.
Do you take the one on the left? No problem, it will also take you to the fountain, as long as you turn right at the second fork.
If you keep taking the path to the left you'll end up doing the circular route, which is great if that's what you want, but it's longer and you'll miss the fountain 🙂
A corner that invites you to linger
When you get to the fountain, it is the thing that attracts your attention the least (unless you arrive dead thirsty) 😉.
The water is drinkable and comes out slightly carbonated (do not expect sparkling water) due to the composition of the rocks between which it is filtered. However, I recommend drinking the water that flows from the fountain, not the water that is stagnant under it.
However, it was this small water source that led to this sheltered area becoming a gathering place for hunters, shepherds, charcoal burners and hikers who even spent entire seasons around it at the beginning of the 20th century.
From that period comes the curious round table with a chessboard embedded in its center.
I can attest that the place is inviting to sit down:
We spent more than 3 hours by the Font de la Pola without noticing; eating and chatting in the shade while the children played at chasing lizards and hiding in caves and undergrowth.
Back to the parking lot of L'Alzina del Sal-lari
Going back? Go back the way you came. It's as easy as that 🙂 🙂
Itinerary 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: Pack whatever you feel like eating during the trip. Need some inspiration? Sandwiches, fruit, nuts, cookies...
- Water: the water from the fountain is potable, so 0.5-1 liter per person will suffice.
- Sun protection: part of the trail is uncovered (only a little), so bring sunglasses, hat, sunscreen...
- Clothing: light clothing and hiking shoes.
- Travel insurance: if you are not a resident in Europe and if you want to travel without worries, book your IATI travel insurance through this link and get a 5% discount. They offer customizable coverage according to your needs and will pay all medical expenses in advance if you let them know in advance. I no longer travel outside Europe without them..
Where to stay
Living near the natural park of Sant Llorenç i l'Obac, I am fortunate to be able to make roundtrips and return home at the end of the day.
Are you traveling?
Useful Links
- Hotel offers in the area.
- Flights to Barcelona: Trabber, eDreams, Momondo and Vueling.
- Get 5% off when you purchase travel insurance with IATI.
Hiking in Catalonia? Take a look at these one-day routes:
- Circular route through Montserrat: from the monastery to the top of Sant Jeroni.
- Montserrat route: funicular-Santa Magdalena-San Miquel-monastery.
- Salt del Salent circular route.
- Hiking route in the Alta Garrotxa: Beget-Rocabruna.
Do you have any suggestions for me about the natural park of Sant Llorenç i l'Obac? I'm all "eyes" for your comments 😉.