Explore Catalonia on foot: circular hiking route Rupit - Salt del Sallent

From a fairytale village to the foot of a 115-meter high waterfall, are you coming on a trekking trip to Barcelona?

The hiking route Rupit - Salt del Sallent is one of those routes that you can adapt to all audiences and tastes:

From families with small children to mountaineers with a mountain goat complex 😉.

Which group are you most like?

Technical specifications

• Difficulty: Moderate.
• Distance: 12.5 km.  
• Travel time: 3.5 hours (almost 6 hours including 300 photos and stops for lunch).
• Elevation gain: 300 m (1545 m accumulated in total).
• Start: Parking in Rupit.
• End: Parking in Rupit.
• Date of realization (photographs): December, 2018 and March, 2019.

Where to park

You can leave your car in the parking lot of Rupit for only 3€ per day. I have marked the place on the map at the end of this post.

It has free public restrooms and you will find the information office right next to the machine to pay the ticket.

Details of the circular route to Salt del Sallent

From the suspension bridge to the river

As you leave the parking lot and head towards town you will see the suspension bridge sign on your left.

Even if it moves a little at your pace, it is safe. However, I recommend that you follow the "maximum of 10 people at a time" instructions .

On weekends this can be difficult as most tourists stop in the middle of the bridge to take pictures.

Continue to the right along Carrer de l'Església and follow the signs to Salt del Sallent when you reach the square (this time on the left).

A few steps later you will see a downhill ramp on your right and some stairs that seem to go under a building on your left: take the stairs, the slope will be your way back.

After walking a few minutes leaving the town behind you (turn around, the views are worth it) you will reach a second set of stairs that go down to the left. Although there is no sign, take them.

They take you straight to the river and from there you will only have to continue along the path that follows its course.

Salt del Molì and Sabaters

Before reaching the Salt de Sallent you will find two small waterfalls, Salt del Molì and Salt de Sabaters.

The latter, besides being especially photogenic, has a nearby fountain, the Pomareda fountain, perfect for refilling your canteen or reusable water bottle.

Salt del Sallent

About 2.5 kilometers after leaving the parking lot, you will reach the top of the Sallent waterfall.

If you continue a little way up to the lookout point and you are lucky (i.e. not hidden by a fog that looks like something out of a Stephen King novel) you will see this marvel:

A waterfall cascading over the strata of a stone cliff 115 meters high and who knows how many centuries of sedimentation.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

Make sure you get to the official lookout: if you don't have a metal railing protecting you and you don't get to see the base of the waterfall from your perspective, it means you haven't arrived yet. Keep walking 😉

Descent to the base of the waterfall

Attention:

The walk here has been easy (unless it has rained a lot, in which case the ground becomes quite slippery).

However, this out-and-back section (which you can skip) is difficult and very steep.

If you want to get to the base of the waterfall follow the open path in the grass that starts shortly after the viewpoint. I have marked it on the map at the end of this post.

The 140-meter descent in less than 1 kilometer is a bit tricky, so don't attempt it if you suffer from knee pain or have difficulty walking.

But if you get there... wow!

Impressive, isn't it?

The cliffs

When you manage to climb back up to the initial level, i.e. over the cliffs and not under them, you can walk along the dirt path that leads away to the left of the waterfall.

Although we didn't continue much further, we took the opportunity to get off the route and enjoy a well-deserved lunch with a view after the previous climb 😉.

Church of Sant Joan de Fabregas

After the break we return to the top of the Salt del Sallent and take the opposite road to start the return...

Only this return was full of joys to behold.

As you move away from the waterfall, it is worth turning around to admire the stone ravine from this side. There is a very clear viewpoint that does not go unnoticed, you will see.

And after taking a right turn you will see a detour to the church of Sant Joan de Fabregas.

It's only a few meters but if you feel like having a coffee or lunch at the panoramic terrace of the restaurant next to it, La rectoría, it's worth the walk 😉.

El mirador dels Bassis

Shortly after the previous intersection, once on the main road you will see a dirt and stone rise on your right.

Fancy playing the mountain goat a little longer? Then take this detour.

It is true that following the main road you will return to Rupit without problems, but you would miss one of the most beautiful perspectives of the whole route: the viewpoint dels Bassis.

This climb is not as hard as the one that led to the base of the waterfall and also passes by a couple of anthropomorphic tombs carved into the rock.

But, as I said, the good things come at the top:

Gullies cut out on both sides occupying your entire field of vision and leaving you with that feeling that no matter how many pictures you have taken, you have to take one more just in case you haven't captured the grandeur of this panorama.

Impressive is an understatement. You have to be there to see it. Seriously.

Magdalena Church

The descent to the main road is smoother than the ascent, as it runs without many obstacles along a wooded dirt path.

I am sure that in the middle of summer it is a glory, although it is a bit annoying to see the picturesque perspective offered by this part of the route over Rupit cut by a thousand branches and trunks.

You can't have it all 😉 😉.

Shortly after reaching the main road there is a well-marked detour to the church of La Magdalena, which allows you to take pictures of the medieval village at your leisure.

Return to Rupit

If you continue down the path from the church of La Magdalena to the river, you will reach another bridge that connects with the slope you left on your right when you started the tour.

Thirsty? You'll find fountains on Church Street and in the playground in front of the parking lot.

Of course, don't forget to walk around Rupit for a while and breathe its charm before leaving.

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: unless you have planned to eat at the Rectory, the restaurant next to the church of Sant Joan de Fabregas, I recommend you bring sandwiches, fruit, dried fruits...
• Water: you will find drinking water at several points in Rupit and along the way at the Pomareda fountain, but I recommend carrying at least half a liter of water per person (better one).
• 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

After such a hike you deserve to rest in a hotel like this: the B&B La Rectoria de Sant Miquel de Pineda. B&B La Rectoria de Sant Miquel de Pineda.

It is hidden in a grove of trees in the south of the Garrotxa, 36 minutes drive from Rupit (29 km).

This rural hotel treasure goes completely unnoticed when you drive along the road linking San Esteban d'en Bas with San Felíu de Pallarols. What's more, you're likely to skip the entrance if you don't pay attention.

Why did I like it so much?

• They offer delicious dinners, lunches and breakfasts with local seasonal products. Raw milk cheeses, tomatoes with tomato flavor, homemade sausages... even homemade ice cream!
• They use ecological shower gel and shampoo so nice that I felt like taking several showers in a row (which I didn't do to support the energy saving nature of the accommodation).
• It is small, charming and quiet at night. It joins this to a bed where it gave glory to sleep and it only lacks a lit fireplace to reach perfection... Wait, wait a minute, it also had that 😉.
• The couple that runs it is charming. They reminded me a lot of the owners of a farmhouse where we used to escape every 2×3 years ago... That kind of people that make you feel at home.

We didn't have time to do the bike route on the greenway that passes by their front door or try the outdoor pool they have in the garden (despite the nice weather in March 2019).

So we already have a couple of excuses to come back 😉.

One night with half board (breakfast and dinner included) cost us 158€. And seeing how good the food was, next time I'll book full board.

Sustainable tourism in the Garrotxa

Do you know how I found 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 recommended me places like the B&B La Rectoría de Sant Miquel. I could not have chosen it better.

Want to take a rural and sustainable getaway in Catalonia designed just for you? Ask Cristina 😉 😉.

Useful Links

• 5% discount when you take out your adventure travel insurance with IATI.
• B&B La Rectory of Sant Miquel de Pineda.
• Hotel offers in Rupit.
• Flights to Catalonia: Trabber, eDreams, Momondo and Vueling.
• 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.
• Hiking route in the Alta Garrotxa: Beget-Rocabruna.
• Break your schemes in the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueras.

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