Santa Pau: A Gateway to the Past in La Garrotxa

Close your eyes and imagine a medieval village surrounded by centuries-old forests and sleeping volcanoes.

You have probably visualized something very similar to Santa Pau, in the heart of the Garrotxa.

Fancy a trip back in time?

The Old Village of Santa Pau

Although the size of the original village has grown somewhat over time, the historic center of Santa Pau (the Old Village) remains intact within its walls.

I would say almost frozen in time. Or at least that is the feeling that invades you when you look at it from the viewpoint and you go into its silent gray stone streets.

The medieval tour is short but I am sure you will stop at every corner to admire:

• The views of the village from the Plaza del Mirador.
• The flowering arcades of the Plaza Mayor.
• The castle dominating the hill.
• Small metal sculptures scattered where you least expect them.

Every step is a delight.

My recommendation?

Stop by the information office and ask. They will be able to tell you how to enjoy Santa Pau and its surroundings in your own way.

That was just what I did. 👇

9 hiking trails from Santa Pau

If you like hiking, as soon as you enter the information office you will be amazed.

Behind the counter you will see a piece of furniture reminiscent of the open cabinets behind the counter in a post office. The only difference is that the recesses, instead of letters or packages, are filled with maps with hiking trails.

Some are short, others longer. Some leave from (and return to) Santa Pau, others connect towns in the Garrotxa region.

At that point you'll wish you had booked a week instead of two days for your getaway in the area 😉.

At the information office they will give you the map and the information you need about the ones you are most interested in, but here are some of the main routes around Santa Pau:

• R1 - La Fageda and volcanoes:
  • The most popular, which starts from the Joan Maragall trail in the Fageda d'en Jordá towards the Santa Margarida and Croscat volcanoes (10 km, 4 hours). 
• R3 - The route of the 2 castles, from Santa Pau to Colltort
  • It reaches what is considered the best viewpoint of the Garrotxa (12.5 km, 4.5 hours).
• R4 - From Santa Pau to the Rocanegra Volcano
  • The youngest volcano in the Garrotxa (1.77 km, 30 min).
• R5 - Ancient monk paths
  • Panoramic and intense itinerary (15.2 km, 5 hours).
• R7 - Route of the pools
  • In addition to visiting the pools near Santa Pau, it coincides for the most part with the route of the springs (R6) (8.1 km, 2.5 hours).
• R8 - Tour of the Fageda Fosca.
  • Access to the least known and most fascinating beech forest of the Garrotxa (6.1 km, 2 hours).
• R9 - Barons' lands.
  • Reach the impressive views of Finestres (12 km, 4.5 hours).

Now the hard part is choosing 😉.

Directions

By car

The Villa Vieja de Santa Pau is not accessible by car, but you will find parking at the entrance and exit of the village (or at your accommodation if you are lucky enough to spend the night in Santa Pau).

By bus

With the company Teisa you can reach Santa Pau and surroundings from cities like Barcelona, Girona or Figueres.

I leave the direct link to the company at the end of this post in case you want to calculate your route.

When to go

If you want to go hiking, the best time to visit the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park is spring (April, May and June).

In autumn it is usually very crowded and in the middle of summer the temperatures limit hiking hours to the early mornings.

Winter is also a good season: few hikers and no sweltering heat. However, you will depend more on the weather.

Where to stay

Santa Pau

You will find several charming accommodations in Santa Pau and surroundings.

We stayed on the outskirts of Santa Pau, in a beautiful villa with a private garden that we found on Airbnb. And we loved it! But it is no longer available for rent.

What I can recommend is to sleep in the surroundings of Santa Pau to enjoy the silence that reigns there at sunset.

Although I can also recommend you other options in the Garrotxa region

Bianca Valley

In 2019 we are staying at Masía del Puig.

To get there, I recommend that you 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 😉

South Garrotxa

The B&B La Rectoria de Sant Miquel de Pineda is hidden in a grove of trees in the south of the Garrotxa.

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.

Useful Links

• Teisa Buses.
• Accommodations in Santa Pau.
• Flights to Girona and Barcelona: Trabber, eDreams, Momondo and Vueling.
• Get 5% off when you purchase travel insurance with IATI.

If you are visiting the Garrotxa and the rest of Catalonia, here are other routes and destinations that may interest you:

• La Fageda d'en Jordà and the Joan Maragall trail.
• Climbing the volcano of Santa Margarida.
• Castellfollit de la Roca: the best panoramic point to its cliffs.
• Circular route Rupit - Salt del Salent.
• Follow in the footsteps of the smugglers: Beget - Rocabruna.
• Montserrat route: funicular-Santa Magdalena-San Miquel-monastery.
• Circular route through Montserrat: from the monastery to the top of Sant Jeroni.
• Hiking with the family to the Font de la Pola.
• Break your schemes in the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueras.

Map

Soon I will publish more posts about hiking routes and visits to the villages of the Garrotxa. If you want to be the first to know about them, sign up for the newsletter.

Curious about your experience in Santa Pau? Tell me about it in the comments.