Isolated coves, impressive cliffs, beautiful beaches, natural parks, all punctuated by charming villages, these are the ingredients of the proposed circuits to walk on foot 200 kilometers from the coast of Costa Brava. A circuit to be completed in 10 stages combining round paths and hiking trails.
In Blanes today, the Costa Brava, the wild coast, owes its name to the very rugged aspect of this coastline whose cliffs plunge into the Mediterranean. And throughout these 200 km of coastline, it eats out the small coves surrounded by vegetation, rocky cliffs, but also the vast beaches of many with the blue flag. Not to mention the Rose Bay, which has been part of the world's most popular club of the World's Finest Bays since May 2011. If its first features are deep blue waters under a sky with tramontane, attached to very mild temperatures, you can also enjoy the variety of its natural spaces ranging from the sea to the mountains, from the wetlands to the lush vegetation of the Mediterranean coast. And in the green radius, we will certainly enjoy its natural parks, that of the Aiguamolls of Empurdan, the second wetland of Catalonia after the Ebro Delta and the place of privileged passage of migratory birds between Europe and Africa or the Montseny, declared a biosphere reserve by Unesco and signatory of the biosphere. the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism.
Cities and Villages
We already know the rosary of the charming small towns that encircle the coastline: Cadaqués, Begur, Calella de Palafrugell or Tossa de Mar, but this Costa also houses many villages located in the land but a few kilometers from the coast which, like Pals, Peratallada or Peralada, are the occasion to discover small medieval jewels. This is to say that the palette of discoveries is vast, since we will be going from the megalithic monuments of the bronze age to the works of the great painters of the twentieth century, such as Picasso, Derain or Matisse, and of course the child of the country Dalí. What better access to this wealth of resources and landscapes than hiking? This is a challenge that can be raised since this Costa Brava can be savored with small traps, in its entirety for the most active but also by sections for those who want to combine hiking and starving stops.
In the footsteps of past smugglers or on the GR
For this, two main paths are at your disposal, possibly combined. The first possible route, the round roads. Used once by smugglers and guards watching the coastline, these paths run along the Costa Brava calanques and cross the most emblematic places on the Girona coast. Today, they have been set up in walking paths in the middle of pine trees and offer stunning views of the calanques. From time to time you will cross a guet tower. In total the Itinerànnia trail network includes 2,500 km of marked itineraries.
The other major reference of the region's hiking is, of course, the GR -92. This medium-sized, moderate and low-difficulty trail travels across the coast of Gerorese, from the French border to the coast of Barcelona. Always following the coastline even if some sections dive inwards when urbanization or relief constrains it. At the key, there will always be magnificent views of the coves, villages, the Mediterranean or the preserved spaces from inside as it crosses natural spaces such as the Cap de Creus, the Aiguamolls Jalamolls Natural Park of Empurdà or Montgrí, the Medes Islands and Baix Ter. To note, part of its journey coincides with the round roads.
In total this path can be traveled in 10 steps, with an average length of 5 to 9 hours for twenty kilometers. Each is divided into sections, from 3 to 4 depending on the steps, each with a duration of 1 to 2 h. This allows the traveler to develop his circuit according to his shape or taste for a specific place. If you opt for the southern part of the circuit, the one that goes from Blanes to Pals, you will be immersed in the Costa Brava as named for the first time in 1908 by journalist Ferran Agulló, in view of the steep coasts on the coast. In the northern part, from the French border to the Torroella community of Montgrí, the landscape will be more wild, since it records the slopes of the Pyrenees. But it is also there that you will be able to land in Roses Bay, as the Greeks and Romans did, to conquest the Iberian Peninsula.
From France or Barcelona
Of course we can follow this path from France or from the Barcelona coast. Here are some examples of the discoveries that await you at the stages.
In 6 to 8 hours, the first stretch leading from Blanes to Tossa de Mar corresponds to the most urbanized part but has the advantage of being very well connected to Girona and Barcelona airports. And this will be an opportunity to discover the botanical gardens of Blanes, Marimurta, created by naturalist Karl Faust, in 1921 or the Pinya de Rosa.
The second stage will take you to Sant Feliu de Guíxols, a city surrounded by cliffs with multiple nuances of rose, which welcomes every year since 1962 a festival of music, theater and dance. A succession of sand coves and cliffs where the pinches are suspended will then lead you to Palamós, the main commercial port of the province, where you will be interested in testing pink shrimp, the great local specialty.
The stage leading up to Begur surely concentrates the greatest essence of the Costa Brava in the center and south, since its well-preserved landscapes look the most like the wild Mediterranean.
To go from Begur to Estartit, you will choose between a coastal circuit, passing through the Platja de Pals or the one from the inside, a little longer which allows to rally Pals and its historical part, El Pedró, one of the most important artistic ensembles of Catalonia. Next is the stage leading to the Escala, south of Roses Bay, where you will be able to visit the MAC-Empúries which houses two Greek archeological sites or to taste the local specialty, anchovy.
Almost completely flat, the next step will be the dream space for those who want to observe bird migrations as you cross the Aiguamolls Natural Park of the Empordà. The Roses - Cadaqués circuit will be marked by a sharp contrast between large urbanizations and also majestic cliffs, to arrive at the light and the special silhouette of Cadaqués. To Port de Selva, with the ninth stage, the time of the Cap de Creus, with the breathtaking and savage landscape, will be the place of the Dalí Museum in Portlligat. At the end of the trip, arriving in Portbou, you will also cross the coast of Balmeta, a half-moon full of coves and bays in which the Pyrenees are thrown.
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When is it? With mild temperatures, you can hike much of the year. Maybe excluding the summer bats for a long journey.
Go there. It can be started from the south of France by joining Portbou by train. For a start on the south side, you can go to Barcelona or Girona by train or plane.
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