Montgrí Castle
- Difficulty : medium with some difficult sections
- Total loop of 4 km / 2,49 mi
- 260 m / 853,02 ft elevation change (positive and negative)
- Approx. 2hrs 40mins walk
A must-see in the area, Montgrí castle overlooks the massif from its limestone promontory. It offers spectacular views of the Empordà, with the Medes Islands opposite, Pals beach on one side and the Bay of Roses on the other. This is the most popular walk in the whole massif. To get there, I recommend parking at the Torroella de Montgrí car park (42.046515978180594, 3.127899552282864). The difficulty of this hike lies mainly in the slippery (and in places steep) terrain, which is why it's essential to be well equipped : hiking boots are compulsory (don't even think you can go there in tennis shoes...) and walking poles are recommended (they'll help you avoid falls).
I'd advise you to start by taking the path from the car park, which leads past three magnificent oratories. It climbs up to Coll de Santa Caterina. From here, you'll find the path on your right that leads up to the castle. It's possible to climb up to the castle: it's always open (so it's free) and there's a staircase that takes you up to the top floor. Once you've made your way up to the castle, take the left-hand path down to Coll d'en Garrigars. The descent is a little tricky, before you join a track until you reach a street in Torroella de Montgrí: don't panic, just walk down it until you reach the main road, and the car park will be on your right nearby.
If you're lucky, you'll come across the Iberian ibex, which made its home on these limestone cliffs after escaping from an animal park a long time ago. They form a small population of around 200 individuals, now totally wild. Although they are not shy animals, be careful not to get too close to them. Ibexes are reputed to tolerate human presence, but that doesn't mean they like to be approached. It's important to remember that these are wild animals, not domestic goats to be cuddled. So watch them, but keep your distance !
The Cairn of La Muntanya d'Ullà
- Difficulty : medium
- Round trip of 3.8 km / 2,36 mi in total
- 270 m / 885,83 ft elevation change (positive and negative)
- Approx. 2hrs 40mins walk
This hike is much less popular than the one to Montgrí castle, but offers magnificent views, particularly over the Ter valley. The start of the walk is the same as the one to the castle: leave from the Torroella de Montgrí car park and follow the path that passes the two oratories. Once you reach Coll de Santa Caterina, this time turn left to join Muntanya d'Ullà. The path is less well-marked in places than in others, and as with the castle (although it does not have such a difficult section), it is essential to be well equipped for this walk.
The summit is recognisable by its cairn decorated with Tibetan flags. From here, you can rest, meditate or do yoga overlooking the Ter valley. To return, simply retrace your steps to Coll de Santa Caterina and take the same path as on the outward journey. From here you'll come across the three oratories again, and be able to enjoy the magnificent view that was at your back the whole way. You'll arrive right at the car park where you left your car on the outward journey !
As with the castle, if you're lucky you may come across some Iberian ibex ! I strongly advise you to do it in winter so as not to suffer too much from the heat. As the massif is at a low altitude, you won't be able to enjoy the cool mountain air at the height of summer. What's more, as this is a massif with Mediterranean vegetation, you'll be able to enjoy "green" landscapes all year round, as well as coming across flowering plants full of foraging insects...
The Hermitage of Santa Caterina and the stone Orri
- Difficulty : medium
- 6.2 km / 3,85 mi loop
- 310 m / 1017 ft elevation change (positive and negative)
- Approx. 3h15 walk
If you want to walk longer in the massif and do a short loop, this is the ideal hike ! I loved doing it because it offers views of the Pyrenees (including the unmissable Canigó massif), the Empordà plain, the Ter valley, the Bay of Roses and, of course, the Medes islands. The walk starts from the Torroella de Montgrí car park, following the same path as the previous walks. Once you've reached Coll de Santa Caterina, take the path that continues straight on down to the Hermitage of Santa Caterina. You'll discover another facet of the massif, a little "wetter" than the south face from which you began the hike.
Once you reach Santa Caterina, cross the two car parks behind the Hermitage until you reach a path. From here, climb up to a small pass where a magnificent Orri awaits you. From here, take the path behind the Orri that climbs to the right to reach a small pass where you'll come across two paths: take the one that branches off to the right (otherwise you'll be heading back down the massif) to climb up to Montplà. You can either cross it in the middle, or take the small path on the left, which will give you a magnificent view of the Mediterranean and the Medes islands. Continue up to Coll d'en Garrigars, then take the path down to the left.
As with the hike to the château, the path will be a little rough at first, but you'll soon come to a track that leads to a street. Follow this until you reach the main road, then turn right to reach the car park where you started the walk. In spring, you'll be able to spot several species of orchid that take great pleasure in growing in this limestone soil. Keep your eyes peeled...
The hermitage of Santa Caterina
- Difficulty : easy to medium
- Round trip of 4 km / 2,49 mi in total
- 240 m / 787 ft elevation change (positive and negative)
- Approx. 2h30 walk
If you're not very fit (or don't have much time), you can make it as far as the Hermitage of Santa Caterina by simply walking there and back. It's an easy hike, but some parts of the path up to Coll de Santa Caterina are slippery. In itself, there are no notable difficulties on this walk, apart from the tricky terrain in certain places. For this reason, hiking boots are essential.
As with the other walks, you start from the car park in Torroella de Montgrí and continue as far as Coll de Santa Caterina. From here, take the path in front of you that leads down to the Hermitage. Once there, you can enjoy the on-site restaurant and the architecture of this Catalan heritage site. For the return journey, simply go in the opposite direction, taking care not to branch off onto the paths that go off to your right at certain points : they descend to another car park on the road leading to the Hermitage.
Enjoy a magnificent view of the Canigó massif, from a completely different angle to the one you're used to seeing from the Pyrénées-Orientales. Even from southern Catalonia, it can still be seen from just about anywhere, imposing its presence over the entire Pyrenees mountain range...
The Hermitage of Santa Caterina, the Stone Orri and Montgrí Castle
- Difficulty : moderate to difficult
- 6.5 km / 4,04 mi loop
- 400 m / 1312 ft elevation change(positive and negative)
- Approx. 3hrs 45mins walk
This loop takes in some of the massif's must-sees. The difficulty of this walk lies mainly in the slippery (and in places steep) terrain, particularly around the castle. As with the others, start from the Torroella de Montgrí car park and take the same path that passes the three oratories. Once you've reached Coll de Santa Caterina, take the path that continues straight on down to the Hermitage of Santa Caterina. From here, cross the two car parks behind the Hermitage until you reach a path. From here you have to climb back up to a small pass where you'll find the famous stone Orri.
Take the path behind the Orri, which climbs to the right, to reach a small pass where you'll come across two paths : take the one that branches off to the right (otherwise you'll be heading back down the massif) to climb up to Montplà. You can either cross it in the middle, or take the small path on the left, which will give you a magnificent view of the Mediterranean and the Medes islands. Continue on to Coll d'en Garrigars, and begin the tricky climb up to Montgrí castle. Once you've visited the castle, take the left-hand path down to Coll de Santa Caterina. Once you've reached the Coll, take the oratory path on the left back to the car park.
This is the loop that will give you the best views of the surrounding area. But be warned, the castle is very busy all year round. I therefore advise you to avoid weekends, public holidays, religious festivals and school holidays to avoid the crowds. You can also leave early in the morning to watch the sunrise. It's also possible to go to bed at night, but given the dangerous nature of the path leading to (and from) the castle, I wouldn't recommend it at night.
