Rupit - Santuari de la Salut

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Sanctuary “de la Salut” (Sanctuary of Health), a viewpoint to “La Garrotxa”.

We leave Rupit from the upper side and after seeing the “Ajats” cliffs and passing through “Mas Corriol”, surrounded by large ash trees, we arrive to “La Fontana2, where we will see several trees such as Indian chestnut, pines, lime trees and some large leaf oaks just in front of the entrance.

The red pine now dominates the forest with aquiline fern. We continue along the small ridge towards “Mas de Llorà”. Before the pastures that surround the farm, we cross a ‘young’ forest of oaks with buxus and ivy where you will find strawberries, sprinkled with some birch and some beech. The “Casassa” plain opens up to the plains of “Aiats”, “Mateus’” cliffs, “Sierra del Grau”, etc. Before the asphalt, we find white maples and hazelnuts.

When you reach “La Devesa”, we cross the road and observe the different vegetation on both sides. Oaks on one side and beech on the other. We enter the left track along the “Riera de Papalló” upwards. There are some very photogenic corners and we find plenty of baby frogs.

A young beech with buxus dominates, operated alternating with pasture meadows. It's easy to surprise some roe deer. We find a group of trees that look like fir trees, they are pies planted for forestal purposes.

From now on a slight climb will take us to the “Coll” lake. The forest will vary between oak, beech or birch depending on sun exposure and humidity. These birch trees seem to be favored by humans occupying the place of beech. The open pasture fields alternate with these young tree forests. The birch surrounding the pond is grazed below. This causes the shrub layer to be quite poor.

We hear the black wood peckers and see some forest raptors such as sparrow-hawk and buzzard vesper.

The “Coll” Lake, an old trough point for livestock, now recovered, can be seen in the water, the rushes around it and inside are representative amphibians such as the tritons or the red frog, where they find shelter.

Lets go now to the “Santuari de la Salud” where we will enjoy spectacular views of the canopy of beech trees; of the nearby valleys of “Hostoles” and “Bas”, as well as the southern mountain ranges of “La Garrotxa”.

We will cross the beech, we will feel the sensation of being lost until we return to the “Pla d’Armadans”, where along a path bordered by fields and under birches and oaks we will reach the corner of the "enchanted rocks". If the mist is present, magic is guaranteed.