Castell del Montgrí.
Vistes al Baix Empordà des del Castell del Montgrí.
Castell del Montgrí.
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MONTGRÍ CASTLE ROUTE

Route
10/06/2015
Index card

Introduction

History and scenery in the Montgrí Massif

The Montgrí Castle route, which is in the Montgrí, Medes Islands and Baix Ter Natural Park, shows you the best-known part of the Montgrí, where you can discover sites of great historical, archaeological and natural interest and enjoy the impressive 360 ° view of the Pyrenees and much of the Alt and Baix Empordà.

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  • Typology
    Linear
  • Difficulty
    Easy
  • Duration
    1 hour 10 minutes
  • Slope
    321.00 meters
  • Distance
    3.30 km
  • Theme
    Flora and fauna
    Architecture and environment
    Landscaping
  • Activity
    By foot
  • Rating

Slope graph

Description

History and scenery in the Montgrí Massif

Park in the car park provided by the council in the Horta d’en Quintana area and start the route on quiet roads in the old town of Torroella de Montgrí, where you can admire some of its old buildings. 

The route leaves the built-up area on a wide sandy track which climbs gently towards Montgrí castle. You walk amidst old crop fields, which are now abandoned, and flank a small wood of young Aleppo pines before reaching a slope covered with loose rocks known as el Pedrigolet, where the path is now narrower and more pleasant.

A few metres further on, dry-stone walls can still be seen alongside the path, evidence of the old agricultural exploitation of this location in the Montgrí Massif. 

The path from here is a bit steeper but is still pleasant. You will find three chapels – old Stations of the Cross from when the townsfolk would go up in procession to the Hermitage of Santa Caterina – where you can admire the plain of the Empordanet before reaching the Cross of Santa Caterina, located on the hill of the same name. From the Cross, there are views of the Hermitage of Santa Caterina and also to both sides of the hill.

From here, the ground becomes less steep for around a hundred metres before becoming steeper before it reaches the castle. In the area around Montgrí Castle, you can see some of the old quarries from which the stone for building the castle was extracted.

You can access the castle and its four towers, which offer excellent views of all of the Empordà, the plain of the Baix Ter, the gulf of Roses and the Medes Islands and the coast.

Head back to the starting point on the same path you took on the outward leg.

Tips

ROUTE

  • The route alternates between trails and fairly rocky paths without major difficulties.

WATER

  • Bring plenty of water, especially in summer.

PRECAUTIONS 

  • On the descent to Cala Pedrosa, the rocks are smooth and slippery, especially when wet.
  • Keep a close eye on children, especially when climbing the castle’s towers.
  • Respect people’s private property and the surroundings in general. You are in a Natural Park.
  • Take care not to twist your ankle on the rocky paths.

WEATHER

  • The coastal path can be unpleasant on days with strong wind.
  • Wear suitable clothing for the time of year and the weather forecast.

TERRAIN

  • In general, the stretches on trails are comfortable and the paths are rocky.

EQUIPMENT

  • Wear comfortable shoes with a good grip.
  • Protection from the sun or wind if necessary.
  • Camera.

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What is there

What to see in: MONTGRÍ CASTLE ROUTE

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GETTING KINDLING FROM OLIVE TREES

Point of interest
Flora
10/06/2015

​​​​​There are olive trees – no longer cultivated – on both sides of the path and we will take this opportunity to explain the old common tradition, now lost, of making kindling from olive trees. “In...

El Pedrigolet

Point of interest
Geology
10/06/2015

El Pedrigolet is the name given to this scree slope with small rocks at the foot of the Cau del Duc. The Cau del Duc is a cave created by water filtering water through the carbonate rock of the...

DRY STONE WALLS

Point of interest
Environment
10/06/2015

At this point on the route, you are alongside a series of dry-stone walls which demarcate the old terraces or plots dedicated to crops. These dry-stone walls scarp the slopes, forming terraces and...

CHAPELS

Point of interest
Architecture
10/06/2015

​​​​​You are now facing the second of three chapels you will find on the way to the cross. These chapels are dedicated to the rosary, although popular tradition attributes to them the role of early...

THE CROSS OF SANT CATERINA

Point of interest
Landscapes
10/06/2015

​​​​​You are now on the Coll de Caterina and the first thing you will notice is probably the Hermitage of Santa Caterina in the foreground.  The Hermitage of Santa Caterina, nestling in the middle of...

THE CASTLE’S QUARRIES

Point of interest
Geology
10/06/2015

​​​​The blocks used to make the castle are of the same carbonate rock that surrounds it and the stonemasons’ marks can still be made out, which has made it possible to locate the main quarries.

You...

MONTGRÍ CASTLE

Point of interest
Architecture
10/06/2015

​​​​​Montgrí Castle was built by order of King Jaume II at the end of the thirteenth century to fight the power of the Counts of Empúries and is still unfinished. Its construction was started by...

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What to see in: MONTGRÍ CASTLE ROUTE

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