Walk over the top of Cap de Creus

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The shade of Puig Alt (492 m).

We leave behind the El Pení military air base, along a wide track towards the shade of the Puig Alt mountain. The views are already wonderful, but get better and better.

The vegetation we see at the beginning will predominate along the entire route. A scrubland dominated by rockroses, gorse and heather, firstly the result of the abandonment of agricultural land and then later damaged by fires and grazing.

About 200 metres from the beginning there is another road to the left that leads down to a megalithic burial ground (700 m) where remains of cremation tombs of the Indo-European peoples of the 8th century BCE can be found.

Returning to the initial path, this continues to Puig Alt, a spot with fantastic 360º views. Opposite this point is the Cap de Norfeu, a place classified as a natural reserve of the Cap de Creus Natural Park, and with a great wealth of flora and fauna, both on land and under the sea. We are at the head of the Vall de Montjoi and we should note the rugged, steep and also very different landscape of this area.

Above these ridges is a good place to observe the migration of birds, heading north in the spring and south in the autumn.

Behind us we see the interior of the Cap de Creus: the Serra de Rodes and the Serra de la Verdera, then down to the bay of Port de la Selva (Amunt sea); to the north the Pyrenees from Freser-Setcases to the Canigó and the Albera mountains that descend to the sea behind Llançà. Much closer, there are the farmhouses of the Arbres and Can Causà beneath the Puig de l'Àliga itself.

The itinerary continues along the path skirting the Puig Alt and the Puig Rodó mountains on the shady side, making a turn of almost 360 degrees to face the Puig de l'Àliga. To the left is the Empordà plain and the bay and village of Roses. We arrive at the Vich spring, where there is a watering hole for cattle and a water fountain (which is not in operation). The landscape is now much more agricultural. Despite being abandoned, vineyard huts and dry stone terraces lie scattered about, blurred by a carpet of aromatic and flowering plants (lavender, cistus and rock rose). After passing the spring, continuing along the route, the path arrives at a junction located on the Can Caussa plain, with the farm that gives name to this plateau in the background. From this point, we have a view opposite to that of the Bay of Roses: the north slope of the Cap de Creus, with the Amunt Sea below.

Further on, we arrive at a small hollow or ditch, formerly populated by numerous trees that gave their name to the construction that we find here: the Arbres farmhouse.

Finally, we return to the starting point of the route, where we left our vehicles, having made a tour that allowed us to enjoy views of the north and south of Cap de Creus with all its beautiful scenery.