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Granite sculptures itinerary

Route
19/05/2014
Index card

Introduction

Granite sculptures itinerary. Towers, boulders, dolmens and caves.

A comprehensive, pretty itinerary which takes us deep into the coastal mountains amongst cork oak forests. We discover unique granite rock formations along the way which, apart from their geological value, add great aesthetic value in the way they combine with the vegetation.

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  • Typology
    Time Circular
  • Difficulty
    Median
  • Duration
    3 hours 45 minutes
  • Slope
    415.00 meters
  • Distance
    10.30 km
  • Theme
    Flora and fauna
    Geologia
    Landscaping
  • Activity
    By foot
  • Rating

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Description

Granite sculptures itinerary. Towers, boulders, dolmens and caves.

We come out of the same side of the village, through the Mascanada area and the Les Comes stream which we'll soon leave behind to climb up between maritime pines, stone pines and cork oaks in the direction of the Pico de Can Toni. The remnants of the forest gradually alter and give way to the streams with hazelnut trees and ferns which form a contrast with the dryness of the surrounding brush.

We pass by the abandoned Can Miralls farmhouse where we find a spectacular stone pine.  We start to walk around the Pico de Can Toni and before reaching the Portes hill, we enter a pretty cork oak grove with small trees that grow in fine soil amongst granite boulders. 

In front of us, the d'Cirera coast, where we will now go up in the direction of the Pico Gros antennas. We already start to see the first stone castles.

After the Portes and the Pla de Ses Mòdeques, in a paved section of the path, we find a sign that tells us we are on a Roman path. Now a section starts that goes to the top of the Pico Gros, difficult and complicated to walk up, where we will have to take great care.

We pass underneath cork oaks and heather; through clearings with juniper, rock-rose and rosemary bushes. We find the odd window that allows us to see through to the Mediterranean and the village of Sant Feliu de Guíxols. During the ascent, we find some of the itinerary's rock formations: the d'en Cirera cave, the Águila cave and the Àguila stone.

Coming down from the Pico Gros, we enjoy fantastic views of the Canigó massif, skirting the Ullada Stone. We reach the Mare de Déu hill and from here, if we want and if we have any energy left, we can climb up to Pico Romaguer (or Pico del Águila) in around ten minutes.

We will come down following the Les Mànegues stream (a tributary of the Les Comes stream) 

It's worth taking a closer look at the Tres Fonts fountain, (there's normally no water flowing), as it's also interesting to see some of the caves, tombs from the megalithic past and the Can Assols cave.

After descending for some time, first along pretty, dense paths and then along a track between cork oaks, we again reach the Les Comes stream. In this case, the vegetation of the riverbank (hazelnut trees, ash trees and oaks) forms a contrast with the dry forests that have accompanied us along the top part of the mountain range.

 

Tips

TRAÇAT

  •  A causa dels molts elements rocosos a visitar, el temps total serà molt superior al normal.
  • No seguiu cap dels diferents senyals que anem trobant pel camí.
  • Combinem camí forestal amb viaranys o corriols de mal caminar. Tant de pujada com de baixada.
  • El tram que va del POi del Camí Romà fins dalt el Puig Gros, requereix habilitat en seguiment de fites, ja que el GPS perd precisió i només serveix per verificar la direcció que portem. Difícilment us marcarà la posició just sobre la línia del track. En aquest moment, heu de seguir les fites (piles) de pedres i marques de color blanc. Hi ha fortes pujades i baixades però són curtes.
  • Si a Coll de Portes no us trobeu bé, podeu tornar a Sant Feliu direcció la Riera de les Comes. Si no, a sota mateix, teniu la carretera on us poden venir a buscar.

AIGUA

  • Les fonts que trobem normalment no ragen.
  • Porteu aigua suficient.

PRECAUCIONS

  • Heu d’estar habituats a caminar per muntanya. Valoreu el vostre estat físic.
  • Si us desorienteu, torneu al últim punt conegut.
  • Als trams de corriols, no us capfiqueu en anar sobre la línia del track. Només verifiqueu la direcció.
  • Precaució en enfilar-se als elements rocosos. Algunes pedres, no tenen una estabilitat total (penseu que la pedra cavallera de Pedralta va caure).
  • Vigileu els més petits quan arribeu a un castell de pedres.
  • Respecteu aquests elements i el seu entorn. Compleixen una funció pedagògica i tenen valor paisatgístic, geològic i botànic. Alhora, alguns són patrimoni cultural megalític.

METEO

  • Assegureu un dia estable.
  • El recorregut és prou llarg perquè hi hagi canvi de temps.
  • A les parts altes del Puig Gros bufa fort vent.
  • Si ho feu havent plogut, quedareu xops igual perquè la vegetació us mullarà.

TERRENY

  • És fàcil de relliscar pel sauló o patir tortes de peu als corriols pedregosos.
  • Si ha plogut, aneu molt amb compte amb les relliscades. (roques i arrels)

MATERIAL

  • Calçat còmode i resistent. Millor si té sola adherent.
  • Aigua suficient i alguna cosa per anar menjant. Podeu fer un àpat més complet a la font dels tres raigs.
  • Un mapa de la zona per ubicar-vos millor.
  • Màquina de fer fotos.

ALTRES EQUIPAMENTS

  • Si us documenteu, segur que poden trobar altres elements granítics per visitar, propers a l’itinerari.
  • Del Coll de la Mare de Déu podeu pujar en 15’ al mirador del Puig de l’Àliga o Romaguer.
  • Passareu prop d’un Parc d’Aventura, (Coll de Portes)
  • A la font dels 3 raigs hi ha una taula per seure a l’ombra.
  • Els trams de camí romà, estan senyalitzats.

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What is there

What to see in: Granite sculptures itinerary

Es mostren 1 - 17 de 17

Windmill

Point of interest
Environment
19/05/2014

We are now in the Mascanada area, where the Les Comes stream passes through. The abundant groundwater was used for various fountains, mines, wells and windmills. The numerous farmhouses and irrigation...

Heather

Point of interest
Flora
19/05/2014

(Erica Arborea). This bush with small, persistent leaves flowers abundantly from March to July in a white-pink colour and can grow up to 4 metres tall. It will accompany us along nearly all of the...

Pine forests

Point of interest
Flora
19/05/2014

Look around you. Apart from scattered cork oaks, we can see a lot of pines and other wide-leaved trees inside the stream. Not all the pines are the same. Just in the middle of the line, below us, we...

Cork oak bark

Point of interest
Environment
19/05/2014

One of the typical, centuries-old uses for these forests was the extraction of cork bark from the trees. The wider the tree, the larger and more valuable the planks obtained. Every 9 years, at the...

Cork oak

Point of interest
Flora
19/05/2014

We are going around the bottom of the Pico Boer, in the direction of Portes hill. This is called the "Barranco" path as we are walking above a quarry from which a large amount of the rock used to...

Roman paved road

Point of interest
Environment
19/05/2014

We find ourselves on one of the oldest paths of which there is written reference, popularly known as "the Roman path". It was busy and was used to link the coast and the inland part of Sant Grau d...

D'en Cirera Cave

Point of interest
Geology
19/05/2014

This granite rock was excavated in March of 1984 when bone fragments and a vase containing a mucronate species were found. This is a natural cave, which has been modified with a megalithic-type...

Águila Cave

Point of interest
Geology
19/05/2014

It seems this cave may also have served as shelter for early settlers, it had a funeral and Neolithic nature. Bones and pieces of ceramic and even arrow heads made of flint have been found.

 

Águila Stone

Point of interest
Geology
19/05/2014

We find ourselves in front of another unique granite structure. The surface erosion of the Ardenya-Cadiretes massif over thousands of years has left some hard parts exposed and therefore subject to...

Puig Gros, 325m

Point of interest
Landscapes
19/05/2014

A natural vantage point 325m high. This is one of the tallest of this sector of the massif. When the vegetation allows, we have 360º views.  Vall d’Aro, Gavarres, Pirineo Oriental, the inland part of...

Ullada Rock

Point of interest
Geology
19/05/2014

Just before we start to go down, to our right, over a small block, we can see stone walls that appear to have been used as protection during the civil war. A machine gun nest used to defend Sant Feliu...

The Three Fountains

Point of interest
Environment
19/05/2014

Built by Albert Gironés in 1992 and also restored by him in 2001, as commissioned by the town hall. A small mine collected the water that was channelled through a pipe. You're less and less likely to...

D’Bosch Cave

Point of interest
Geology
19/05/2014

In the past it was important for the people who used and lived off the forest to give names to unique places and elements to find their way and have references for said places. That's why it's...

Las Ollas Hut

Point of interest
Architecture
19/05/2014

This hut served as shelter from the sun and rain, to keep tools and food in for the loggers who carried out tasks and had to be there all day, or for days, away from home. Shepherds also used it when...

Can Assols Cave

Point of interest
Geology
19/05/2014

Again, we find a cave which served as a tomb thanks to megalithic techniques. The fact that natural caves were used with just a few stones placed at the entrance or limiting the space leads us to...

Pool

Point of interest
Environment
19/05/2014

After the walk we've done, you can imagine the importance of water in the Ardenya-Cadiretes massif. This pool is a refuge for all types of fauna, both vertebrate and invertebrate. You just need to...

Les Comes stream

Point of interest
Flora
19/05/2014

We reach the stream's area of influence. A fresh, humid environment that once again contrasts with all that we've seen so far on the walk in the massif. To our left, the vegetation with wide...

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Rating
/5
1 vote
80%
Ratings with comments Publish rating

Hem fet la ruta avui amb una amiga i el meu gos i ens ha encantat. A la part de les pedres ens hem trobat al mig de la vegetació sense pista i ens ha costat una mica, però també ha estat molt divertit. L'aconsellem només a gent a qui li agradi l'aventura, en bona forma física i sense por de perdre's. I d'anar-hi amb sabates bones perquè sí la baixada rellisca. Repetirem!

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What to see in: Granite sculptures itinerary

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