Les valls de Tossa i Lloret des de la punta del menhir de Montllor
Tossa i les seves valls des de la punta del Montllor Petit
Vistes des del menhir de Montllor
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Megalithic route across Ardenya-Cadiretes

Route
18/06/2018
Index card

Introduction

Prehistoric monuments in Ardenya-Cadiretes

This circular itinerary leads us to discover the heights that surround the summits of Montagut and Cadiretes, starting from Sant Grau’s Sanctuary, passing through a good ridge between the megalithic monuments preserved in the prolific area, including the crown’s jewel (the top one) of the route, the Stone-over-the-other (“Pedra-sobre-altra”). Can you imagine why its named like this?

We appreciate the guidance, explanations and good work of Josep Santané, local guide of Tossa de Mar, during the fieldwork of the present route.

We recommend the Local Natura App to do this route. Download it for free here:

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  • Typology
    Anti-clockwise circular
  • Difficulty
    Easy
  • Duration
    3 hours
  • Slope
    200.00 meters
  • Distance
    10.50 km
  • Theme
    Geologia
    Architecture and environment
    Others
  • Activity
    By foot
  • Rating

Slope graph

Description

Prehistoric monuments in Ardenya-Cadiretes

After climbing to Sant Grau’s sanctuary, whether we have arrived from the coast, between Tossa and Sant Feliu de Guíxols, or from the interior, from Llagostera, the itinerary begins directly in front of the entrance enclosure of the farmhouse attached to the religious building, which serves as a bar-restaurant.

As soon as we leave the sanctuary along the road, we will continue briefly in the direction of Llagostera, we will take the pilgrims’ path, a wise and flat path embedded within pines and cork oaks, flanking the slopes of the hill and Montagut’s Castle, will take us up to the runes of Cabanyes de Montagut, where we will find the first two prehistoric stones of the day, a “paradolmen” and the so-called Sacrifices’ stone.

We will go back up, along the track and the path that allows us to almost reach Montagut’s Castle, this time, to go to the area of Cadiretes and Montllor, passing first next to Llach’s menhir to the Pla de ses Pinyaques, from the top of the hill, you can finish climbing it, but it is optinal and out of the route, as we have it next to us. We, however, continue to concentrate on the megaliths, with a great presence of cork oaks, or simply “suros”, as they call them here.

From Pla de ses Pinyaques we will head to the area of the hillocks of Montllor, with large and profiled views to the valley of Tossa’s stream, where we can also have a look at the paradolms of Garcia and Reig, and the paradolmen of Ses Rates, just next to the plain of Ses Armes’ Square and Montllor Petit’s hill.

Now we will need to surround the thick Montotor basement to its other side, also with good views and with the presence of the menhir of Montllor, from where we go back and beyond the Pla de ses Pinyaques, where we will go directly to see the crown’s jewel; the megalithic monuments of the massif, “La Pedra-sobre-altra” - on top of it, a prehistoric intervention made at the base of a capricious geological formation that will not leave us indifferent. Enjoy it, as the itinerary will be reaching its last steps till the return to Sant Grau’s Sanctuary.

Tips

TRACK

  • The track is stable, along roads, tracks, carriageways, and some embossed trail, with no difficulty.
  • Rate its length. 

WATER

  • We will not find any drinking water points throughout the route. Take a full water bottle from the beginning.

PRECAUTIONS

  • We do not recommend climbing over the megalithic monuments, both for its instability and the monument itself. Keep an eye on children.
  • Be careful with the adherent surfaces with the presence of sand since they can make you slip.
  • Long itinerary, you must be used to walking.

WEATHER

  • It can be done at any time of the year.
  • Some sections of the route offer little shade. Protect yourself well from the sun.

PATH

  • In some walkways, the effects of the sand erosion of the sauló, which is so characteristic of these mountains, can be very slippery.

MATERIAL

  • Walking sticks can help us in this route.
  • Camera.

OTHER EQUIPMENT

  • In the Sant Grau’s sanctuary there is a bar-restaurant service at weekends and festive periods. In any case, call before going to make sure it is open.

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What is there

What to see in: Megalithic route across Ardenya-Cadiretes

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Cork oaks

Point of interest
Environment
21/06/2018

The most common tree of the Ardenya-Cadiretes massif is the cork oak (Quercus suber L.), or, simply, cork “suro”, according to the area's speech. From this tree, the cork is extracted, since it is its...

Menhir d’en Llach

Point of interest
Architecture
18/06/2018

A menhir is a simple megalithic monument (from Greek, mega = large, and lithos = stone), consisting of a large block of stone lengthened and planted vertically on the ground. In Catalonia they are...

Sauló

Point of interest
Geology
21/06/2018

One of the most visible geological phenomena in the area is the part of the subsoil, formed by a geological substrate of granites that, in certain environmental and hydrological conditions, decompose...

Garcia’s Paradolmen

Point of interest
Architecture
18/06/2018

Along the itinerary we will see up to six paradolms. But, do you know the difference between a paradolmen and a dolmen on its own? The paradolmen, unlike the dolmen, is not properly a human...

Reig’s Paradolmen

Point of interest
Architecture
18/06/2018

To the left of the path we can see the structure of Reig’s paradolmen.

The function of a paradolmen or dolmen was usually funeral based, basically the place where members of prehistoric communities...

Rates’ Paradolmen

Point of interest
Architecture
18/06/2018

Known from a long time ago by the people of the area, it was not scientifically confirmed until 1992 by Josep Tarrús and Júlia Chinchilla, once affected by several clandestine excavations that...

Montllor’s Menhir

Point of interest
Architecture
18/06/2018

Identified by Esteve Fa and Tolsanes in 1979.

It is an anthropomorphic granite megalith (person shaped) of a single piece, with a sharp recess at the center of its noon profile. On the eastern side...

Senglars’ Dolmen

Point of interest
Architecture
18/06/2018

This paradolmen was discovered by scholars of Llagostera in the 1980s.

It is a possible tomb chamber taking advantage of two large erratic granite blocks. Its inner amide ,4 m in length, for almost 2m...

Pedra-sobre-altra

Point of interest
Architecture
18/06/2018

Considered the most important megalithic monument in the Ardenya-Cadiretes area.

Identified by Esteve Fa and Tolsanes, performing a first excavation in 1977 and 1978, and officially excavated in 1979...

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Ruta molt maca molt recomenable.
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