“Blessed are the curious, for they shall have adventures”.
– Lovelle Drachman
After 55 days, reaching the Cap de Creus peninsula and making our way to the end point of the trail.
Entering our final week on the trail, we had already begun our descent into the Catalonia foothills towards the Mediterranean Sea. With the scenery changing by day, we were now walking through unspoiled countryside and beautifully preserved medieval villages, surrounded by vast vineyards and flourishing olive groves, the arid feel of the landscape now distinctly Mediterranean. With approximately 150 kilometres left to reach the coast, would our last few days throw up any major disruptions or would it be plain sailing all the way to the Med?
Day 50 – ‘Fair Weather Hikers’ Friday 20th September, 2019, Bassegoda Park Campsite, Albanya to Hotel Puerta de Espania, La Jonquera, GR11, GR2, 15km
Under the shade of the trees, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and relaxed morning at Bassegoda Park. We had planned on leaving the campsite by 10am, but having brewed a second cup of tea it was nearer 11am before we were finally sorted and ready to go – much like always. With less than a week to go to the finish, it was clearly apparent that we would never change a habit of a lifetime!
Our final job before setting off was to check the weather forecast for the week ahead whilst we still had decent WiFi and it was a good job that we did. The forecast for tomorrow was dire. We could expect torrential rain from 9am in the morning until at least 8pm at night. This close to the finish, we didn’t want to be hiking all day in heavy rain, especially as wild camps were becoming increasingly difficult to find the closer we were getting to civilisation. So being as adaptable as ever, we immediately made new plans and revised our route.
Instead of today following the GR11 north to the town of Macanet de Cabrenys, then continuing on to the larger border town of La Jonquera tomorrow, we decided to double up two stages and push on to La Jonquera today. We would then be able to secure ourselves a hotel for two nights and thereby avoid walking in the heavy rain tomorrow, whilst keeping to our finish date.
With the formulation of this new plan, we then decided to simplify our route and miss out Macanet de Cabrenys altogether. Why walk north, when ultimately we were heading east to the coast? Knowing that Catalonia has an excellent network of walking trails that for the most-part are signposted and well way-marked, we decided to take advantage of this and jump onto the GR2. Marked with the customary white and red paint flashes that we had followed all the way from the Atlantic coast, the GR2 trail would afford us a much more direct route to La Jonquera. Saving us time by shaving off a few miles but still walking towards the Mediterranean – our end goal, it was simply an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. This was especially so as we weren’t being purists and following a set route, but instead had been making our own Pyrenees traverse by switching between a series of trails, much as Alfred Wainwright had encouraged hikers to do with his merely suggested ‘Coast to Coast’ route across the UK back in 1973.
The impending weather wasn’t our only dilemma however. Completely out of food rations when leaving camp, we were relying on there being a shop at the village of Albanyà a kilometre down the road so that we could resupply. After reaching the village and having a look round, then realising that the shop no longer existed, we were even happier that we would be reaching La Jonquera today as it solved our resupply problem too! It wasn’t quite as easy as that though. In order to reach the GR2, we first had a long 10 kilometre road walk ahead of us from Albanyà to the village of Terrades where we could pick up the trail.
Leaving the Dark Skies Park of Bassegoda and heading to the nearby village of Albanyà.
By now it was already midday, so we set off from Albanyà as has become the norm on this trail during the hottest part of the day! The one good thing about road walking is that we can walk fast and cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. As there were distance markers at every kilometre, we knew were walking one kilometre every ten minutes, which is an excellent pace. With only the occasional car passing by, we were thankful it wasn’t a busy road and we had no expectation of getting a hitch anyway based on our previous road-walking in Spain. (It is very different to the USA where trail angels actively scour the roads to offer weary hikers a ride to town.) However, we were pleasantly surprised 3 kilometres later when a Dutch retired couple pulled up and offered us a lift. We explained that we were walking to Terrades and they graciously said they would drive us the rest of the way. We were extremely grateful of their offer as ten minutes later we had arrived, which saved us at least another hour of powering out the miles on hot tarmac.
Wandering the deserted streets of Albanyà. There were yellow ribbons throughout the village showing support for Catalan independence.
Following a signpost and joining the GR2, which was at this particular point in time undergoing some maintenance by way of a ‘Trail Crew’ strimming back the overgrown bushes, we headed off along a stony track. This led us through a large area of open scrubland with views of the surrounding wooded hills, which despite being covered in thickets of green vegetation looked distinctly arid.
Passing through the small town of Boadella a while later, we stopped for a snack break utilising a bench on a street corner. We then criss-crossed between farmland and vineyards, as well as a few olive groves before reaching the tiny hamlet of L’Estrada. As with every settlement in Spain, the Placa Major or central square next to the church offered us some respite from the sun, with seating under a leafy area and a much-needed water point. The trail today had been considerably dryer than what we were used to and it was now what we had come to expect for the final 50 or so miles to the coast.
After an unexpected ride to the town of Terrades, we quickly joined the GR2 trail that would take us directly to the border town of La Jonquera later that day.
Heading east along a stony track.
It was refreshing to walk in the shade of the trees after our earlier road walking in the hot sun.
Looking east to the hills surrounding La Jonquera. Situated in the middle of a fertile plain and following the line of the southern crest of the Pyrenees, the town is right on the border between France and Spain.
A statue in the town of Boadella.
Olives growing beside the trail. Olive trees together with deciduous cork trees are typical of the Mediterranean.
Passing farm buildings and houses was now a much more frequent occurrence making wild camping an even greater challenge. Hence, our decision to get a hotel in La Jonquera, which would also be a safe haven during the torrential rain that was to come.
The cork oak forests of Spain and Portugal produce 80% of the world’s cork production. Harvested by hand on a sustainable basis as the bark grows back after each harvesting, the cork oak is known to have been used to seal containers by both the Greeks and the Romans.
Reaching the tiny hamlet of L’Estrada where we took a rest stop in the central square.
Pushing on towards La Jonquera, we could see the sprawling town nestled in the foothills from afar, but reaching it was a combination of road walking and using an underpass to take us below the extremely busy border crossing that was being heavily policed. As a major road linking France and Spain, there was heavy industrial traffic in addition to the long line of consumers from France driving across the border into Spain to take advantage of the cheap alcohol and household goods on sale in numerous large ‘cash and carry’ style supermarkets lining the main thoroughfare.
Signage along the GR2 trail.
Vineyards surrounding La Jonquera. Spain is one of the world’s largest producers of wine. In terms of vineyard area, Spain has the highest amount in the world – almost one million hectares (2.4 million acres).
The mountainous orography of the country and its sheer extension result in an amazing variety of wine styles. Having sampled it at several places along the trail, our current favourite is the ‘Cune Rioja Crianza’.
We faced another long road walk directly into La Jonquera.
With it being such a busy place and a popular overnight stop, we could take advantage of the competitive prices both in terms of accommodation and food. We were able to make a hotel reservation online for only €55 per night for a double, ensuite room at the Hotel Puerta de España located at the northern end of town and it just so happened that we discovered an all-you-can-eat Mediterranean style buffet restaurant directly across the road from the hotel! At €17 per person, inclusive of alcoholic drinks (beer, wine and cava all included), we couldn’t resist! Doubling up the next two stages to push on to La Jonquera was already proving to be an excellent plan. With the heavy rain now imminent, securing ourselves a safe haven from the rain and giving ourselves two nights to take advantage of such great prices in our opinion put us in a win-win situation!
Arriving at the hotel just after 5pm, we showered before making a priority visit to the supermarket. The extensive store had everything we could possibly want with two exceptions. It didn’t sell Coleman style screw top camping gas, (we didn’t expect it to but we always live in hope), and neither did it sell packet tuna. The little grocery store in Andorra is still the only place we’ve found it! But still – they had the widest selection of wines and spirits we’ve ever seen – it’s just a shame we couldn’t take one of the giant 5 litre bottles home on the plane with us!
Nursing a giant bottle of Jameson’s whiskey!
Enjoying the all-you-can eat and all-you-can-drink buffet restaurant located across the road from the hotel! It was help yourself, free pour – clearly they hadn’t had many Brits through these parts.
Our all-you-can-eat dinner completely stuffed us as there was just so much choice, we sampled far more than we should. Needless to say, we couldn’t move for the rest of the night. What a shame we wouldn’t be able to walk it off the next day because of the impending rain!
Day 51 – Saturday 21st September, 2019, ‘Resisting The Hiker Hunger’ Zero Day at Hotel Puerta de Espania, La Jonquera
As with any ‘zero day’, we have to fight the urge to eat anything and everything as our mind focusses solely on food away from the trail! As had been forecast, the rain hammered down all day so we didn’t even leave the room until 7:30pm. Fortunately, we had already bought food and drink provisions for the day from the supermarket the previous night, so it wasn’t like we were going to starve or anything!
Making the most of a day indoors with full facilities, I utilised the time to dye my hair having managed to purchase a suitable dye from the pharmacy when walking through the ‘old town’ the previous day. I also endeavoured to sort out my disgusting hiker toe nails! Another one had fallen off through this journey, but had been black for a long while beforehand. (It’s nothing that a good, dark nail varnish can’t disguise however!)
We didn’t want to overeat again, so we resisted the all-you-can-eat Mediterranean buffet for a second night, also passing up the numerous ‘Marrakech‘ establishments offering taglines, instead opting for a small, local Spanish restaurant down the road named ‘Sol Y Mar‘. They were promoting a fantastic range of platos combinados as well as a 3-course set menu.
Whilst I enjoyed a ‘House’ salad for starters and ‘carne a la brassa’ for my main dish, Wayne was more than happy with his giant piece of steak served with chips!
After so much gluttony, it would be hard going back to hiker rations the next day – but we now had less than a week to go until we’d be sunning ourselves just north of Barcelona along the Costa Maresme coast, having booked a half board, 5-night hotel package as a treat to ourselves post-hike before returning home to the UK.
Day 52 – Sunday 22nd September, 2019,’Fast-Tracking Along The Network Of GRs’ Hotel Puerta de Espania, La Jonquera to Camping Vell Emporda, Garriguella, Local trail, 25km
It wasn’t the best weather when we woke up today and looked out of the hotel window. There was still plenty of thick cloud hanging over the foothills around La Jonquera, but thankfully it wasn’t raining. We had enjoyed a nice, chilled rest day yesterday, caught up with some internet and eaten some amazing food – but it was now time to get back on the trail, get a move on and get to the coast! Having picked up a local map of the walking trails in and around the ‘Alt Emporda‘ area, we had decided to take a different route further east taking us to the town of Garriguella and a proper campsite otherwise we would have been really struggling for a wild camp spot along the GR11.
From La Jonquera the GR11 route actually continues north, going through the Paratge Natural d’Interes Nacional de l’Albera where camping is strictly prohibited. Once out of the park, the route then passes between farmland, private properties and dry scrubby areas, weaving north before then turning east towards the town of Llanca. After last week’s experience trying to stealth camp just outside of a town and feeling uncomfortable about pitching where we shouldn’t, we just didn’t want to go through the hassle of trying to find anywhere remotely suitable or risk hiking all that way and not finding anywhere at all. Even more important was having access to water and as the trail was now becoming dryer by the day, we needed to ensure we could top up our supplies. So making a stop at Garriguella just seemed the right decision and it would also take us on a more direct route to Llanca, our intended stop the following day.
So from La Jonquera we followed a local trail to the village of Capmany. Arriving just after midday we stopped at the Placa Major and had drink and snack break before pushing on to Vilarnadal and then Masarac. Both settlements were tiny and had no amenities such as a shop. Thankfully we had carried plenty of water with us expecting as much after our experience in Albanyà, where the one and only shop didn’t exist anymore. (In fairness, our guidebook information was published in 2013.)
Continuing east on a combination of farm tracks and stony trails, we then passed through the hamlet of Mollet de Peralada. (Blink and you’d miss it, but for the barking dogs waiting to startle any unsuspecting passers by. Thankfully they were securely tied up!) We then walked through the Catalan village of Delfia where we stopped again for a drink and snack break utilising a bench on the main street.
Instead of heading north on the GR11, leaving La Jonquera and setting off along a local path that would take us to the town of Garriguella where we could stay overnight at a proper campsite.
After walking through a cork oak forest a couple of days ago, we were now paying closer attention to the different tree bark as we passed through a wooded area.
Passing through Capmany, a small Spanish municipality in the Catalan region of Alto Ampurdán, in the province of Gerona. It was beautifully clean and very picturesque.
The Iglesia de Sant Sebastià in Capmany.
Utilising a well-located bench and having a quick drink stop on our way through the village of Masarac.
Following a clear trail that soon took us back into vineyard territory.
The grapes here seemed much bigger and were ripening nicely with the intense sun.
Flowering cacti growing alongside the trail. Now we really did feel like the Mediterranean was close!
When we reached the edge of town, our first impressions of Garriguella were that of another lovely, well-kept Spanish settlement.
Finally we made it to Garriguella, a slightly larger town than Capmany, around 4:30pm. Walking through the main street towards the campsite, we noted a few bar-restaurants, but only one seemed to be open. Not only was it siesta time but it was also a Sunday, so we weren’t quite sure how many establishments would be opening later that evening for dinner. We should be used to the set opening times by now, but it still always throws us as we’re so used to having access to everything pretty much whenever we need it at home.
Reaching the campsite at the other end of town a short time later, we were pleased to find that it was still open, but again as it’s now considered off-season in this part of Spain, facilities were limited. We pitched the tent then showered as we had literally sweated bucket loads throughout the day. It may have been cloudy but the temperature had still been in the mid-twenties since we set off. This meant that the trail had been both hot and dry, which was to be expected now that we’re so close to the Med – so we relished the fact that tonight we were able to enjoy a proper shower in which to finally cool off.
We were excited at the thought of jumping into a nice, cold pool at the campsite. However that wasn’t an option as the facility was closed with it now being ‘off-season’.
Heading over to the campsite bar and restaurant at 6:30pm, we were dismayed to find that it would be closing at 7pm and the restaurant would not be serving dinner. The on-site supermarket was also closed and having looked through the window in vain, we realised had very few supplies left. With the shops also closed in town and us negating to bring any food supplies with us (thinking we would now be able to buy as we go as we’re passing settlements each day – but forgetting that shops are predominantly closed on Sundays unless in a big touristy area) we were in a bit of a quandary. Of course we wouldn’t starve, but we were so looking forward to a beer and some proper food again! Fortunately, the barman opened up the shop and fetched us some bread and eggs – so that was breakfast sorted at least.
We then ventured into town hoping that we could get dinner from the only bar-restaurant we had passed earlier that had been open. Back on the main street, the other establishments remained closed, but the Bar La Espera was heaving outside with locals. We managed to get a table inside and to our relief they were serving food. On recommendation from the barman we had the tomato salad, which was one of the best salads we’ve ever tasted! Simple, with minimal ingredients (chopped Romano tomatoes, olive oil, crumbled goats cheese and oregano) it was wonderfully delicious! I then had a goats cheese tostada with caramelised onion that was equally as mouth-watering, whilst Wayne had the house burger served in a giant bocadillo! (And we thought we were going back to hiker rations!)
My delicious tostada. Anything with goats cheese is a winner as it’s one of my favourite ingredients!
Accompanied with two ‘grande cervezas‘ it was one of the best meals we had been served the entire trip! As we were hiking on tomorrow and hopefully doubling up stages again, we didn’t bother with any vino. They’d be plenty more opportunities for that later in the week! Just 3 days to go to reach Cap de Creus and the finish!
Day 53 – Monday 23rd September, 2019, ‘Bagging Ourselves A Beach Day!’ Camping Vell Emporda, Garriguella to Camping Port de La Vall, El Port de La Selva, GR92, 26km
Now with the knowledge of the local trail network, we decided to continue ad-hoc making our way to the coast, utilising a variety of local tracks and paths instead of sticking solely with the GR11. We were still walking coast to coast after all, but by means of our own route.
So today we decided that instead of walking to the coastal town of Llanca and camping there for the night, we would push on further along the coast. We could utilise the GR92 coastal route, which we deemed would be more scenic taking us right along the seafront to El Port de la Selva, the penultimate stage on the GR11 before reaching Cap de Creus. Doubling up stages again would thereby secure us a final ‘rest day’ tomorrow, which would be a ‘beach day’ with us reaching the Mediterranean at last! (It feels like we have had lots of rest days of late, but that’s the bonus of being flexible with our route and itinerary.)
From Garriguella we had a small climb around some desert-like hills before a nerve-wracking road walk to the settlement of La Valletta. It was one of the busiest roads we had walked along (thank goodness there was a decent hard shoulder) where huge lorries flew past as we did our best not to get blown over by the ensuing wind. We were glad to rejoin the trail again, which then wound gently downhill to Llanca and the Mediterranean Sea. From afar, the whitewashed buildings packed into the hillside set against a magnificent backdrop of blue looked stunningly beautiful – and it was ever more exciting to get closer and closer to the sea!
Today started with some gentle climbing as we traversed the rolling foothills that would lead us straight to the Mediterranean coastline.
With a dry and desert-like feel, the vegetation covering these hills has to be able to survive long, dry summers.
As this wasn’t the official GR11 route, the trail along this section was quite rough in places.
Looking back to the foothills we had just hiked around and enjoying the smell of the sea air. We were now on a mission to reach the coast as quickly as we could.
Not only could we smell it – we could now see it! After walking over 700 kilometres, spying the Mediterranean Sea at last!
Finally reaching the town of Llanca and making our way down to the seafront, it felt like our thru-hike was drawing to an end – especially when we could dip our toes in the Med right here. But it wouldn’t be right and proper if we didn’t finish the trail at our intended end-point. So we resisted going down to the water’s edge, instead enjoying the superb views of the vast ocean broken up by sandy bays and craggy coves as we began making our way around the rugged coastline on the GR92 route.
Resisting the urge to dip our toes in the sea, we were still in a celebratory mood on finally reaching the Mediterranean!
So close to the finish but still around 25 kilometres away from Cap de Creus, the end point of the trail.
Passing several sandy bays and finding them largely unoccupied, we thought this part of the coastline was particular stunning. It would be easy to find your own secluded spot!
As the more scenic option, we followed the GR92 coastal route from the seaside town of Llanca to the charming fishing village of El Port de la Selva on the northern Costa Bravan coast.
Nestled in the hillside, these whitewashed houses with fantastic ocean views would make a perfect holiday home.
Signage along the trail leading to El Port de la Selva, a traditional fishing village and seaside resort located in the natural maritime park Cap de Creus.
More gorgeous views of the northern Costa Bravan coastline.
Looking across to El Port de la Selva. Situated in a bay, which forms a natural harbour and sheltered by the surrounding mountains, the town itself dates back to the 17th century.
A couple of hours later and we had reached the campsite – Camping Port de La Vall, situated right on the beachfront a couple of kilometres short of Port de La Selva. Due to its prominent location and direct access to the beach, it was the most expensive campsite we had stayed at throughout our journey at €24 per night, but despite these great features, it was also our least favourite. The place looked tired, the facilities were poor and the pitches were mostly dirt. The campsite was still fairly busy however and we could see that in summer it would be full the entire season as it was the only campsite in town. We felt that it was living off both its location and reputation as it definitely didn’t meet our expectations and wasn’t worth the money. Luckily I had asked if they offered a hiker discount as we didn’t have a car, otherwise the same pitch would have cost us a hefty €37 per night as standard. Unbelievable!
With it now being ‘low season’ we were disappointed that the bar closed at 3:30pm – too bad that it was now 4pm. The on-site shop was also closed – but due to reopen at 7pm. We were hungry again as we hadn’t had any proper lunch, the fried egg baguettes we’d had at breakfast seeing us through our 26 kilometre walk. So due to lack of both food and alcohol, we decided to take a walk to town.
It was a lovely, gentle walk around the bay from the campsite to Port de La Selva, except that we powered it and stopped for a beer at the first open bar we came to – The Surfers Bar situated on the main road as you enter town before all the fancy beach-side restaurants begin (read ‘expensive’). We wandered along the seafront checking out menus and prices afterwards, but everywhere was well overpriced compared to what we had typically been paying everywhere else along the trail. Most of the restaurants were also closed and not due to reopen until 7:30pm /8pm. With that in mind, we decided to have a barbeque back at the campsite as it was still early.
Heading into the main port area after continuing along the GR92 coastal route to town.
Our current location at El Port de la Selva through which both the GR92 and GR11 trails lead to Cap de Creus.
Enjoying a well-deserved beer, with just two days to go to reach the finish. (One of them being a rest day tomorrow after doubling up another section!)
Reaching the beautiful bay on which the old town is located. Numerous footpaths surrounding the area allow visitors to encounter unspoilt nature as well as several historical sites from the megalithic era and Medieval times.
Despite growing tourism, the main source of income for the town is still fishing and the fishing port ranks among the most important in this province.
After looking around the port and wandering the narrow streets of the old town, we visited the main supermarket and purchased a little throw away BBQ and stocked up with some of our favourites – lamb chops, sausages, green peppers, tomatoes, mozzarella and a salad bowl, not forgetting a bottle of vino and a chilled bottle of cava. With us having a ‘beach day’ tomorrow, we were going to ensure that the night ended well!
By the time we had walked back to the campsite, the shop was just opening. We managed to buy a mat for the beach and some detergent to do some laundry tomorrow, but neither town nor the campsite shop had any ‘Coleman’ style screw on camping gas. We were down to a mini canister that we had stowed away for emergencies that we had purchased back in Esterri d’Àneu, but it was now almost empty. We hoped that we could boil up a couple more pots of water for our morning cuppas at breakfast, but that would be all. If not, we’d have to survive on pastries for breakfast for the last two days and eat out as we wouldn’t be able to cook anything.
We prepared a barbeque feast surrounded by subtle purple sunset skies…
The barbecue tonight therefore was a great alternative. Once it was hot enough, it cooked everything well and we had a great dinner sat on our camp chairs finally using our portable light as everywhere was in darkness. (As we were usually wrapped up inside the tent well before dark, the light hadn’t had much previous use.) It was a nice thought knowing we didn’t have to get up in the morning and hike and that we still have one more day to enjoy this beautiful area…
Day 54 – ‘Swimming In The Med – But The Official Finish Is Tomorrow!’ Tuesday 24th September, 2019, Zero Day at Camping Port de La Vall, El Port de La Selva
After last night’s indulgence of a few alcoholic beverages, we were late risers today not waking up until 9am. Conserving gas, we treated ourselves to a ‘posh’ non-trail breakfast of bread rolls, cream cheese, smoked salmon and tomatoes bought from the supermarket in town yesterday.
The rest of the morning was then spent waiting for the washing machine to finish its cycle before we could hang our laundry out to dry and hit the beach!
Our numbered pitch at Camping Port de la Vall. We were grateful of the surrounding trees providing some shade, but we missed camping on grass and being close to water as we had experienced on the best of our wild camps.
Sporting a very defined hiker tan with brown legs and white ankles!
Making the most of the fine weather, we spent the entire afternoon at the beach. We had wandered along the coastal trail and climbed down a craggy cove to a secluded spot, but we had to sit on rocks as there wasn’t much of a sandy bay. Hence after an hour or so, we made our way back to the Port de la Vall beach directly in front of the campsite.
With a wide open bay and plenty of space, it didn’t feel crowded at all and despite the sand being a mixture of shells and stone, it was comfortable enough to lay on with the beach mat we had purchased. Wayne had also brought along his chair and Kindle to catch up with some reading so despite the fact he is not a ‘sunbather’, he was adequately occupied until we left around 5:30pm. Walking into the sea for a little swim earlier on, I had technically ‘dipped my toes’ in the Med already, however Wayne was not in any hurry to go in the sea especially as the water was quite cool!
Leaving the beach around 5:30pm, we weren’t expecting to get a great sunset that evening as the sky had already clouded over heavily. We just hoped that rain wasn’t going to spoil our final day on trail tomorrow.
Back at the campsite, finding that the restaurant was open tonight, we showered then went there for dinner instead of walking back into town. The food that we were served was actually much nicer than what we were anticipating – I had a goats cheese salad starter, which was well-presented and really tasty followed by cannelloni, and for Wayne’s main dish he enjoyed trying a giant Catalan sausage served with homemade chips.
We then went back to the tent and had an early night in anticipation of our final day on trail tomorrow…
Day 55 – Wednesday 25th September, 2019, ’55 Days, 500+ Miles, Job Done!’ Camping Port de La Vall, El Port de La Selva to Cap de Creus, GR11, then to Hotel Tarongeta, Cadaques, 25km
After 7+ weeks hiking across the Pyrenees mountains, we had reached our final day on trail. As with our previous thru-hikes, we have found that the last day always brings mixed feelings. First there’s the euphoria and a great feeling of satisfaction in knowing we will have accomplished what we set out to do, but the realisation that our journey is almost at an end and the adventure is over is also very much bittersweet.
The trail can be tough and tiring and will challenge you mentally as well as physically, but there’s nothing like reconnecting with nature, camping out under the stars, and seeing one beautiful view after another day after day whilst also pushing yourself to see what you’re really capable of. Whilst back home living a busy life throughout the everyday norms of society, we have found ‘hiking’ to be that one thing that allows us to detach for a moment. We would miss that. And as we took down the tent and packed up for the final time after managing to get one last boil out of the gas cannister, we wondered when the next time we’d sleep in a tent would be…
Leaving the campsite around 9:30am, we followed the coastal path back into town in readiness to rejoin the GR11 and complete our goal of getting to the end of the trail today.
On reaching the centre of town, we had allowed a little time for some housekeeping tasks before setting off on the trail. This included purchasing slices of pizza from the Panaderia for breakfast and shopping for some lunch. We sat on a bench overlooking the bay in order to prepare tuna mayo wraps and as there was nowhere to top up our water supplies between here and Cap de Creus, we drank iced coffees and made sure we each had a litre of water to take with us the rest of the way.
Sitting on a bench along the seafront where we prepped lunch and prepared ourselves for the final 17 kilometres or so to Cap de Creus.
Setting off from the old town around 10:30am, we took the cobbled path heading uphill behind the Santa Maria church. We climbed quickly to rejoin the GR11 and as we were now high above the town, we were afforded great views looking back to El Port de la Selva and the bay. Continuing further uphill and feeling a little dubious about the increasing cloud, we then entered the Cap de Creus Parc National.
Walking through the old town, we began heading uphill following the path that took us behind the white painted bell tower of the Church of Santa Maria de les Neus (Santa Maria in the Snows).
After rejoining the GR11, looking back onto El Port de la Selva and its picturesque bay.
Getting closer to the finish with each footstep! Entering the Parc Natural de cap de Creus.
With its unique geographical features, the Parc Natural del Cap de Creus is a protected area at the point where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean that makes up the only maritime and terrestrial park in Catalonia. Due to the effects of erosion, its structures and outcrops make up an extraordinary landscape unlike anywhere else – the towering cliffs and remote coves of the abrupt and jagged coastline providing the source of inspiration and subject matter for works by Salvador Dalí.
Cacti growing in the national park. Where the trail became a little overgrown in places, we had to dodge the spiky plants!
After entering the national park, the GR11 follows a well-worn track that was a former cattle-trail and meanders across a series of rocky hills covered in scrub with far-reaching views out to the sea.
Panorama from the trail of the rugged hills and coastline.
Further along the trail, we had white and red paint flashes to follow once again making route finding easier. From our vantage point, we could see the lighthouse in the distance on the Cap de Creus peninsula. This in fact constitutes the last buttress of the Pyrenees and the easternmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. We could also see that a road wound all the way to the lighthouse, but as it was narrow and quite busy with traffic we stuck with the trail avoiding any road walking today.
Comforted by the presence of the white and red markers we had got so accustomed to signalling we were on the right route.
A quirky handmade sign indicating the distance from Cap de Creus to other well-known places.
The stony track made this section easy so we were able to cover a lot of ground quickly before having to navigate around the cliffs.
The trail eventually winds around the cliff edge right up to the lighthouse then across rocky headland to the very end point known as Cap de Creus. After making our way past the lighthouse, we were surprised to find that although white and red markers lead all the way to the end point of the trail, it is marked simply with a cairn and white circle. There are no signs or other markings whatsoever making reaching the end feel very unassuming and overall quite disappointing. Having experienced the presence of significant monuments at both the southern and northern termini on the PCT, we were expecting a little bit more to signify the fact we had just walked across the entire Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean.
For the final stages of our thru-hike, we decided to follow the GR11 to Cap de Creus on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees. In comparison, both the GR10 and HRP terminate at Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Med over the border in France.
Whilst following the stony trail around the cliffs towards the lighthouse, we had to be careful of our footing as a walker ahead of us had already slipped a while earlier and was in the process of being carried up by stretcher to a waiting ambulance at the roadside.
The coastline is a mass of rocky outcrops and remote coves, where some of the beaches have been classified as official nudist destinations. That was good to know seeing as we had already passed a naked man!
Far-reaching views of the rugged coastline within the national park area.
After passing the lighthouse and the car park at the top of the peninsula, we followed signs indicating which way to the end point of the trail.
Depending on the light, the colour of the ocean can range from a deep sapphire blue to a bright turquoise, which looked so inviting!
The trail follows a natural line in the cliff, which takes us up to a rocky plateau.
The end is in sight!
The very end of the trail and the point known as Cap de Creus is marked with a simple, white painted circle and small cairn.
Big smiles to have made it to the finish!
From the high, rocky point, it would have been a tricky scramble down to reach the Mediterranean Sea, so we had photos taken at the cairn to mark our finish then returned along the trail to an easier section where we could cross to the water’s edge. It wasn’t a brilliant spot to dip our toes in the sea to complete the thru-hike tradition. – It was both wet and slippery and we were worried that we may lose our balance so we quickly dipped our shoes into the water as the swell lapped up the rocks we were stood on and took the obligatory completion shot. 55 days, 500+ miles, job done!
Deciding not to scramble down the cliff at this point to dip our toes in the sea!
Finding a different spot back along the trail with better access to the water where we could dip in our toes, as is the thru-hike tradition if you’re starting or finishing at the ocean.
Treksnappy’s Pyrenees Traverse – complete!
Now feeling in a celebratory mood, it was then back along the trail to the lighthouse bar for a beer to toast our success! (As a half bottle of cava was €16, we thought we’d wait until we were in town for proper celebrations to begin!)
The lighthouse on top of the Cap de Creus Peninsula.
Surrounded by incredible natural beauty, the Cap de Creus lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse of Catalonia. Situated 87 metres above sea level, the lighthouse was built in 1853 under the reign of Isabel II.
It was fortunate that there is a restaurant and bar located inside the lighthouse building so we were able to get the celebrations off to a good start!
Cheers to another successful thru-hike! It’s hard to compare and rank our hikes, but we think the Pyrenees has now become our special place.
As with the PCT, the end point of the thru-hike isn’t really the end, as we then had another 7 and a half kilometres to walk to Cadaques, a little fishing town further along the coast where we had booked a hotel for the next couple of nights.
Joining a local trail that would take us to Cadaques, we continued following the coastline. Looking back to the lighthouse where the water in the surrounding coves was crystal clear.
The route to Cadaques was well-signposted.
Reaching the charming fishing village of Cadaques. Much like El Port de la Selva, it was a really upmarket place and very traditional.
Reaching town around 5:30pm, we went straight to the supermarket to purchase wine and cava before checking into our hotel. It was only then when we had popped a cork to celebrate and were settled that we proceeded to message family and friends with the wonderful news of our completion.
Everyone already keeps asking what’s next? Well we have lots of ideas, as always, but for now we need to get home and start earning some money to begin saving again before we can make any firm plans!
Looking onto the beautiful fishing bay at Cadaques.
Celebrating with a traditional fish and chip supper!
On reflection, we never really doubted that we would complete the trail. What this thru-hike has done has confirmed our deep affection for the Pyrenees and the cultures that straddle either side of this incredible mountain range. For us, discovering the diversity across long and challenging trails, not only of the landscape, flora and fauna but of people and their lives is such a heart-warming and enriching experience.
We cannot recommend taking a hike in the Pyrenees enough! Any of the long-distance trails – the GR10, the GR11 or the HRP – will not disappoint. With excellent accessibility from the UK, we will definitely return again to do some shorter circular walks to bag a few peaks and to explore some of our favourite areas further. If you have enjoyed following our journey by reading our trail reports and watching our videos, we hope we have done the Pyrenees justice and showcased the area enough to inspire you to try some hiking in the Pyrenees yourself!
20 Comments
Excellent trip report as always, once again thanks for sharing your adventure with us.
Thanks so much Kevin – We’re glad you’ve enjoyed following along and taken the time to comment.
Best regards,
Danielle & Wayne
Thank you for sharing your journey. It has been a delight!
Thank you Jenna. Glad you’ve enjoyed following along.😊
All the best, Danielle & Wayne
I loved following your journey across the Pyrenees, especially the photos and the food!
Thank you so much Pam! Our family love the trail kitchen segments, so we try & include them in the videos and use the blog to show everyone what we’re eating on trail as it always comes up in people’s questions. We try and think out of the box and be as inventive as we can as we love our food! And we couldn’t be without our mini frying pan!
Thanks for following along,
All the best,
Danielle & Wayne
Thanks Danielle and Wayne for this very well documented report with beautiful pictures. It seems that you were lucky with the weather. I like your blog as it is different from others.: No excess in ultralight backpacking. It demonstrates that you can enjoy hiking with the comfort of seats and frying pan. No tarp, no bivy sac, no soaked couscous every night. It seems that Wayne is a Chef !.Food in the Pyrenees is far from junk food. A nice piece of meat with a good Spanish wine for the zero days is far much better than a big burger or a Subway sandwich. I like also the fact that you are taking care of yourselves. Bearded white trhu hikers are not yet part of long distance trails in Europe. Thanks again for sharing your fun … and pains. Have a nice summer Yves
Thanks so much Yves!
We really appreciate all of your lovely comments. Just heading off on our next adventure complete with camp chairs, frying pan and another giant bag of food.
Blog posts to follow of us hopefully summitting all 214 Wainwrights in one continuous walk! That’s the plan for this summer anyway.
Best regards,
Danielle & Wayne
Wonderful finish to an amazing trip and i”ve really looked forward to the posts. Like the other comment I love to see people actually just enjoying the walk, eating good food and not being obsessed with ultralight gear and space-food. Backpacking packs are always heavy its just a matter of degrees.
Also chuffed you finished off in another place we know. We’ve been down to El Port de la Selva a few times when staying in a villa in the mountains for our beach day. Wonderful spot.
Thanks for sharing and hope you manage to make a trip of some sorts this year after all the madness
Cheers, Andy
Thanks so much Andy. We’re currently on the train to Windermere as I reply! Our latest challenge is to walk all 214 Wainwrights in one continuous walk. We’ve given ourselves 4 weeks to do it as I’m back at school on 1st September. No spare/ rest days planned in this time and it works out at 613km!
Looking forward to wild camping and being in the outdoors after lockdown, just hope the weather is kind to us.🤞 Will be posting some pics & updates on Instagram as we go, then blog posts & videos will follow once we’re back home.
Hope you have a great summer whatever you have planned,
Best regards,
Danielle & Wayne
Dear Danielle,
thanks so much for taking us on Your Pyrenees hike. I enjoyed every part of the story. I was fascinated by the pictures again and again.
I had to think about my own just finished Kungsleden adventure when I read about Your camping in the last week of Your hike: After having camped at the most spectacular wild spots for free finally ending up in expensive camping facilities with very little comforts for tent campers can be frustrating. For me it was the low class camp spot at STF Abisko for upper class prices; kinda disappointing having just completed a long thru-hike and being obviously not welcomed.
But in the end it’s the nature that counts.
Staying tuned for Your next adventure. 🙂
Best Regards
Marcus
Hi Marcus, thanks for commenting again. We’re really glad your Kungsleden adventure went to plan. How was it on trail? Did Coronavirus impact on your trip in any way? What was your favourite wild camp spot? Hope you’re keeping well,
Best regards,
Danielle & Wayne
Hi Danielle,
at times the trail became really adventurous. The southern part starting from Hemavan at times was very snowy, with numerous passages of snow fields. Because of heavy icing of this old snow it was dangerous at times to my liking. I was told by locals summer started very late this year. Lots of the trail was really boggy and water levels high. So I now do know what it is like to hike with wet feet over days and days … It was a bit strange having to ford high and fast flowing streams in the norther part having found every small stream being equipped with a bridge in the south.
Nature showed spring, summer and autumn at the same time in this August, especially in the North! I enjoyed the trip very much, although stretches were hard going because of these conditions and wet weather.
I was not affected by the Corona Virus thing directly, as I had planned my trip in a way, that I did not rely on the STF huts. Otherwise I would have been impacted by Corona measures a lot. Day visits to the huts were forbidden. In the northern part of the hike it became a usual (inofficial) procedure to allow passing hikers to hide in the wood shed during bad weather! Tent campers weren’t allowed to use any facilities. So it turned out to be nonsense I became a member for the trip. To my liking quite some of the wardens weren’t welcoming to passing hikers.
Although I cannot compare to other years the trail seemed rather busy to me. Even in the most remote parts (without huts) I met 5-10 people every day. And in the touristic stretch from Singi to Abisko hikers at times seemed very unprepared and not really settled down into the beautiful nature.
I really enjoyed the wild camping at all those scenic spots. Even at the end of the hike I didn’t feel any desire for a bed in a building. There were only a few days where I had the bad luck of pitching in heavy rain, although there were quite some days of rain. It were just the payed for spots at the mountain stations which turned out to be disappointing. Kyrkans fjällgard was fabulous with no Corona limitations being in force (except the call for keeping distance of course). The very welcoming atmosphere and facilities have been perfect for tent campers. I met some great people there. I took a zero there as I felt exhausted after my first week of hiking. Staying there was really a highlight, not mentioning the big supermarket 🙂 .
One of my favourite camp spots has been at lake Luvtávrre north of Adolfsström. The planned hiking day ended very disappointing, as it turned out no tent campers were allowed anywhere in Adolfsström. And Bäverholmen had been found closed earlier that day as well! The helicopter service in Adolfsström had shut down and the official campsite did not want tent campers! So after a long hiking day I had to push on for two more hours. But it was exactly this evening that I whitnessed the most spectacular sunset from my tent at lake Luvtávrre. Life is …
Another top spot was the night in the valley Suonergarssa, although it became wet and cold there during the night.
I also pitched just below the Skierffe summit on a plateau. Had it been not so wet and windy this had been one of the top camp spots with a very scenic sunrise the next morning. I hiked there together with a swedish couple and a dutch solo hiker in a really long hiking day (14 hiking hrs or so), so we had our own basecamp there. We were the first on Skierffe the next morning with some good views despite the clouds and heavy wind.
Another top spot was my basecamp for the Kebnekaise detour. The warden at Singi (a dedicated hiker for himself) had pointed me there and it was a stunning grassy spot in a beautiful valley. I accessed Kebnekaise from there via a non marked path from the west. This was demanding but allowed for the Kebnekaise detour in just one day and mostly away from the tourist route. I’m really glad the warden had pointed me there. And I was very lucky as I was summiting Kebnekaise the only possible day, being it rainy and windy the days before and after my detour.
I have treasured a lot of memories and still wasn’t able to review all the pictures I have taken.
All the best for You and Wayne, keep hiking
Marcus
Hi Marcus,
Sorry for such a late reply – the blog has really taken a backseat the last few months.
I really enjoyed reading all about your Kungsleden adventure. Whatever month you hike it, I don’t think anyone can escape the rain, although it sounds like you had a tougher time than we did with the snow fields and the fact you couldn’t make use of hut facilities as a camper.
You definitely hit some top spots for wild camps and sounds like you had some wonderful places to yourself at exactly the right moment. Certainly a hike to remember!
We are desperate to do some hiking in France this summer, but are not sure if we’ll be able to with the current travel restrictions and lockdown measures across different countries. Fingers crossed the vaccine will have the desired impact in getting the virus under control.
Hope you have some great hiking plans ready to put into action when the time is right!
Best regards, Danielle & Wayne
Thanks Danielle and Wayne for such an excellent account of your trip. I’ve actually downloaded them all for use offline on my own traverse of the Pyrenees next year. As it amounts to an unpublished guide book I’d like to contribute something, somehow. Please let me know if there’s anyway I can contribute such as Ko-Fi via Youtube or Patreon.
I also plan to do the PCT the year after so will be watching your Youtube channel and reading the blog for that trip, too.
What an amazing life you guys have had, how do you follow this up ? The Greater Patagonian Trail ? The Via Alpina ?
Best wishes,
James
Hi James,
Thanks for taking the time to comment & for your kind words.
We do the blog more as a labour of love, not to make money, so the fact you’ve read our posts and find them useful is enough for us.
We’ve had very itchy feet throughout lockdown but have busied ourselves with buying a new house and putting our energy into making it a home the past 6 months.
We have lots of plans for future adventures though including some more hiking in France and we would love to do the CDT at some point.
Keep in touch and let us know how your Pyrenees trip goes next year. It’s one of our beloved places that we wouldn’t hesitate to return to!
Happy hiking,
Danielle & Wayne
OK, but if you are ever in Kent or on your way to the Continent via the Channel Tunnel then you are both very welcome to stay at one of my holiday cottages which are just outside Canterbury. Just let me know the dates and I’ll simply block my calender. It would be great to meet you and hear a tale or two first hand. Congrats and good luck with the new house !
James
Thank you so much James – that’s a very generous offer!
We will certainly keep it in mind.
Best regards,
Danielle & Wayne
Thank you so much for this inspiring and wonderfully written account of your epic adventure.
Thanks for your kind words and taking the time to comment Benjamin😊