Gravel tour of the high Garrotxa from Albanyà

Municipality of Alt Empordà with around one hundred inhabitants, Albanyà is perhaps the smallest town from which you will ever set off on a circular bike tour, but it is very charming. Consider that the area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, as demonstrated by the archaeological finds at the site of the Pólvora cave and the megalithic tomb of the “Creu de Principi” citadel. The municipality has a population density of approximately one inhabitant per square kilometre, which gives a good idea of how wild these areas are.

Having reached Albanyà via the GI-511, leave behind one of the least inhabited municipalities in the entire province of Girona and go up the Muga river for a couple of kilometres. The road begins to climb when, on the right, you will see the river gorges. A counterslope section near the small church of Sant Bartomeu de Pincarò ends quickly and the gravel road heads upwards again. At around 730 meters above sea level, in the Hostal de la Muga area, you will have to cross the river twice: usually, especially in summer, it is little more than a trickle of water.

The dirt bends towards the Creu de Principi are the last hard part of the climb. The plateau around Puig Salarsa and Puig de Sant Barnabé is at an altitude of 1,050 meters above sea level and offers views of the surrounding valleys and more or less nearby green meadows. Just below the church of Sant Miquel de Bassegoda, the Can Galan refuge is an excellent place to stop and recover your energy. All you have to do is go down to the meadows of La Pinosa, cross the Manol stream thanks to a splendid road in the woods and return to Albanyà, where there is only one bar but the desire to celebrate the end of another tour will certainly be great .