Besalú circuit. Ruta 1 Garrotxa

This walk starts at Itinerànnia signpost G102-Besalú in Lluís Companys Av., from where you head towards ‘Beuda’. Cross the road and climb some steps following the yellow Itinerànnia paint marks. Reach a large round parking area and continue straight ahead through the houses until the yellow paint marks point you down to your right on a path into the woods. Continue on to a wooden footbridge over the often-dry stream and turn left. The path follows the streambed, which you have to cross a couple of more times. After the second wooden bridge, you arrive underneath the large motorway viaduct; here, follow a made-up road under the motorway that veers up to the left. Continue next to the motorway along this broad road for a while before taking the second track through the fields and on to the next Itinerànnia signpost G104-Salt de Palera. Turn right towards ‘Beuda’. Start to descend gently and after passing under a house up to your left, your route heads down rightwards on a path into the woods and to a stream. Cross over and climb up the other side, past a well and, after a section running parallel to the stream, start to climb quickly to reach the small church of Santa Maria de Palera. Continue past the church and house to the Itinerànnia signpost G107-Santa Maria de Palera, where you should head left towards ‘Beuda’. Shortly, the paint marks will take you up to the right through the woods to the church of Sant Sepulcre.

Leaving the church behind, continue at first along a small road, but in 100 m turn left along a footpath into the pinewoods. Cross straight over a large track and continue through the woods for some way before dropping sharply down to another made-up track, opposite a disused factory. Turn right and continue until you come to the road to Beuda. Signpost G182 la Canova, turn left here and in 15 minutes you will be in the village of Beuda.

Enter the main square presided over by the church of Sant Feliu. To visit, ask for the keys in the nearby Rectoria. Return to the car park at the entrance to the village and return to
signpost G182, continue towards ‘Besalú per rec de la Codina’ the track come to Itinerànnia signpost G180 Rec de la Codina, where you should head left to ‘Besalú’.After a while, ignore the track that enters from the right and continue past the house of Ca n’Oms de Guixars on your left. Pass the house L’Hospitalet (on your right) and continue gently downhill until you reach once again Itinerànnia signpost G104 Salt de Palera. Continue towards ‘Besalú’ and retrace your steps from the first part of the walk: walk down to the electricity pylon, turn left and continue along the track as far as the broad road, where you should turn left. Pass under the motorway and then turn right just before the stream.
Continue alongside the stream, crossing twice on wooden footbridges, until you come to the climb back up to the first houses of Besalú and the round parking area. Continue straight
on and then down the steps and back to the bus stop at the beginning of the route.