Catalan and Gironí St James Way Alt Empordà: Vilabertran-Bàscara section

The Saint James Way is famous worldwide for the thousands of pilgrims who venture to complete it every year. But...where does the Way begin? In the north of Catalonia. We can identify two starts: from la Jonquera or el Port de la Selva and consequently from Sant Pere de Rodes. The two paths join Vilabertran and continue through the Alt Empordà region to Bàscara

Vilabertran-Bàscara section

We will start in the House of Canons of Santa Maria de Vilabertran, the route leaves the village along Carrer de l’Abat Hortolà and continues along a footpath, the Camí de Caboques, to the left, crossing below the N-II  follows the Camí de l’Horta de Mas Clarors after crossing the N-II. 

Enter the town of Figueres on Carrer Via Làctia, turn right onto Carrer Agapit Torrent and turn left onto Carrer Compositor Coll. At Carrer de Tapis take a left at the roundabout, then continue along Carrer de Tapis, then Carrer Peralada, folllowed by a left at the Plaça de l’Ajuntament. Cross La Rambla and walk the entire length of Carrer Sant Pau to the Avinguda Salvador Dalí roundabout. Turn to the left to the next roundabout, turn right onto the Santa Llogaia road towards the Camp dels Enginyers area. The route continues towards Santa Llogaia d'Àlguema in the municipality of Vilafant.

Enter the municipality of Vilafant from Figueres along Carrer de Santa Llogaia. In Santa Llogaia all the way coincides with the limit of Vilafant. Along the Santa Llogaia, once once the train track is crossed below,  cross the Manol and we will reach the roundabout where we will go to the right along the Bòvila path. We cross below the AVE road and continue on the same road that is now called Borrassà path. At the end of the field we turn left, cross another track and continue straight on. A few meters later we leave the municipality of Santa Llogaia to continue to Borrassà through the Vilamorell field, along the Camí de Borrassà: take the bridge over the motorway and continue straight on to the junction with the GIP-5129 road. 

Follow the road to the right about 100 metres, then take a path to the left. Walk for about 300 metres and take the road again: stay on this road for about 500 metres to the town. At the roundabout, continue straight on Carrer Figueres, cross the Plaça de la Muralla and the Plaça Major, and walk along Carrer de la Plaça to the intersection of Carrer Sant Antoni and Dalmau de Creixell (where the “Healthy walks” start).

 Take Carrer Dalmau de Creixell, turn left on Carrer Migdia and take the Camí dels Pujols which, after a little over a kilometre, will lead to the Church of Santa Maria de Creixell. Turn left towards the square and continue along this street to the end of Carrer Dalmau de Creixell. 

Turn to the right just before Mas Nou: the first section of the trail passes through some woods, then it continues between fields until it turns back into another woods. Without leaving this trail, which runs parallel to the motorway along the final section, leave the municipality through the area around Les Fonts Velles. The road then leads to the right and continues towards Pontós along the Camí Ralet de Besalú. 

Continue along this path, walking along a short section of the GIP-5126 road and taking the first turnoff to the left along an unpaved trail. This section of the route coincides with the Itinerànnia trail network. Stay on this trail for 900 metres until it turns into the paved Carrer Figueres, at which point the route enters the village of Pontós. Walk to Plaça Major, then follow a small section of Carrer de la Creu and turn onto Carrer de la Pobla. Leave the paved road to take the trail for about 700 metres. Cross below the AVE (high-speed train) tracks and turn right, leaving the main trail. Turn left after a few metres, staying on this trail to cross the Romanyà d'Empordà road. Continue parallel to the N-II for a stretch until crossing the Fluvià on the Bàscara bridge, leaving the municipality of Pontós to continue towards Bàscara in bridge on the N-II. 

Walk past the passage on the side of the bridge and continue into the village along the N-II or Carrer Girona to the intersection with Avinguda de l’Alt Empordà. 

The St James way here presents two alternatives to the Pla de l’Estany:

Go towards Monells and Vilademuls, follow Avinguda Alt Empordà on the right. Cross under the viaduct and turn left onto the road from Bàscara to Vilademuls. It is a little more than 2 kilometers on asphalt to Monells.

The other alternative is towards Viladesens, with less asphalt, we choose this: Turn left and then right at the second turn off onto the Mas d'Espolla road. Stay on the path, now unpaved, at Mas d’Espolla. Walk along a section of the Camí de Cal Rei, leaving this path at the junction and taking a right. Stay on this path, continuing straight and skirting a field to take another path, and continue straight ahead to a field to take another road, La Coma road, on the other side. Stay on this road until it crosses the GI-623, and continue straight ahead to Orriols along Avinguda del Castell. Cross Orriols along Carrer del Castell, pass through the Plaça de l'Església and continue towards the Camí de Can Motes. 

Pass Can Motes and continue towards Can Garriga. The path turns to the right at this farmhouse; take the Camí de Can Garriga, crossing underneath the motorway. Follow the trail and walk to the GIV-6234 road. Follow this road, now leaving this municipal section through Bàscara and entering the village of Viladasens in the Pla de l’Estany region.