Fageda Fosca route. Route 5 Santa Pau

Leave Plaça de Baix and signpost G29 in direction ‘Volcà de Can Simon 20 min’.

Walk up a steep street known as Carrer de les Costes and continue until the last house. Here, the climb ends and you start a flat stretch that takes you to a junction, where the yellow Itinerànnia waymarking points you right towards the slopes of the volcano D’en Simón. Here you will find signpost SP19, where you should turn left towards ‘Coll de Maria 20 min’.

Pick up a narrow path that will take you out to a holm-oak wood. Follow the yellow markings slightly uphill to signpost SP21 Coll de Maria I, where you should continue as indicated on the route ‘Volta a la Fageda Fosca 45 min’. In just 10 m you will come to the signpost SP22 Coll de Maria, from where the route continues indicated as ‘Volta a la Fageda Fosca 45 min’.

From here, the path begins to climb decidedly and the holm oaks gradually give way to maples and deciduous oaks. Continue as far as a track, turn right and start to head downhill. After just 20 m along this track you come to the Fageda Fosca (the ‘dark’ beechwood). Continue along the track as far as an open area of pasture, which you should cross and head towards a house, Can Xart. Here, turn right and pick up a good track towards a field; but, just before entering the field, turn right again and head along a more overgrown track that will take you back to Coll de Maria, from where you should follow the signs indicating ‘Santa Pau (per la Cambrafosca) 45min’.

Continue along the ridge as far as an area of pastures with the ruins of the house Can Barraca on the right. Head downhill out of the pastures on to a good track that runs past a stand of tall eucalyptus trees. Turn right here and continue along this track as far as signpost SP20 Els Colls and then left towards ‘Santa Pau (per la Cambrafosca) 20min’. Walk next to a fence until it ends. Then, turn right and pick up a dirt track; cross a stream and walk on to signpost SP23 Cambrafosca, where you should continue on towards ‘Santa Pau 10min’.

Follow this old cart trail that will take you back to the entrance into the village of Santa Pau and a small square, Placeta de Sant Roc. Walk down towards the street Carrer del Pont and cross the river Ser on a bridge. Finally, follow Carrer del Pont to Plaça de Baix, where this walk began.