The carline trail. Ruta 6 Garrotxa

This route is designed for one-way and you must provide for the return from Riudaura by public transport or car.

  • Modality
    • By foot
  • Region
    • Garrotxa
  • Towns
    • Olot
    • Riudaura
    • Vall d'en Bas, La
  • Time
    • Between 3 and 4 hours
  • Difficulty
    • Medium
  • Estimated duration
    • 3h 45min
  • Distance
    • 9,89 km
  • Hide elevation maximum
    • 698
  • Hide elevation minimum
    • 435
  • Ascent
    • 523
  • Descent
    • 380
  • Thematic

From the signpost G15 Olot-Plaça Clarà at the junction between Carrer St.Rafel and Carrer Mulleres head towards La Pinya.

Continue along Carrer Pare Roca as far as the signpost G163 Olot-Maria Reina and then up Avda. Joaquim Danés as far as the steps leading up to the church of St. Pere Màrtir. Cross over the square and head up Passatge Begònies to where the tarmac ends and the path continues up to the left.

Follow the yellow paint marks and after about a kilometre you come out to a viewpoint on La Muntanya Pelada, the local name for the volcano Montolivet.

For a couple of kilometres continue along the ridge through the woods and climb up to another wonderful viewpoint on the top of the mountain of Sant Valentí. From here, the path heads downhill and in about 15 min you enter the hamlet of La Pinya after skirting the water tanks, the former public wash-house and the church.

At signpost G152 La Pinya head towards Riudaura. At the road, turn right. Where the houses end, turn left along a made-up track and continue to the end. Leave the tarmac and pass behind the house on the right. Once past the house, turn right along a grassy track and begin to climb up into the oak forest. After a while, you reach a field where the track curves sharply around to the left and then begins to zigzag more steeply uphill.

When you are almost at the top, leave the track and continue up along a path on the left that climbs steeply into the forest. Take care to follow the yellow marks in this thick forest. Follow the path along a bank and continue into a Scots pine forest and then on your left a beech forest. Pass through a fence, after which the path broadens out as it winds uphill as far as a junction with a busier track; from here, follow this track gently downhill.

Pass by a house on your right and continue downhill on a concrete track. At the end of the downhill, turn right and continue downhill to another concrete track in worse repair. At the bottom, cross a bridge and then turn left and soon the bell tower of the church at Riudaura comes into view.

Follow the grassy path to the right to the end, where you should turn left towards the children’s playground and the Civic Centre, where there is a wooden gate. Turn left below the Civic Centre to reach the La Plaça Tiradors, the end of this route. If you continue right along Carrer Tiradors you will come to the bus stop. However, if you want to catch the bus back to Olot, you will have to get up early as the bus leaves Riudaura for Olot at 12.45.