Volcano Racó and el Parc Nou. Route 5 Olot

Once you leave the built-up centre of Olot it takes but a few minutes to reach the marshy woods of La Moixina. From here, you can walk through the beeches that form part of the final reaches of the forest of Fageda d’en Jordà and head for the bucolic Serra del Corb, with its two secluded churches of Sant Miquel and Sant Martí. The paths wind between dry-stone walls that give some idea of how the fields here were separated and cultivated in past times. From this semi-natural landscape, it is easy to return to the centre of the city through the woods of La Moixina and alongside El Rec del Revell.

This walk begins at the bridge Pont de les Móres (G22). Continue along Avinguda Astúries and then through Prats de la Mandra along the left bank of the river Fluvià as far as an iron bridge, which you should cross. Then, head up Avinguda República Argentina to Plaça Amèrica, in the midst of which there is a sculpture by the artist Rosa Serra.

Cross Plaça Amèrica and head along Avinguda de Cuba as far as the entrance to El Parc Nou (4 ha), a delightful park dominated by a stately building, Torre Castanys, which today houses the Museum of the Volcans of La Garrotxa.

Walk through El Parc Nou and leave via a gate and along a dirt track past Mas Cabreró and through some well-tended vegetable gardens. Cross Vial Sant Jordi and continue alongside this road as far as a junction and another road, Carretera de la Deu. Turn left here and, just after passing the eponymous restaurant, turn right.

This road takes you to a house, Can Sala, built from volcanic stone, where you should turn right and continue as far as a riding stable. At crossroad P13 Bosc de Can Serra go straight on. Here, leave the road and pick up a footpath indicated with yellow paint marks. This narrow path eventually widens into a dirt track, which then becomes a made-up road known as Camí de les Llongaines. This road takes us to the group of houses at Pocafarina and junction P7, which points you left and then on to the track leading up to the volcano El Racó.

The entrance into this track lies just between a small farmhouse and a water deposit (Sorea). At the entrance there is a fig tree, a small wooden fence and a sign with a yellow paint mark that indicates the way ahead. Begin to climb up this path through a beechwood until you reach a clearing, which, although today a field, actually lies on the lava flow emitted during the eruption of this volcano.  Here you will come to junction G143, where you should turn left towards the churches of Sant Miquel and Sant Martí del Corb. Follow this path through a lava flow to a viewpoint, and then begin to drop down through a beechwood towards the churches. Soon you pass by a spring, Font de Racó, which, although dry and now unused, has a spout and trough that are well-worth photographing.

Continue dropping downhill with terraces and dry-stone walls to your right and then, quite quickly, you reach the small church of Sant Miquel del Corb. From here, pick up the track towards the second church, Sant Martí del Corb, first passing an old house and cow barn on your left and then reaching the venerable farmhouse of Mas l’Antiga. Keep right passing in front of the house and its barn, and then pick up the trail that leads on to Sant Martí, where you will come to Itinerànnia signpost, G75, that points you downhill away from the church.

Follow this track through beech and oak trees, and a myriad of ferns, as far as a road, Carretera del Corb, and junction P8. Continue straight across following the yellow paint marks. Pass by a farm, La Casanova, to reach junction SP7 Can Bora, where you should follow the indications towards El Parc de les móres. This next stage of the walk passes through fields and terraces bordered by dry-stone walls made of volcanic stone extracted from the volcano Cabrioler, instantly recognisable by its dark colour. Continue on to Clot dels Sants and signpost O12, which points you left along El Camí del Triai via El Turó de Pujou and La Teularia. 

Once on the road Carretera de Triai, continue straight on but within a few metres turn left towards Can Fumerola and then on to the small chapel of La Salut. Here, turn right along the road Carretera de la Moixina behind Mas Perer and on to the junction O1B. Here, continue next to the stream, Rec del Revell, until you come to the Carretera del Triai and junction O1, where you should turn left to head back to the Pont de les Móres and the start of this route.