Sant Feliu de Guíxols to Tossa de Mar

We had left Sant Feliu de Guíxols a week before to make the Girona circuit so after a bus back from Pals we set off on the Costa Brava GR92 again.

Sant Feliu de Guíxols to Tossa de Mar is about 18km.  It’s an inland route involving a 500m climb to the Ardenya mountain range.  There was a cool breeze but the promised views did not happen due to the cloud.  After 400km hiking in the last 3 weeks we’re able to better the published times – 4 hours.

At the start of the walk, an 1880 windmill

We took a “short cut” which turned out to be straight up

Sandstone outcrop in the Ardenya mountain range

Tossa de Mar fortified old town built in the 12th century

Sant Vicenç de Tossa, 18th century Baroque, is big enough to hold the entire population of Tossa

By the sea, better eat seafood

Tossa de Mar to Lloret de Mar

14km (3½ hours) to Lloret de Mar; for the most part more a hilly urban walk until you hit the coast. Then you are reminded that this is the Wild/Rough Coast (Costa Brava) and want to keep walking and looking.

The beach was closed due to high winds and big waves but that didn’t stop this early morning fisherman

Looking back as we leave Tossa

After a couple of hours of hilly urban walking …

… we are back on the ruggedly beautiful Catalan coast

Castell d’en Plaja, a private residence built in the 1930s

Lloret de Mar is one of the most popular holiday resorts on the Costa Brava

Parish Church of Sant Romà built in Catalan Gothic style in 1509
Restored in modernista style in the early 20th century, inspired by Gaudi

Today’s lunch – mussels and seafood fisherman stew, coloured with saffron
The local dry white wine from the Empordà Denominación de Origen (DO) matches perfectly

Lloret de Mar to Blanes

It’s 9km from Lloret to Blanes, the southern end of the Costa Brava. Raul and Mayra joined us to finish our 420km 4 week walk in Catalunya. Can it really be 4 weeks? We are not ready to leave!

Thanks Raul and Mayra for introducing us to Catalunya!

Looking down at a beach between Lloret de Mar and Blanes

From the Castle of St Joan we can see the end of the Costa Brava at Blanes

After 420km walking we finish with a great Paella on the beach at Mataró

Mataró

We organised our trip to be in Mataró (30km north of Barcelona) on Friday so we could see the Catalan Castell (Human Tower) practice.

The formation of these towers are much more complicated than we imagined. Everybody plays a part – young, old, fat, thin, male, female – without them all the Castell cannot be made. Teamwork and trust. It is like an orchestra. The finale is when a child, about 5 years old, reaches the top, raises a hand, crosses over and descends on the other side. The Castell then gracefully disassembles. (Thanks Mayra for the photos)

Forming a double base, 5 story Castell

I had the opportunity of joing a Castell at the end, what an experience