Over the past month in Catalonia, we have marveled at its architectural treasures in cosmopolitan Barcelona, explored the medieval origins of its quest for independence, and walked its rugged coastline along the deep blue Mediterranean Sea. At the end of our month in Catalonia, we crossed the Pyrenees Mountains in search of a loftier perspective.
The Pyrenees Mountains meet the Mediterranean Sea at Cap de Creus
The Pyrenees mountain range forms a 305-mile (490 km) natural border between Spain and France, separating the Iberian Peninsula from the rest of continental Europe. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea in Catalonia to the Atlantic Ocean in the Spanish Basque Country.
Building of a human tower (castell) at the Festes del Tura in Olot
On Esther’s birthday, we rented a spunky little Citröen, and started our climb through the foothills, stopping in the cheerful town of Olot. By coincidence, we arrived during the Festes del Tura, a traditional street festival including a full schedule of lively events. It was very welcoming of them to have live music, fireworks, and a confetti-throwing parade, all in Esther’s honor.
Croscat Volcano in the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone
The rolling terrain around Olot includes the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone, consisting of 40 volcanic cones and over 20 lava flows. Here we discovered the Croscat volcano, the youngest and tallest volcano on the Iberian Peninsula. Only about 12,000 years old and standing 620 feet (190 m) tall, the volcano is now enveloped in luxuriant vegetation thriving in the fertile volcanic soils.
La Fageda d’en Jordà Beech Forest
Hiking through the hillocks of basalt lava, we entered La Fageda d’en Jordà, a legendary forest of Beech trees named after a poem by the Catalán writer Joan Maragall. In an enchanted land of moss-covered volcanic rocks, the late afternoon sunlight lyrically filtered through the canopy and enlightened its lucid green foliage.
Trailhead in Aigüestortes National Park
After leaving the foothills, we ascended into the high mountains of Aigüestortes, Catalonia’s only national park. Here, we entered a glaciated granite territory of sharpened peaks, saw-toothed ridges, and deep U-shaped valleys. Under the bright high-altitude sun, we easily followed a chain of glacial tarns to the reflective waters of Gran d’Amitges Lake.
Lakeside JM Blanc Refugio (left) on Lake Estany Trullo
On our next hike, thunderclouds filled the sky and painted the landscape in infinite shades of gray. At the top of the trail, hammering hail and pounding rain chased us into a nearby mountain refuge, where we luckily found shelter from the storm and a comforting cup of hot coffee.
Torla Tower and Ordesa National Park
The next day, we finally exited Catalonia, and passed into neighboring Aragon, stopping in the preserved medieval mountain town of Torla. From here, we visited Ordesa National Park for another hike and to see Monte Perdido, the highest limestone massif in Europe.
Monte Perdido from Cola de Caballo Trail
We rose early to climb the Ordesa Valley Trail to Cola de Caballo horsetail falls. The impressive park landscape includes massive sedimentary strata and mountain torrents falling over the bedding in stair-step cascades.
Cascades on the Ara River, Ordesa National Park
Under the illuminated canopy of a volcanic Beech forest, beside the meditative waters of a high-altitude glacial lake, and resting atop a contemplative mountain peak, we had the opportunity to look back on our month in Catalonia. What we found was creative architecture, a claim for independence rooted in history, a rugged walkable coastline, and a loftier perspective by crossing the Pyrenees Mountains.
Birthday Girl in Spunky Citröen
Feature Image: Estany Gran d’ Amitges Lake in Aigüestortes National Park, Catalonia, Spain
Month at a Time Travel 
The Pyrenees Mountains are stunning, no doubt a very memorable birthday celebration for Esther 😄
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Being that Esther’s birthday was a travel day, we didn’t have much of a celebration planned. To our surprise, we discovered this festival in town. It was Saturday night, and everyone was participating in the party. It is surely one birthday she won’t soon forget.
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It looks like a stunning change of scenery. The hiking sounds wonderful – you both must be so happy to be dong this trip.
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This month, it was good to move around to see the varied landscapes of Catalonia. The granitic parts of the Pyrenees reminded us of the Sierra Nevadas back home. We have the Algarve on our radar for a month next fall. Hope you are well.
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We have that area on our radar, just trying to figure out how to fit it all in. All in all it looks like you had a great trip. Hopefully next fall we’ll get to catch up with you if you get back this way. All the best, Tim & Anne
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There is just so much to do on the Iberian Peninsula! Hope to meet you guys next year. In the meantime, we’ll see you on the computer. All the best to you too, Joe & Es
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Hiking, street fairs, volcanic forests…wow. Yes, I can see the attraction of Iberian Peninsula for you. You probably had to make some tough decisions on what you could and couldn’t do. Great stuff… – Marty
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Thanks, Marty. The Iberian Peninsula does have a lot to offer, and it is tough to decide what to do and what to skip over. Like with all good road trips, you can’t do everything. In our one week crossing the Pyrenees, we only had time to hit the highlights – Joe
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Funny, when you said that you had rented a Citröen I thought, “Wow, Joe rented a classic Citröen Maserati to drive over the Pyrenees!” But, now that I think about it, the spunky blue car is probably more appropriate 🙂 The scenery is gorgeous. I’m enjoying your journey and appreciate that you are checking out all the sights before my husband and I go on our trip 🙂
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Hi Janis, I know you and your husband are classic sports car fans. I had to laugh after looking up the Citröen Maserati. For us, the little blue car did the job, but the classic Citröen with a Maserati engine would have been a nice time saver, and a whole lot more fun.
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What a fun way to spend a birthday! (And happy belated birthday to your wife!) I had no idea Spain was that pretty, with all those mountains. The photos were fabulous.
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Thank you, Ann. We had fun on Esther’s birthday pretending that the festival was all for her. The Pyrenees are beautiful mountains, and have many features that you might find in the national parks back home. At times during our one week crossing, I was reminded of the Sierra Nevadas, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, and Zion.
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The Ordesa is so amazing – I went there as part of my geology degree over 25 years ago and still vividly remember the walk up past the waterfalls and then out above the treeline to the alpine style grass meadows. Glad you had an equally good time! Thank you for the memory trigger!
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Hey Charlie, It would have been great to learn more about the geology of the Ordesa. With all the marine sedimentary rocks, there is bound to be some excellent fossil hunting grounds. I also wish I had more time to explore the areas above the waterfalls that you describe. Hopefully, a return visit is in our future.
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