2. FOOTHILLS OF THE PYRENEES

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Many people visit Girona’s Costa Brava, stretching along the Mediterranean from the Spanish - French border to north of Barcelona, but few of those visitors venture inland to see the rest of the province. Those who do can explore a wonderful medley of beech and oak forests, medieval towns, dormant volcanoes, deep valleys and tiny churches perched on mountaintops, all waiting for the adventurous traveler.

Here you can hike lightly traveled paths between villages,  with views of almost untouched low mountains; wander the streets of medieval Jewish neighborhoods; hike to the Spanish-French border on the same path people used to flee Spain at the end of the Civil War; people-watch from sidewalk cafés in Girona; climb a low, wooded hill to prove to yourself that it really is a dormant volcano - complete with a church in the crater; coast downhill on a walking-biking path laid out on an old railbed; all this and more awaits you! 

Eastern Pyrenees, Spain. Tiny village, one of the prettiest in the Pyrenees
This area is a favorite of ours, ever since our first trip more than 15 years ago. Long ignored by tourism, now it's on the edge of a boom - as former training area for Lance Armstrong, it is already being discovered by serious cyclists, but walkers and low-keyed cyclists who want fewer kilometers or fewer hills still haven't found it. Come discover the delights of the Foothills of the Pyrenees! 

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BEST TIME OF YEAR: Late April - June + September - October
SUGGESTED TRIP: Walking, 4 - 9 days. Biking, 4 - 6 days. Multiactivity possible.
DESCRIPTION TERRAIN / DIFFICULTY: Most walking routes in the central part of this area are moderate in distance and length, with more challenging routes on the edges. Some paths have patches of uneven footing (rocks, tree roots).  Biking routes tend to be hilly, distances variable. 
SUGGESTED MEET / DEPART: Barcelona or Girona
SUGGESTED GROUP SIZE: Depends on trip. One village hotel is tiny, limiting group to 11 people. If route does not include overnight in that village, suggested maximum is 20 people.