PYRENEES-ORIENTALES
Mountain lovers do not have to suffer because at one hour from Banyoles there are the fabulous Pyrenees-Orientales, with Ulldeter and Vall de Núria as epicenters of excursions and hiking in Girona.
The mountainous circus of Ulldeter, north of the picturesque village of Setcases, has three beatiful peaks just below the 3,000 meters very nice for hiking and that will provide you impressive views. We talk about Pic de la Dona, Bastiments or Pic del Gegant and Gra de Fajol. The ascent to all of them is through stony and vegetation-free paths, which the daring run or by mountain bike.
If you decide to go to Ulldeter, stop in Camprodon a charming village that will take you to 12th century and where the emblematic Pont Nou and Passeig Maristany stand out with the impressive mansions, especially photogenic in the fall.
The Vall de Núria, only accessible on foot or with the legendary zip train, is surrounded by mountains almost 3,000 meters high. The Puigmal, the highest peak, stands out as the emblemàtic and one of the classics of the Pyrenees. It is amazing to find in the middle of the valley a Sanctuary-Basilica, linked from its origins to fertility. Almost 2,000 meters high and surrounded with such a spectacular landscape it is a very special place that is worth a visit.
If you opt for the Vall de Núria, we also recommend a tour of the small village of Queralbs, where you can admire the Romanic architecture while enjoying the nature and the silence, two assets precious when we are on vacation and want to disconnect.
And still another possibility is to discover both places doing the Vallter-Núria crossing, one of the oldest hiking routes in the Pyrenees, which corresponds to a stage of the GR11.