Plank Road: Wild Costa Brava

This was a terrific walk in an area of natural, unspoilt coves and bays, the Costa Brava that has not been subject to development or to the formation of resort communities. We began by just walking out of our apartment, rounding the corner and going down one block, then we were on a gravel road and out into the countryside.

This is the same route we took the other day, but rather than heading for Calella de Palafrugell, we walked straight down a footpath and into the trees. Our plan was to join the GR92, a trail behind Cap Roig, and then take the Cami de Ronda along the seashore. Luckily, there is a map of the many paths in our apartment and we used it to guide us. Although we were uncertain of which path we were on, we knew we would find our way to the Mediterranean and go from there.

A Russian emigre and his aristocratic English wife built a ‘castle’ atop Cap Roig in the 1920s, they then established a botanical garden on Cap Roig, which is a hill overlooking the coast. They purchased a lot of woodland in the immediate area, this is now protected and full of footpaths.

We found our way through the trees and joined the GR92, then we went down to the first bay, known as El Crit, it is absolutely beautiful. There is a fisherman’s hut on the beach and some tiny islands of rock offshore. We then followed the Cami de Ronda trail along some stunning coastline.

We only met a few people on the whole coastal route. We were stopped by a Belgium woman who lives in London, she told us we had to time the waves and run across the beaches to keep our feet dry as the tide was in. We met only one other solo woman walker and that was it.

The Costa Brava really is extraordinary, the views never end, we were really enthralled by the rough cliffs, the sea, the little coves and the tiny beaches. Since we are generally mountain hikers, we are so accustomed to working hard for our reward; but here, it is like cheating, the views are just right there.

We continued along the coast passing the isolated coves of Cala Estreta, the trail then leaves the shore for the headland above and we were back into the forest. Then we approached Poblat Iberic, an old Iberian settlement with a stunning view of Platja de Castell, the beach at Castell.

Behind the beach we entered the woodland again and found the Ruta del Tren Petit, which is an old railway line that has been transformed into a path through the countryside. This was the most direct route back to Palafrugell, it was about a 7 km walk to Palafrugell from the beach at Castell. The path is flat and rather dull but it is busy with locals running, walking and biking.

This was a decent walk, approximately 16 km and it took us just over four hours, but it was just what we needed. The only away to get beyond stiff and sore leg muscles is to get some heat into them, to accomplish that, you have to work the muscle hard. So, tomorrow, we should be free of complaining muscles.

Entering the woodland