Day 4
Determined to make the most of my last day, I wake early (it’s still dark) at 7 am and stumble down to the lobby. My hosts for the evening are cheerful and welcoming with a steaming cup of coffee and croissant (very flakey and even warm). Today I hope to complete the walk from Berger back to Calella de Palfrugell by around 2 pm. That’s 12km, but Ashley says it is a MUST do and the most spectacular day’s walk.



As I set off I wonder if this was the day to dress in a T shirt and shorts. The wind is whipping over the hill and is a bit chilly (maybe around 55 F), but I hope it warms up as I go.
My reward comes quickly, as 1 hour into the walk after a gentle stroll through pines and past stunning villas mostly on the GR 92, I descend into the charming seaside village of Tamariu. It’s a picturesque scene, where I sit under the tamarisk trees (from which the town takes its name) and gaze out over the small cove surrounded by rocky cliffs. A couple is swimming at the beach, so obviously, it’s warmed up a bit.

No time to dawdle though, as I see my stamina will now be tested.

The path takes off ON THE ROCKY CLIFF! I almost went the wrong way, thinking there was NO WAY, but somehow if you look closely there IS a path and steps and it is possible to walk around the edge of the bay.



Amazing views as I walk for about 2 hours along the Mediterranean coast, across some sections actually waymarked on large boulders against crashing surf and up then up through pine covered forests. Almost every turn is breathtaking, with constant views of the crystal blue horizon. Maybe even vertigo producing views! You wouldn’t want to walk the route at dusk as there are steep overhangs over deep crevasse crashing with the surf. I can’t even think of another place of more beauty and solitude.

As I finish a particularly tough section – zig zagging straight down a sheer cliff (there are fences strategically placed to hold on to and very well waymarked) – and come down (again) to a very private beach on the stunning cove of Cala Pedrosa, I meet the first walkers (and only) I will see all day. They are British and we share a few hints about what’s ahead (they tell me I have along way to go! Which I dismiss, only to discover is CORRECT. I tell them they have a directly uphill walk for 30 minutes or more – but it is WORTH IT!). I hope they made it.



Finally, a long and winding climb back up (okay, now I’m noticing that extra 30 lbs) till I reach the lighthouse at Sant Sebastia. Never been so happy to see a bathroom (Hotel El Far has an enviable location at the top of the cliff overlooking the Mediterranean). It’s only a short few feet to the overlook on Calella de Palfrugell, which is possibly the highlight of the entire walk, as the honey colored villages and absolutely stunning beaches and marinas filled with boats extend as far as the eye can see. I glimpse the Hotel Garbi overlooking it all in the distance. It looks like about 15 minutes away (turns out to be over an hour!). When I make the final ascent to the hotel, they are waiting with my luggage and a hot shower. Can’t really describe how that felt!
So I made it by 2 pm (by a margin of 30 min) and Ashley takes me back to Flaca train station for the direct train to Barcelona. I thank him for his sincere hospitality as I board the train for the next phase of my journey – Barcelona!

posted by Breakaway Adventures @ 3:56 PM