Platja d’Aro – Pals

It is almost forty kilometres from Platja d’Aro to Pals. The route runs through Sant Antoni de Calonge, Palamós and Llanfranc, and the Fosca and El Castell beaches before reaching Pals.

147 Km (5 m) At the end of Passeig Marítim, turn left along Carrer Cavall Bernat. At the end of this street, turn right to climb Avinguda Cavall Bernat that leads you out of Platja d’Aro. Leave the town, carrying straight on to take the road to Sant Antoni de Calonge.

149.50 Km (23 m) On reaching the Treumal campsite just before the petrol station, leave the road and carry straight on past the entrance to the campsite before entering the Torre Valentina housing development. Take the street to the left that leads to the Passeig Marítim promenade down the street to the right. Continue along Passeig Marítim through Sant Antoni de Calonge (151.10 Km) until you reach Palamós. If you prefer, you can avoid Passeig Marítim by using the street parallel to it, Carrer de Sant Antoni.

153.20 Km (4 m) You will reach Palamós along Passeig Marítim promenade. On reaching the tourism office at the end of the promenade, ride around the back of the office to enter Avinguda Onze de Setembre. Follow this avenue towards the sea and, after a few metres, you will come to the port carpark. Go downhill to enter the carpark and continue left through the port. On your right is the old fish market, which is now the Museu de la Pesca (Fish Museum), Pass the roundabout and carry on along the street that borders the port. Pass the sailing clubs and the marina. After the port begins the climb up Carrer de la Fosca. Climb uphill until you come to a roundabout.

At this point, you leave the route to Palafrugell on your left and carry straight on towards the La Fosca beach, down Carrer de la Fosca.

156.80 Km ( 0 m) You have reach La Fosca beach. At the start of the walkway is a parking area for bicycles where you can leave yours and spend a while on the beach. The route continues to the left, along the street called Camí Vell de la Fosca that climbs and, after two streets, leads to a junction where you will have to make a decision, because from this point onwards there are two alternatives to reach El Castell beach:

a) The first is for prepared bicycles, because it runs along paths in bad conditions and, if it has rained, unstable land. Carry on to your right towards the S’Alguer cove. At the end of the Fosca Mar housing development, turn right onto Camí Cap de Planes and go straight uphill. At the end is a dirt path to your left and continues uphill. Take the first turn-off to your right to El Castell beach. At the end of the path, you will cross a small bridge and turn right, leaving the trail to Palafrugell. After 300 m you will come to a tarmacked road where you turn right to El Castell beach.

b) The second alternative runs along more regular, tarmacked paths, but is quite a lot longer. At the crossroads indicated before, turn left to return to Carrer de la Fosca. On reaching the roundabout you left behind before, take the street on the right. You will pass another two roundabouts, but carry straight on. Pass the olympic pool in a campsite on your right, which is the sign to turn right after around 100 m onto a narrow alleyway.

159.00 Km (14 m) Sant Joan de Palamós. Along Carrer Rutlla Alta you will come to an industrial estate and a petrol station. Pass behind it and take the trail to Palafrugell through Paratge Torre Mirona. This is the royal road that runs through olive groves to reach a tarmacked trail that you take on the right, which passes above the Albi torrent.

Leave the Palafrugell road and then carry straight on to El Castell beach.

162.90 Km (2 m) El Castell beach. Return along the same path to reach the Palafrugell road on which you now turn right (Km 164.70).

165.80 Km (27 m) After crossing two torrents through reeds you take the road on your right. After 500 m, leave the trail to Mont-ras and continue again to the right, following the signposting.

166.80 Km (31 m) Turn right and, after 330 m, take the trail on your left towards Palafrugell. After 860 m, leave a path to your left to continue on the dirt trail that turns right.

After 920 m there is a signpost on your left towards Palafrugell that you follow. After 1.2 Km you will come to a country house where you take the path on the left.

168.50 Km (40 m) You will reach Ermedàs. The dirt path ends and a tarmacked street begins. Continue along the tarmac on your left towards Palafrugell.

170.20 Km (41 m) You will come to the old Calella road, where there is a signpost. To your left you go to Pals and Begur. Continue to your right towards Calella-Llafranc. Be careful with the traffic!

172.50 Km (36 m) You reach Calella de Palafrugell. Carry straight on down the road that leads to the sea.

173.30 Km (12 m) Continue along Passeig de la Torre. You will come to a roundabout where you turn right towards Sant Sebastià lighthouse-Tamariu-Llafranc. Go down Carrer Lluís Marquès i Carbó and then down Carrer Pere Pasquet to reach Llafranc beach. Once you have visited Llafranc, take a small street along which cars are forbidden, which is at the end of Carrer Pere Paret. Carrer Roger de Llúria, having past Plaça Jaume I square, leads to the GEV-6591 road that leads to Tamariu and Sant Sebastià lighthouse. Take this road.

175.70 Km (48 m) 3 Km before Sant Sebastià, after a climb that ends on a right-hand bend, take a dirt trail on the left at Llafranc Tennis Club. This is a local footpath (marked green and white) that leads to Palafrugell.

Of the two trails, take the one on the right and, at the next crossroads of three paths, take the one on the right again. Then follow the trail until you reach the outskirts of Palafrugell. Turn left on the first street after passing Avinguda García Lorca, which later on becomes Pompeu Fabra.

Those who are more in shape can climb up to Sant Sebastià lighthouse and its wonderful views, before returning along the road to Palafrugell. Entering along the same road, you will come to Avinguda García Lorca when it changes its name to Pompeu Fabra.

178.50 Km (61 m) On the roundabout in Plaça de la Pau square, head for Begur (straight on) before turning left onto Carrer Josep Bonay. On your right at the end of the climb is a dirt trail leading to Pals. Take this trail.

179.60 Km (50 m) There is a fork: follow the path on the right. After a few metres you will come to a small road and the neighbourhood of Les Rajoleries in the village of Esclanyà. Follow the road to your left. After 100 m, turn left onto Carrer Can Mayola, which becomes a dirt trail known as Camí de Can Vidalet. Carry straight on.

181.00 Km (41 m) Be careful when you reach the road, because you have to cross it! Enter the industrial estate along the street furthest to your left. Take the dirt path at the end of the street. Follow this path as it enters a pine forest.

182.70 Km (24 m) On reaching a fork, follow the left-hand path towards Pals.

183.30 Km (23 m) You will come to a turn-off that leads to the Montgrí mountain. The path on your right leads to Begur and Regencós. Take the left-hand path towards Pals. After 200 m, take the turn-off to your right.

184.30 Km (17 m) You will come to the road, which you follow to the right. Cross it to take a path to the left that passes in front of a water treatment plant. From here you have a lovely panoramic view of Pals and of the Montgrí mountain behind it.

185.50 Km (11 m) You will come to the signposted fork: left heads for Torrent and right for Pals. Turn right and carry straight on to Pals.

186.20 Km (33 m) You are now in Pals. Cross the town along Carrer de la Creu until you come to Plaça de la Vila square, where the tourism office is located. The historic centre, known as El Pedró, is well worth a visit.