Trail Brava 5
Type of tour: guided or self-guided
Duration: 5 days / 4 nights
Where: Alt Empordà, Girona, España
Start: Torroella de Fluvià
End: Portbou
| Dates: | 21-25 April 23-27 June 27-31 October |
| * Other dates |
Distance: 115Km (approx.)
Difficulty: Medium – rocky trails, dirt paths with no major altitude variation
Group: Minimum 5, maximum 12 runners
Lodging: ** and *** hotels
- Variety of terrain: rocky single track, dirt paths, fire roads, sand beaches, cliffs you will have to climb, etc
- Medium-low technical difficulty, with multiple options to make the tour tougher or easier
- First and last stages will have the most mountainous trails
- Night run to the easternmost spot of Spain, where you will see dawn
- Possibility of doing extra activities, such as wine tasting or sea kayakomg (depending on the season)
- You will run by unique cultural spots, like the home of Salvador Dalí or the restaurant El Bulli
- And also through the western slopes of the Pyrenees, with amazing views to both France and Spain
- Amazing scenery in the unique natural environment of one of the most special natural parks
This is a very special and unique tour. For 5 days you will cover one of the most special areas of the Costa Brava. Running alongside the coast from South to North, the tour starts next to the Fluvià river to cover day after day different natural parks and many different terrains until getting to Potbou.
You will daily run around 23Km (the time it takes to cover this distance will depend on the group’s pace) along the rugged northern Costa Brava. We’ll stop every day to have a delicious picnic and to restore our energy, to then go for the second part of the tour and end up in some of the loveliest villages in Spain. We will then go to the hotel were our rooms will be ready to have a relaxing shower. And the rest of the day? That depends on you. The Costa Brava is one of the most popular touristic destinations and if you have never been there, you’ll love it. If you don’t feel like doing typical tourist stuff, you might be interested in outdoor activities (usually only available during summer): sea kayaking, sailing, scuba diving,etc. Maybe you’re hungry for more trails? No problem, we can also do a short run to get to some less well-known spots. At the end of the day we’ll get back together to have dinner at the hotel or a local restaurant. A short briefing on the next day… and then time to get some rest! How does that sound? Feels like giving it a try, right?
The Trail Brava has also a “tiny gem” on its second day: a night run from Cadaqués to the lighthouse of Cap de Creus, a headland 67m high which has been the inspiration of writers and artists. We’ll enjoy dawn there at the easternmost spot of the Iberian Peninsula. A unique experience no trail runner should miss!
Cap de Creus Natural Park
The Cap de Creus area was declared natural reserve in May 1998. The reserve includes areas of both the sea and land. It’s a rugged coast, composed mainly of slate and constantly interrupted by small bays. For those geology experts, it is a mountain mass set upon granitic and schistose terrain from the Ordovician (Paleozoic) era. It was declared a nature park because of its highly valuable fauna and flora, with some very special and unique species, and because of its rich waters with low level of pollution. It also has an outstanding cultural heritage, with the Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes as the “jewel in the crown” and many other interesting spots, such as archaeological sites as well as the legacy of Salvador Dalí.
It also stands out because of its extraordinary scenic value and the exceptional beauty of the coastal areas in contrast with the inland landscape. It is an important nature reserve with a unique geological configuration, with structures and formations that make it unique spot in the world. It is also the first mixed sea/land nature park in Catalonia. There is a lot of information (in Spanish) about the park on the Generalitat de Catalunya website.
And if all the above wasn’t enough, Cap de Creus is the largest uninhabited area of the whole Spanish Mediterranean coast. There’s no better place to enjoy trails along the coast than Cap de Creus.
Trail Brava 5 day by day plan
D 1. Torroella de Fluvià – Roses. Distance: 25Km Estimated tour time: 4 hours Altitude profile
We will all meet in Figueres to drive to Torroella de Fluvià, where the tour will start. We will be running along the river down to the beach and then we’ll step into the Aiguamolls de l’Empordà Natural Park, to enjoy its beautiful wildlife. This first day will finish in the coastal town of Roses.
D 2. Roses – Cadaqués. Distance: 20Km (30Km optional) Estimated tour time: 3 hours Altitude profile
Once out of the town of Roses, we’ll climb up to 200m to enjoy the fantastic view of the bay and then go down to the coastline. Once there, we’ll run along the cliffs of the ‘Camino de Ronda’ to get to Cala Montjoi, where we’ll have a break right next to the famous restaurant El Bulli. Then we move on through coastline trails and sandy beaches to arrive to Cadaqués. Once there, there will be time to shower, relax and visit the village before having a delicious dinner.
D 2. Cadaqués – El Port de la Selva. Distance: 18Km Estimated tour time: 3 hours Perfil de la jornada
We wake up before the break of the day, have a quick breakfast and get your stuff ready to go to Cap de Creus lighthouse. A one-hour technical run to see dawn at the easternmost point of the Iberian Peninsula. We’ll have a picnic and then head to the north. After visiting sandy beaches, Romanesque churches and other hidden treasures of Cap de Creus Nature Park, we’ll arrive to El Port de la Selva. We’ll rest or do some activities in the afternoon and then have dinner at the hotel or at a local restaurant.
D 3. El Port de la Selva – Llançà. Distance: 20Km Estimated tour time: 3 hours Altitude profile
The fourth day will have a gastronomic and cultural style. The route will start on the beach to climb up on a single track trail towards Sant Pere de Rodes monastery. But before we get there, we’ll make a stop for some brief wine tasting and a vineyard visit. Then we’ll continue running up to the monastery, where we’ll have lunch and visit the amazing cultural heritage and enjoy the fantastic views of the Alt Empordà. Afterwards, we’ll go down again to the coast in between hills to follow the ‘Camino de Ronda’ for a final stop in Llançà.
D 5. Llançà – Portbou. Distance: 25Km Estimated tour time: 4 hours Altitude profile
This last day will have a beautiful contrast: first we’ll run along the coast and then we’ll head inland to run up to 500m. Once there, we’ll follow forest roads and single track trails following the border between Spain and France to end up in Portbou. Amazing views for an unforgettable tour.
* Timings are approximate as weather, group expertise or route changes might increase or decrease them.
How to get to the meeting point
The meeting point for all the participants will be in Figueres; specifically at the Plaza del Sol at 08:30AM of the start day. We will then go to the starting point of the tour in our vehicle.
To get to Figueres you have different options:
By train: the train station in Figueres is about a 15min walk from the meeting point. Just let us know you’ve arrived and we’ll pick you up or, if you prefer, here are the directions to get there on foot.
By bus: the bus station in Figueres is at the same square at the train station. Just let us know you’ve arrived and we’ll pick you up or, if you prefer, here are the directions to get there on foot.
By car: junction 4 of the AP-7 motorway will take you just 5km away from Figueres. If you prefer not to use a toll route, the N-IIa road crosses the city right next to the meeting point.
By plane: the two nearest airports are Girona and Perpignan, in France. If you fly to either of those airports let us know in advance so we can pick you up and then drop you off on the last day.
The group will have between 5 and 12 runners and a guide from Traiectus. The guide has a key role in a tour: he knows the trails, the logistics and everything about a trip such as this one. It is up to him to make everything run smoothly and to make the tour unforgettable. That is why it’s fundamental his directions are followed to the letter, that he is trusted and helped out in every possible way.
Although the tour will be customized to the performance of the group, most likely there will be different paces among the runners. We want everyone to enjoy the route as much as possible so we won’t force the group to permanently stay together. Every now and then, we’ll regroup at peaks, passes or key spots on the trail. This is a basic security rule which must be understood and applied so everyone can really enjoy the trail.
If you choose to do the tour self-guided, you will be given a map and a roadbook so you can guide without problems. As there will be no guide with the group, you will have the responsibility to act with respect and with common sense.
Everyday, while the group is running, we’ll take care of carrying your stuff to the next hotel or rural cottage. Thus, when the tour reaches its daily end, the check-in will have already been done for you and your luggage will be ready for you so you can relax and enjoy a refreshing shower.
Lodging for the three nights will be in ** and *** hotels in Cadaqués, El Port de la Selva and Llançà. Depending on the features of each accommodation establishment (which will vary based on the season and availability) the type of stay will be half board or room only. In the latter situation, both breakfast and dinner will be in local restaurants.
Lodging will be based on double occupancy rooms. If you’d like to stay in a single room, you can do so by adding a small fee to the tour price.
Every night we’ll have dinner together either at the hotel or at a local restaurant. Breakfast will work the same way while for lunch we’ll have a (daily) prepared pic-nic which we’ll carry in our backpacks and we’ll eat on-the-go.
If you have any special dietary requirement (if you are vegetarian, for example) or you have any allergies, let us know beforehand so we can adapt your meals according to your needs.
Your belongings will be distributed between what you’ll carry while you’re running and what will be carried by our service vehicle.
Items while running:
Mandatory:
- Technical t-shirt – Base Layer
- Polar fleece – Middle layer
- Soft shell (Gore-Tex, Windstopper or similar) – Top layer
- Running socks
- Shorts or running tights (long/short depending on the season and personal preferences)
- (Broken in) Trail running shoes
- Survival blanket
- Hydration backpack (up to 2 liters)
- Water bottles (if not using backpack)
- Cel lphone
- Headlamp
Optional:
- Sunglasses
- Summer/winter hat
- Gloves
- Trekking poles
- A Buff or similar
- Energy bars, gel, etc
Other recommended baggage:
- Large backpack or suitcase (80-100 liter)
- Comfortable clothing to wear after running
- Flip-flops or slippers
- Toilet bag
- First-aid kit (painkiller, strips, anti-inflammatory,etc)
- Sunscreen
- Replacement laces
- Swiss knife
What’s included in the price?
- Transportation from the meeting point to the start of the tour
- A trail running guide for the full tour (or a roadbook if self-guided)
- Personal insurance
- Daily hauling of your baggage in our service vehicle
- Booking of lodging for 4 nights
- Booking of restaurants (if needed)
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner of each full day of tour. Lunch an dinner the first day and breakfast and lunch the on last
- Dry Tech technical T-shirt
- Transport back to the meeting point
What’s NOT included?
- The trip from and to the meeting point (your train or flight tickets, etc)
- Energy bars, drinks and food other than what is included in meals
- Extra services at hotels
- Anything else not included in the “what is included in the price” section above
How do I make a reservation? The reservation process takes just three simple steps:
- Complete the reservation form with your information
- Proceed to make the payment for 30% of the total amount
- Create a username
Once the reservation is complete, we’ll get back to you to confirm the details and clear up doubts you might have. The total amount for the tour will have to be paid three weeks before the tour start date.
© 2010 Traiectus, Trail Running Tours - 