Last summer, my friend Maureen told us about a hike her friend had done in Spain, called the Cami de Ronda. where we interested? Of course we are! So that Sunday afternoon I start doing some research, create a trip in Triphub and add some hikes and hotels to the trip board. We talk about it more during some of our weekly hikes. In November we decide on dates, and I start mapping out the routes and hotels along the way. A year after our first conversation, we are about to embark on hiking the Cami de Ronda hike: Calella de Palafrugell to Begur. Day 1, August 22, 2025. 7.5 miles, 1,650 feet elevation
After 2 days exploring Barcelona, Liane and I meet Maureen at the Estacio de Autobuses Barcelona Nord. We are about to embark on our 6-day hike of the Cami de Ronda along the Costa Brava in Northern Spain. The bus takes us to Palamos. When we arrive at the new Moventis bus station at the outskirts of Palamos, I call a taxi. I explain in my best Spanish where we are and where we need to go. Hotel Mas Del Sol, in the middle of nowhere, in between Palamos and Palafrugel. To my relieve, 20 minutes later, a taxi with a nice lady shows up and she drives us to the remote location of our old and beautiful farmhouse hotel.
Mas del Sol
After showers, we meet in the outside bar for drinks, followed by another great dinner of tapas and Fideua. The next morning, we leave our luggage at the hotel. It is supposed to be picked up by Taxi en Roses and brought to our next hotel. The hotel confirmed the pick-up is arranged for that morning, so I have hopes we will see our bags again later today. After a great breakfast in the garden, another taxi picks us up and drives us to the trailhead at the end of the beach in Calella de Palafruguel. She tells us “The only way to see the Costa Brava is to walk it.”. And that is exactly what we are going to do for the next 6 days.
Calella de Palafrugell – Llafranc
We couldn’t have asked for a better start. Blue skies and picture blue seas, with white boats bobbing softly in the waves. The temperatures are still reasonable this morning. We are following the signs for GR 92- Cami the Ronda as well and white and red markers on trees. The cliff side trail takes us along the Mediterranean, to above the next inlet and beach of Llafranc. We descend into the beautiful little fishing village and walk along the promenade. It is still early and quiet.
Llafranc – Cala Pedrosa
The trail continues and we climb high above the blue waters of Llafranc. We follow fellow hikers towards Sant Sebastia. The markers are now white and yellow. We are still learning to navigate the Cami de Ronda and later learn that white and red markers are for GR- Grand routes- like the Cami de Ronda, the white and yellow for PR – Pequeno or small routes. We take out our poles, as the trail is narrow, with a steep descend and a lot of gravel and rocks, making it difficult to navigate. However, the scenario more than makes up for it. After our little detour, we find the white and red markers again, that lead us to the beautiful little beach of Cala Pedrosa. This beach is only accessible by foot or by boat. There are several boats already anchored of the beach, with people swimming and paddle boarding in the clear waters.
Cala Pedrosa – Tamariu
For a second we debate whether to put on our bathing suits and get into the water. We decide to continue our hike towards Tamariu instead. A set of stairs leads us back up the rocky coast. We reach a fork in the road. We think we have to follow the trail up, but a white and red cross clearly tells us no. the alternative is a rocky beach. Unsure, we ask a Spanish person who is passing us and he points towards the rocky beach that doesn’t seem to be a trail. We decide to follow him and eventually we get back on the trail that leads to Tamariu. As lovely as the beach of Llafranc was, the beach in Tamariu is awful. Through the bodies and umbrellas, you cannot even see the beach. We are thirsty and want a cold beverage. The first 3 restaurants tell us they are preparing for lunch and cannot serve us. Finally, I manage to convince a waiter that we really need some bebidas. The Fanta Limon has never tasted so good.
Tamariu – Begur
After the refreshing drinks, we continue on to Begur. We cross the town of Tamariu and follow the trail on the side of the main road. This section is a bit boring. We come to a sign-post that shows an alternative route along the coast. It will take another 3 1/2 hours, so we opt out and continue along the road. 45 minutes later, we are sitting at the terrace of hotel Ondina, eating lunch and drinking rose. And our bags were there waiting for us when we arrived. Thank you Taxi en Roses.
Tips
Most hotels don’t serve breakfast till 8 or 9. If you want to make an early start to beat the heat, make sure you stock up on food and water. Most restaurants don’t open till 1PM for lunch so plan the hike and lunch with that in mind. If you don’t want to carry all your luggage, Taxi en Roses has a great luggage service. You can book all segments online, where they verify your hotel is on their list.
All photos are credit to Liane Aihara, Maureen OGorman and Mariel van Tatenhove
