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Sorting out the Caminos north of Montserrat

peregrina2000

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After a lot of research, help from the Association in Girona, and studying the map, I think I've figured out the various routes that are in existence in northeastern Catalunya. Catalunya is such a beautiful part of Spain and everyone loves Barcelona, so maybe there are more forum members interested in some walking in that part of the country.

All of the routes I describe here join at Montserrat, and from there you can follow the Camino Catalán, which itself has two options, one through Zaragoza (which joins the Frencés in Logroño, I believe) and one more northerly through Huesca and San Juan de la Peña (which joins the Aragonés in Santa Cilia de Jaca).

First, the Cami de Rodes. It begins in the Monastery of Sant Quirze de Colera and comes over the French border at Coll de Banyuls. It continues on to the Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes. It continues through Paul, Vilajuiga and Vilabertran. There it joins up with the so-called Via Augusta. This route, the Via Agusta continues till Girona.

Then there is the Camino de Coll de Banyuls. This camino is not marked between from Coll de Banyuls to the monastery of Sant Quirze de Colera. But from Sant Quirze de Colera this route is marked until Rabós de l'Empordá and Perelada. At that spot it joins with the Cami de Rodes, and the two continue as one towards Vilabertran and Girona.

So, the Cami de Rodes and the Camino de Coll de Banyuls take slightly different routes, and join up in Perelada and then both go to Girona.

In Girona, the Via Agusta continues towards Fornells de la Selva, Riudellots, Mallorquines, until reaching Sant Celoni, Granolleres, Sabadell, Terrasa, and finally Montserrat. This route is not yet marked.

Third is the Ruta del Ripollés. This camino begins in Coll d'Ares which is on the French border. It continues towards Molló, Camprodón, Ripoll, Roda de Ter, and Vic. From Vic, the route reaches Montserrat going through L'Estany and Navarcles. No guide yet and marking is needed before Vic.

Fourth, the Generalitat (the Catalan regional government) has picked bits and pieces of those routes to come up with what it called the Cami St. Jaume. It starts on the coast near the border, in Port de la Selva/Llanca, and then goes to Sant Pery de Rodes. It goes then to Girona (tracking the Cami de Rodes), where it gets to the Via Augusta. But, instead of continuing on the Via Augusta, it hooks up back to the north, on a route it has invented, until it gets to Roda de Ter, which is on the Ruta de Ripollés. It then stays with that historic route through L'Estany, Navarcles, Manresa, till it reaches Montserrat.

I know that the Girona Association is working on a guidebook to the historical routes, marking, etc. But the Generalitat's "invented route" is today probably the easiest to follow. It's unfortunate that there are warring factions here, but that seems to be the nature of the beast. If nothing else, this invented route has the benefit of taking you through both Girona and Vic, with all the romanesque monasteries in between.

I'll be starting on that invented route in exactly one week, if all goes well!
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
IMG_20150529_232824678.jpg I have the French Rando book for Arles to Logrono (march 2013) his section for the day that crosses the border starts in Le Boulou and finishes in Le Jonquera , it goes over the border at Col de Panissars. Later the route goes through Girona and Vic. Is this a totally different route or similar to the Cami de Rodes?
 
Hi, Mike,
It will take me a while to sort this out, and I am waiting for more info from my pal in Girona, because apparently most of the historical caminos in Catalunya connect somehow with Perpignan, I believe. And I think there are four of them.

But one thing I can say is that any route that goes through Girona AND Vic is apparently not a historical camino (not that the FRRP book would be) but rather a concoction that puts together two nice destinations!

According to my friend there are four historical routes going through Perpignan and into Catalunya. Here they are:

Font Romeu going through Puigcerda
Coll d'Ares-Mollo (which is what I described above as the Ruta del Ripolles)
Coll de Panissars - La Jonquera (called the Via Augusta)
Coll de Banyuls (Via Heraclea and Cami de Rodes)

But now I am even more confused because this Coll de Panissars route is yet another one I hadn't talked about in my first post.

He did send me a nice map of the historical routes from Perpignan but I must have deleted it and have asked him to send it again. Maybe that will clear things up.

Are you going this way any time soon? Buen camino, Laurie
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Hi Laurie thanks for the reply. I got this guide last year when I was thinking of a way from Montpellier that could be better for my knee than the Arles route.

I hope you have a great Camino, some of the photos I have seen look quite stunning, will look forward to your reports.

Buen Camino
 
Hi Laurie, you are definately the "go to" person about the routes in Catalunya! I can only imagine all the various opinions and information you have gotten from the different "warring factions". The Amics in Barcelona don't even know what the Amics in Terrassa are doing only 30 km away (sending me different information on the route Barcelona-Monserrat)! This seems in line with what I experienced along the Levante - local Amigos groups do not work together.

I will post the information I have gathered on my own thread;).

Three days to go for you!
 
I have the French Rando book for Arles to Logrono (march 2013) his section for the day that crosses the border starts in Le Boulou and finishes in Le Jonquera , it goes over the border at Col de Panissars. Later the route goes through Girona and Vic. Is this a totally different route or similar to the Cami de Rodes?

That route joins the Camí de Rodes in Vilabertran. Info about the stage from the border to Figueres can be found on this web (click on Panissars-Figueres):

www.camigironasantiago.com/rutas/catalanas

P.S.: Starting at the Col de Panissars, there's a variant going to Ripoll from where there are two more variants... Take a look at www.rutasjacobeas.com/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53&Itemid=37 for more info.

P.S. (2): There's also a Camino route from Puigcerdà to Montserrat (www.rutasjacobeas.com/web/rutas.html). I don't know if that camino route is be marked though. However, there's also a GR from Puigcerdà to Montserrat that, although it doesn't follow the same route than the camino, might be an alternative: www.catalunya.com/rutas/gr-4-puigcerda-montserrat-24-1-36

P.S. (3): Out of Puigcerdà, there's also the Camí del Segre towards Balaguer. There was a web about this camino but it seems it doesn't exist anymore so I just can provide links to info about the first stages: www.cerdanya.org/images/Fotos/6Publicacions/61Publicacions/cami_santjaume_cat_2014_web.pdf and http://www.ccau.cat/turisme/cami_st_jaume catala angles.pdf
 
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The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Well, this is just way too many choices in too small an area -- too confusing, too many arrows to keep painted, too many guides to write. I hope the amigos can work with the Generalitat and agree on a couple of options. I understand the pull of all those routes, each probably has its own abundance of beautiful architecture, and the entire area is so pretty. But with such a small number of people even walking, it seems to me it would make sense to get us all on the same route.

I just had an email from the Amigos group in Cervera (day 2 for me and LT after Montserrat) and they just completed the "fake camino" that I'm going to be starting in a few days. So I guess if it's good enough for them, it's good enough for me. I'll be all alone, though, they say. So glad LT is joining me in Montserrat! http://www.camisantjaume.cat/camins...-assosiacio/cap-de-creus-montserrat?offset=-5
 

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