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Catalunya - northeast Spain
Volcanic plateau La Garrotxa
Dates : this walking holiday is available for groups. Contact us to determine the dates suitable for you
The best modus operandi for exploring the history of a region are your own two feet (and five senses).
Bruce Chatwin wrote that life is "a journey to be walked on foot": whereas nowadays our life journeys are spent sat in front of computers ; not so long ago essentially everybody walked everywhere.
The area : La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park
Our walks in La Garrotxa attempt to follow, literally, in the footsteps of the people of the past to see how they reflect on present-day La Garrotxa. These walks take the roads once most travelled by in the past, the cobbled cart tracks, mule trails and forest paths which were in their day the motorways of the past, along which life - both in the form of material goods and information - flowed incessantly, night and day.
Join together the brushstrokes of the past that these walks provide and, with luck, you'll get nearer to the fuller - but still necessarily impressionistic - picture of La Garrotxa's historical past, from the volcanic activity 300,000 years ago through to the 21st century.
La Garrotxa with its volcanoes, deep forests and a wealth of wildlife is a haven of quiet for walkers and naturalists. Olot, the local capital, is set in the heart of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, Catalonia's first such park and today empowered with the protection and management of a large part of the local territory that includes over 40 volcanoes, 20 or so lava flows and stunning basalt cliffs.
The landscape here consists largely of rolling oak- and beech-covered hillsides, interspersed with areas of cultivation in the valley bottoms and more open areas of upland pastures in the plateaux. One of the park's most famous sites is the volcano Croscat, which was once quarried for its volcanic materials; today visitors can enter the scar left by the heavy machinery and see for themselves the innards of the Iberian Peninsula's tallest and youngest volcano.
Further north in La Garrotxa the landscape changes, and the volcanoes give way to the region known as L'Alta Garrotxa, a harsh rugged limestone landscape protected by the Consorci de l'Alta Garrotxa. Here, rural-urban drift has taken its toll and many are the abandoned farms that today dot this area; in better condition, though, are the numerous beautiful romanesque churches that are scattered throughout these hills and which act as important points of reference for any walk in the area.
As an exceptionally well-preserved area, La Garrotxa inevitably boasts a wealth of flora and fauna. Its butterfly populations are famous and over 140 species have been observed in the area; likewise, there are good breeding populations of birds of prey (Short-toed and Booted Eagles), many reptiles and amphibians and woods full of deer and Wild Boar.
However, the month of May is perhaps the month for local botanists, as the abandoned pastures and rocky hillsides put on a marvelous spread of colour, with perhaps the region's 50 plus species of orchid being one of the highlights.
 
Accommodation : Hotel La Perla*** in Olot
Olot, the local capital, is set in the heart of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. The choice of Olot for our accommodation is based on its central location in the middle of the walking area we are interested in. Sometimes we shall not need any transport at all, sometimes use local buses and sometimes private transport.
La Perla*** is a comfortable hotel, situated at 10 min walk from the town centre. It offers a friendly family atmosphere, bar, restaurant local and international gastronomy, a garden terrace.
Our three star accommodation is in apartment : twin bedroom and a living room with sofa, kitchenette and fridge.
We shall have Half Board service : dinner with a choice of 3 starters, 3 main courses, choice of desserts; drinks included (1 bottle of wine for 4).
Breakfast is large and generous, buffet style.
Vegetarians are catered for and we shall discuss at arrival the special wishes of the "végétaliens".
There are no leisure facilities in the hotel, but the Spanish towns are animated and shops are open until 21:00.
Our guide
Our local guide has been living in Catalonia - or Catalunya - in northeast Spain for more years than he cares to remember! Arriving in small-town Catalonia in January 1984, he quickly realised that the wildlife here was bigger, more abundant and more colourful than at home in Britain! Since then he has thrown himself fully into leading wildlife trips, writing walking and wildlife guides and helping to promote butterfly and dragonfly studies in Catalonia.
Mike works as part of a collective of environmental education companies called Verd Volcànic, and is also very active in the local natural history society. He is an accredited guide for La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural park, and leads all kinds of walking and wildlife tours in the area.
As an author, he has written walking and wildlife guides to the area. Currently, he is working as one of the coordinators of the first Catalan Dragonfly Atlas and, having also written a book on local dragonflies and worked on the local orchid atlas, he is now involved in the first study of the butterflies of the region. As well, he is also working on the maintenance of a network of historic pathways in the region that involves the computerised mapping of the region's ancient trails and paths, in addition to all its natural, geological and other 'tourist' resources.
Mike has recently been award the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism and fully believes that sustainable tourism, using high-quality local services, is the best way of preserving the wonderful cultural landscape that this part of the Pyrenees still retains.
Walking programme : 5 guided walks
The walks will be chosen to match the special needs of your group : big hard climbs can be cut out if necessary and the underfoot can be chosen very comfortable and safe. The length of the walks will be between 10 km and 15. Mike will be able to talk endless about birds, orchids, history etc.
see the walks description All walks and times are subject to change in function of weather conditions, group fitness etc.
The walkling holiday package includes:
- 7 nights half board in Hotel La Perla***, based on two sharing one apartment
- 5 guided walks
- airport transfers with private bus
Not included are:
- Single room supplement
- Local transport to the walks: for the walking programme indicated above
- Private medical insurance & travel insurance
- Flights :
Flights : Belfast Barcelona with Easy Jet
Fri 30th April, 2010, dep Belfast 9:25; arr Barcelona 13:05 flight n° 6671
Fri 7th May, 2010, dep Barcelona 13:40; arr Belfast 15:25 flight n° 6672
Walking holiday price
- 699 € per person, without flight
- £ 140-150 flight (estimated)
- price based on a group of 20 persons minimum
Due to the decrease of the Sterling value against €uro, causing an important price increase for our guests from the Sterling zone, we propose the following :
Package price without flight : 699 € ; this amount will be invoiced in €uro; the exchange rate of the moment of payment will apply for the guests who cannot pay in €uro.
We invoice your flight in Sterling, at cost +15% adm charge.
You can also buy your own flight, as long as the landing/take off times in Barcelona airport are close to the times of the Easy Jet flight from Belfast (in order to be able to join in the airport transfer)
 
Contacts
For any further information, please contact us.
Please make sure you have valid private medical insurance and travel insurance
Book Now!
If you would like to book your place on this holiday, please download the booking form and return with a deposit of 200 € per person.
You prefer to talk to us before sending your booking request ? On the numbers below you will talk to :
- Martin : 0044/ (0)28 7136 5997
- Martin mobile : 0044/ (0)75 997 191 79 ; 00353/ (0)86 196 6006
- Flora : 0033/ (0)4 78 59 18 90 ; 0033/(0)6 99 79 12 54
How to book your holiday and pay the deposit :
- post the completed booking form + cheque made payable to SportActive, to: SportActive, 1st Floor, 2 Dacre Terrace, L/Derry, BT48 6JU, N Ireland
- by bank transfer in € or £ : please contact us to receive the bank details
Once we have received the deposit, we shall send you a SportActive-Atol-invoice for the outstanding balance of the holiday (to be paid 8 weeks before departure)
Airport transfers :
For the SportActive Cycling Centre in Mallorca : will be organized in function of your flight details ; if you book your own flights the flight details must be forwarded to SportActive with your booking. If any change in your flight schedule occurs later, please check with us if and how this affects your airport transfer. For all changes in transfers an administrative fee will apply.
The transfers for groups are organized with a privately hired bus.
The transfers for individuals or small groups under 5 persons are booked with a shuttle service.
A private taxi can be organized on request ; additional charge applies. Please ask us.
For other holidays : the flight details of the group are indicated in the package description. If you organize your own flights, you must make sure you land in the arrival airport no later than 1 hour 30 min after the group flight in order to join the programmed airport transfer.
SportActive will organise accommodation and activities. The price is inclusive with the following exceptions:
- Cycle hire is extra
- On walking trips there will be a small additional charge for local taxis to walks start and return to hotel (for certain tours)
- Participants are responsible for their own insurance.
- All participants are responsible for their own safety.
- All participants (cycling) must at all times obey the rules of the road.
- All participants are responsible for their own fitness/health to take part in an active holiday.
- SportActive will accept no responsibility for accidents or injury to participants during the trip.
Travel Insurance
UK residents : click here to book your travel insurance
EU residents : click here to book your travel insurance
Please make sure you have valid travel insurance for all bookings !
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