Wkiloc.com is a community of users that can record and upload their GPS trails for sports such as hiking, skiing, cycling, canoeing, rafting etc. Catalunya has some of the finest mountain trails, coastline and rivers in Spain so there is an abundance of trails for the region.
I, along with many others, have trails for walks in Catalunya and they are referenced on this website as walking in nature.
How does Wikiloc work?
You download the Wikiloc navigation app on your phone and it converts a smartphone into a portable GPS navigation device like a Garmin.
The application has an off line map that you download. I have Spain on mine. The map files are large (897.78Mb for Spain map, 175.58Mb for Spain-Catalunya map) so you need a fairly decent phone with enough free memory. You can have multiple maps downloaded on your phone.
The app has a search function to allow you to find trails. You can then save the trail to your phone and the trail overlays on the downloaded map. You then start the app when you get near to the start of the trail you want to do and the app will guide you along the route. If the route is well written then it will have waypoints for when you need to turn off one path onto another. The Wikiloc app will advise you via chimes when you are near a waypoint. It will also issue an warning alert if you wander off the trail and go the wrong way.
The navigation of a trail works autonomous of cellular coverage because you have the map and trail saved on the phone so no need to worry about it not working in remote locations or with sketchy coverage.
Wikiloc app is available in English, Spanish, Catalan, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, and Russian
Wikiloc has plenty more cool features on the app which you can read about on the website.
How much does Wikiloc cost?
You can try Wikiloc for 14 days free. After that the subscription is 4.99 euros for three months or 9.99 euros for 12 months. Note that I am in no way sponsored or paid by Wikiloc. It is my go to app for hiking navigation and I highly recommend it.
Once you have an account you can also login via a desktop web browser and explore trails and select which ones to download and save on your phone using a QR code.
Barcelona Travel hacks Top tips
Warning You cannot use google maps for mountain hiking or other rural sports. Because google maps does not have rural paths and tracks. For safety and to not get lost in the mountains you should use a navigation device like Wikiloc or a Garmin.
Advice: When you use the app to follow a trail, you must have the GPS enabled on your phone. The app is constantly using the GPS data from the phone to chart your progress and location on the trail and the underlying map. This runs down the battery a lot faster than normal. Ensure that you have a fully charged battery on your phone before starting a trail. I also recommending carrying a portable USB power pack just in case the GPS usage runs down the battery half way along a trail.
