Ripollés region of the Catalonian Spanish Pyrenees

Description of Spanish Pyrenees & Pre-Pyrenees

The Spanish Pyrenees in Catalonia region are a landscape of outstanding raw natural beauty that is ideal for summer hiking in the high peeks and autumn hiking in the lower foothills. The Pyrenees Mountain range extends for more than 400 kilometres across the Spain-France border and include 3 Spanish regions: Aragon, Navarre and Catalonia. On this page I am going to focus mostly on the Ripollés area of Catalonia for its abundance of great train accessible hiking routes.

I have covered Parc Nacional d'Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici and Parc naturel régional des Pyrénées catalanes on separate pages.

Ripollés area Pyrenees by Train

Getting to the Ripollés area of the Catalan Pyrenees by train from Barcelona is easy. You take the Renfe R3 Rodalies train line which winds its way through the Catalan countryside passing through the plains of Vic and onto the small town of Ribes de Freser (912m above sea level) at the foothills of the Pyrenees. This journey takes about 2 hours and from here there are plenty of hiking options available.

Campdevànol is a small town one stop before Ribes de Freser and has a spectacular circular river hike along the Campdevànol 7 Gorgs waterfalls route. From Ribes de Freser, El Taga mountain summit can be hiked as a circular route. The Serra de Montgrony mountain ridge can be hiked from Campelles village (10 minute by taxi from Ribes de Freser).

the Vall de Núria is a mountain river valley that ascends the Núria river to the mountain ski and summer resort at Núria lake. The Hotel Vall de Nuria is linked to Ribes de Freser via the Cremallera Vall de Núria. Ribes de Freser via the Vall de Núria to the Núria resort is a challenging uphill hike passing via Queralbs quaint stone mountain village. Queralbs is the postcard picturesque mid station of the Vall de Núria cremallera so this route can be chopped in half. you can also find hostels and apartment rental accommodation in Queralbs.

From Núria resort there is pure mountain walking to Puigmal summit and returning via the same route or continuing on to Queralbbs for a challenging hike. Núria resort is surrounded by peaks such as puigmal, Pic Petit de Segre, Pic del Segre, Coll de Finestrelles, Pic de Finestrelles, Coll de Núria, Pic de Noufonts, Pic de Noucreus and Pic de la Fossa del Gegant which can be hiked as a very hard circular route returning to Núria via Alberg Núria Xanascat (mounatain hostel).

One train stop further from Ribes de Freser is Planoles village which can be the trailhead for hiking another section of the Serra de Montgrony to Toses village where there is another train station on the same R3 Rodalies railway line.

Ripollés Area Pyrenees Food

Food wise, you will find delicious Catalan cuisine with its tasty sausages and cured Spanish meat, fresh trout from the rivers, and wines from the coastal plains. Vegan options are hard to find but I must recommend Bar Gusi next to Ribes de Freser train station because they have a selection of seitan vegan burgers, hot dogs, Humas, patatas Bravas and salads (most salads are served with tuna or an boiled egg in Catalonia). For high energy hiking food I look out for Fabada, a Spanish bean stew made from white beans, red beans, chunks of Chorizo (spicy pork sausage) in a sauce.

Ripollés Area Pyrenees Climate

The Pyrenees climate is around 24°C in the high peeks (Vall de Núria, Puigmal, Taga) and around 27°C in the lower foothills such as Campdevànol. In winter the high peeks usually have snow (from Late December to March) and I have done some of these routes in crampons and with snowshoes. In winter the climate is below 0°C in the evenings and on the high peeks despite mostly being blue skies and sunshine in winter. Pack for rain in winter with warm fleeces and windproof shell. Carry windproof shell for Summer.

When hiking in the Pyrenees it is worth considering that there is 3000m less atmosphere than at sea level and although up to 3000m of altitude I have not noticed any difficulty breathing, the contrary, pollution free air is invigorating. What I have noted is that I get sun burn a lot more due to less attenuation of the suns rays so always ensure to use sun cream on exposed skin, even in winter.

Wildlife of the Pyrenees Ripollés Area

There is diverse wildlife in the Pyrenees. I saw a deer while walking in a forest near the Campdevànol 7 Gorgs. I have seen Pyrenean chamois (an Isard, mountain goat) and Mufló (Muflon, mountain ram) as well as a giant beaver dam in the Núria river. Wild boar also inhabit the pre-Pyrenees forested areas. Bird varieties are also diverse from Golden Eagles soaring above the mountains. in the Serra de Montgrony I saw two griffon vultures stripping a carcass on a rocky bluff. Crows and Yellow-billed Jackdaws are common. The foothills are also home to free grazing cattle.

Salamanders and lizards are plentiful in the rocky grasslands.

There are also non-poisonous snakes although I have only ever seen one once, sunning it up on a rocky path in the Serra de Montgrony he slithered out of my way so I could pass. small Mammals from foxes, Martas (cat sized Martens), Marmotas (marmots, large rabbit sized rodents) and Llebres (hares) also live her but are rarely seen.

Day trip or multi-day excursion?

All these routes can be done as a day trip if you are prepared to spend up to three hours each way on a train plus eight or nine hours outside hiking and enjoying the views. If you like the look of multiple routes below then consider a multi-day trip with accommodation in Ribes de Freser, Queralbs or Núria resort.

Click on any of the images below to discover more about each of these activities via extensive photo Galleries. Find all relevant information you will need such as maps, where to stay overnight, where to eat, Wikiloc walking routes, train and bus timetables & maps, weather forecasts and my top tips.

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Happy Exploring!

Where to stay overnight in the Ripolles region of the Catalonian Spanish Pyrenees