Circular route through the Els Munts Sanctuary from Sant Boi de Lluçanès

Easy to navigate through one of the culminating peaks of Lluçanès, Els Munts, right where we find the Sanctuary of the Munts and a magnificent viewpoint of the plain of Vic, Osona and the Eastern Pyrenees. Although it can be reached by car on a paved track, this tour will allow us to discover the regions of this watchtower and start from the town of Sant Boi de Lluçanès.

We leave from Vilar de Sant Boi along the forest track that leads to Roure de la Senyora. The morning mists give a mystical air in this rural environment. Right at the first detour, we find a sign indicating the various routes of the family itineraries to Els Munts. We will go through the Ángel de la Guarda road and we will return through Montorro.

Thus, we take the track to the left and we will follow the GR-3 markings and also yellow stripes throughout the ascent. We do a good part of the route by track (except for a part of the descent from Els Munts to near the Montorro pass), so the path is easy, wide and without difficulty.

Just a little after the previous deviation, we find the fork to go towards the Roure de la Senyora (on the left). It is a monumental tree that, if you have never seen it before, it is worth going up to its feet and contemplating the grandeur of its branches.

We continue along the track to the right, following the yellow markings and those of the GR-3 and we pass next to the Pedró de Sant Isidre, where we find a little chapel, as well as a water tank.

The track goes up making some uprisings to soften the climb but in no case is it a strong unevenness. We gradually go up the Costas del Vilar until we go up the Serrat de la Pinassa, where the forest is already clearing up with some fields and the slope is decreasing.

We pass through a hill in the place of Pedró del Ángel de la Guarda and we also see a little chapel. Now we will go flat until close to the Sanctuary. We ignore a track that goes to the left towards the Collet de Sant Agustí and the Camino de Transhumancia de Levante.

Shortly after we arrive at the paved track that goes up to the Els Munts Sanctuary and we have just covered the last few meters to get up there. Behind the Sanctuary we find the viewpoint and the orientation tables that will help us name all the mountains that can be seen. The view of the Eastern Pyrenees stands out, with the Puigmal standing out above the other mountains. We also see the Cabrera, Aiats and the entire Puigsacalm range, as well as Montseny and Matagalls. Below, the Vic Plain, often shrouded in mist. Towards the other side, we can sense the peaks of Barcelonès and Montserrat.

Ecstatic with the views, it is time to start the return to Sant Boi. To do this, we will go down a path to the Collada de Montorro in a section that also coincides with the GR-3.

The path passes below the top of the Munts, on the southern slopes, until it reaches a planted meadow. Here we recommend going around the meadow instead of going through it, especially when there are already tall grasses.

We skirted the entire perimeter of the meadow until we reached the other side. Now we go back down a stretch of cobbled path until we reach a wide flat area with a field on our right. We continue walking in an easterly direction until we reach the fork in Collada de Montorro. At this point, we leave the marks of the GR-3 that go towards Sant Quirze de Besora and continue along the track that goes to our right (South-West direction). From that point, we will focus only on the yellow marks.

The track goes gently down through an environment of fields and Scots pine forest. At the next crossroads, we follow the one that goes to our left (southbound) and ignore the one that goes to the right, which would take us back towards the Munts.

The path goes through a very pretty section of oak grove, which later on gives way to Scots pine again. At the next crossroads, we look at the yellow markings and turn to our right ("Let's break right" waypoint). The track now heads west and, after a bend, goes down again in a south-easterly direction.

Now it is a matter of continuing along this track, gently descending, until you reach the last crossroads on the route, at the Minas de Sant Roc site. At this point, we continue along the track on the right that heads west to return to the starting point of the route. In fact, in this return section, we will already see the Vilar and the town of Sant Boi.

Finally, once we arrive under the Pedró de Sant Isidre and next to the Roure de la Senyora, we only need to continue along the same track that we followed when we left to reach the car and consider this easy route through rural areas of Lluçanès complete. más authentic.

Authorship photographs and text: Sergi Boixader