Route of the Carrilet from Olot to Girona

The Ruta del Carrilet is an exclusive route for pedestrians and cyclists that takes advantage of the route of the old narrow-gauge train that linked Olot with Girona. It is especially recommended to do this route by bicycle, a total of 58,5 kilometers must be covered, even so it can also be done on foot.

If you decide to take the road, you will discover elements of great landscape, ecological and cultural interest. In fact, the volcanic landscape appears on both sides of this bike path that, from Garrotxa and through charming towns, allows us to reach Girona and even get closer to the sea.

With a gradient of 1.5%, the Ruta del Carrilet is not very difficult. The Coll d'en Bas, at 620 metres, is the highest point of the route which, if you wish to do it little by little and over different days, will allow you to get to know the towns through which it passes: Olot, with the Montsacopa volcano right in the middle from the city, with the Sant Roc fountains right at the beginning of the route and where you will also find reference artistic proposals; the Pedra Tosca Park and other unique landscape elements in Las Presas.

It also allows you to discover other attractions of the Vall d'en Bas, birthplace of the Remnant leader Francesc de Verntallat, who seized the castle of Hostoles and was the leader of the battles in the Valley of Hostoles; Sant Feliu de Pallerols, with the river Brugent and the valleys of holm oak and oak groves, and the Cogolls stream in the Planes d'Hostoles are some of the many points of interest on the Garrotxina part of this route.

Combination with other routes

Along the Ruta del Carrilet you can follow other signposted routes on foot or by bicycle to discover other corners of La Garrotxa. From Olot and up to Planes d'Hostoles, the Ruta del Carrilet also coincides with one of the paths in the Itinerànnia trail network. In all the towns there are links to other paths that give the opportunity to enjoy the landscapes of La Garrotxa.

Apart from the Ruta del Carrilet, in La Garrotxa there are other signposted routes that, starting from the Vía Verde, allow you to discover the territory by bicycle: La Vall de Bianya, manor houses and crops; Sant Feliu de Pallerols, a volcano among forests; Les Preses, the birthplace of Verntallat - the revolts remensas; Olot, beech forests between volcanoes; Olot, the art of landscapes, and the Planes d'Hostoles, spaces and domains - the revolts remensas. In addition, you can also do the itineraries of the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park no. 3, 19 and 15 (the latter, to the Can Passavent information center). Besalú, for its part, has the Green Belt, a wide space for walking along the Fluvià River suitable for cycling

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The Bosc de Tosca, a space of great ecological value, and specifically the Pedra Tosca de las Presas park, a rural area with unique characteristics formed from the lava flow of the Croscat volcano, where you can see some stone walls extraordinary dries. After the confiscation of Mendizábal (19th century), an extraordinary individual task of plowing began, consisting of moving volcanic stones to form small arable fields surrounded by dry walls. A part of these artigas have cabins as a refuge made with volcanic materials that are an authentic architectural jewel. Every year the Town Hall and the Pedra Tosca Park organize dry wall courses to recover this technique and preserve the wisdom of the old masters.

If you do not have a bicycle to do the route, you can use the services of the companies that rent and make the transfers. And if you have and you travel by public transport, you can take it on the bus. In addition, in the old Olot railway station there is a charging point for electric bicycles.