La Garrotxa, in north-east Catalonia, has two totally different types of landscapes. On the one hand, over 40 volcanoes and numerous lava flows cover much of the southern half of the comarca and give rise to a rolling landscape – today protected by the La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park – lacking any major relief features. To the north of the river Fluvià, however, the landscape changes radically. Abrupt cliffs and narrow gorges herald the entrance to the Alta Garrotxa, an area that has been declared an Area of Natural Interest; in the west of the comarca the areas of the mountains of Collsacabra and Puigsacalm have likewise been protected as Areas of Natural Interest.
Bas, Hostoles and Bianya valleys provide a change from the encircling mountains, but are surrounded by some of the thickest and most extensive forests in Catalonia. The sunniest slopes are covered by evergreen holm oaks, whilst elsewhere there are significant downy oak forests – with a few stands of pedunculate oak around Olot – and beech forests in the coolest, most humid corners of the county.
Type of space
Natural Park and Natura 2000
Commitment to Sustainable Tourism
Natural Park (and county) accredited with the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism
Location
Girona. Catalonia
Information and contact
Tel.: (+34) 972 271 600
info@turismegarrotxa.com
www.gencat.cat/parcs/garrotxa/ and www.turismegarrotxa.com