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Former quarry in the volcano Croscat
The heart of La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park This route offers an alternative way of discovering three of the most-visited places in La Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park.
Walking
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The path from the Santa Margarida car-park heads northwards across the road (GI-524, OlotSanta Pau) and then coincides with Natural Park itinerary 15 (Grederes del Croscat) as far as the turn-off to Can Passavent. 1
The volcano Croscat Croscat is a Strombolian volcano and its 160 m in height make it the highest volcanic cone in the Iberian Peninsula. For many years one of its flanks was quarried and today an impressive scar – that can be visited by following itinerary 15 – remains as a reminder of the once active quarry (gredera). This a very fragile site and visitors should not leave the marked paths. On the flanks of the volcano stands Can Passavent Information Centre, where there is a permanent display about the restoration of the volcano. After contouring around the former municipal rubbish tip (now closed and sealed), the path drops gently to the car park at Can Serra. At Can Serra, the itinerary crosses under the road and takes you down a short flight of steps into the Fageda d’en Jordà.
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The Fageda d’en Jordà The famous Fageda d’en Jordà is a beech forest growing at low altitude (550 m) upon the rugged undulating lava flow emitted by the volcano Croscat, which is characterised by numerous scattered lumps and hummocks (known as tossols) that in some cases are over 20 m high. After leaving the Fageda, the path takes you onto Coll de Can Batlle and Sant Miquel Sacot, the latter a church of Romanesque origin dating from the 11th century. From here, it drops down to Pla de Sacot and then climbs up to Collet de Bassols on the south-west flank of the volcano of Santa Margarida.
Olot Santa Pau
The old quarry on the flank of Croscat.