Breathtaking Mediterranean Seacoast Walk from L’Escala to Estartit in Catalonia | GR 92 Day 11

We woke up at 8am in the camping L’Escala feeling quite broken apart and exhausted. The day before trail in the hot sun was paying us off. We would definitely like to stay in the campground as we quite liked it but by a coincidence, it was closing that very day. Therefore, we had to pack everything and get on the trail.

For that day we planned to hike from the town L’Escala to Estartit doing 15kms. We saw on the map that there were some uphills and downhills and a major 100m climb to do on the way. We just hoped it would go in a more foresty and shaded area.

To begin the day we had to get through the part of the town L’Escala and as it was Sunday the streets were quite busy with people and in addition there was a market occupying all the sea front road. The sun was shining very strong as we were walking on the open streets and getting through the people. Then we got to the port area which was a decent size as a town itself – full of yachts and boats including touristic excursion ones.

After that, we finally got out on the mountain path and entered the Natural Park of Montgri. The path turned quite rocky and some of the rocks were quite spiky so it was necessary to watch the step. But there we began to meet the hidden small beaches like Platja del Salpatx in the cliffs and could appreciate the views of the coastline. After 1.9 km only we again stepped on the pavement of the town in the outskirts of L’Escala. It was located on the hill and had an interesting look because of that with predominantly white typical architecture again. There was a circular route going around this land but as it meant to climb an extra uphill and doing 3 more kms we decided to skip it.

There we decided to buy an ice cream and have a small break on the bench at the beach side of Platja de Montgo. It was very hot in the sun but in the shade with the cool wind it was very nice.

The beaches were full of people laying in the sun, swimming, snorkeling and playing sports.

From there started the most scenic 1.7km part of the trail for that day that was climbing up the hill and following the very edge of the cliff.

The rocks continued to be very spiky and sometimes slippery so we had to slow down the pace. It was inevitable anyway because of how much we had to stop to admire the view and take a photo. We tried to take our time with it and enjoy it thoroughly. Sometimes the trail was going at the very edge from where you could literally fell down very easily if not stepping carefully. The vertigo effect was also very strong there but it was definitely adding even more bright colors to the trail. The bare rocks were under our feet and in front of the eyes standing gracefully with the green pine tops decorating the sea line. There is no better combination than cliffs and sea.

The path was going mostly in the forest shade about which we were very happy. In addition to a cool breeze from the sea, it was a great condition to avoid sweating too much when climbing up. It was mostly climbing with few downhill parts. The GR92 white and red marks were very accurate and on the crossroads helped a lot to avoid the confusion so we barely needed our GPS map.

At times the path was getting quite steep and in the end we had to conquer the steepest climb to get out to the Punta Ventosa viewpoint. It was our highest point for the day from where we could see the endless blue sea from above blending with the blue sky somewhere far. The sea wasn’t very quiet that day as it was quite windy and so there were many white ridges/combs on the water surface. A lot of yachts and boats were sailing out in the sea space probably exploring the coastal area with lots of caves in it. It was also amazing for diving and snorkeling purposes. It made us wish to get out in the sea also.

Then according to GR we made a turn away from the sea which turned out to be a very straight gravel route through the forest in the shade. And for the next 4kms or so we followed this foresty trail. The air was smelling very tasty with a mix of pine needles and salty iodic sea breeze. It was very nice and peaceful part going very easily even though it had a bit of climb and then downhill but it was very gentle. In addition, the weather was very pleasant as the clouds came out on the sky and it made it even easier to walk. There in the quietness of the forest we had our lunch too.

This way we got to the town Estartit but in 1 km or so we encountered a beautiful place – the Torre Ponca. It was a big old mansion of 15th Century with a lot of agricultural and forest lands around it. There was no museum and it was closed for visits as it was in a private property as we understood. The area was amazing for walking or running and enjoying wonderful landscapes.

When we were in the town it was already 5pm and on Sunday evening all the supermarkets were closed of course. But fortunately we had enough supplies with us and only really needed water. So we walked into the old narrow streets and came out to the sea front. There we could admire the magnificent view of the Medes islands in the sunset golden light. Our campground was on the other side of the town so we had to walk several kms more.

At the place, we had very little time to spare and so after having our dinner we went to bed very soon.

Here is the link to Google map to follow the hike: