NO WATER sources and NO PLACE to CAMP on GR92!? | Sant Feliu de Guixols to Tossa de Mar Day 15

The plan was to hike from Sant Feliu de Guixols to Tossa de Mar doing 17 to 20kms in total. We knew it was one of the challenging days because of quite significant elevation changes climbing at least 560m up and the same down. But also of course we knew that the trail couldn’t be that straightforward and overall it will go up and down quite a bit. So it was the day when we went away from the seaside and would hike almost all of the distance in the mountains going through the mountain range Massif de les Cadiretes.

That night it was raining quite heavily and there was a storming wind which was moving our tent from side to side. So the temperature dropped down several degrees and in the morning it was cool. We had to wear hats and fleece shirts for the first time this hike. So we didn’t sleep very well because of disturbing wind. But the morning was sunny and bright and the day was promising to be warm.

So as always, when we were staying in the campgrounds we started the day quite late at 11am and also because it was quite cold and we were waiting for the sun to come out. In that campground, there were quite a lot of birds like jackdaws, robins, blue tits and jays. We could even spot a squirrel jumping on a ground there.

At first, we came out to the seaside to do the small part along the coastline. The sea was calm and peaceful after several stormy days and the sun was shining bright. The path was waving along the cliff and we were descending down most of the time by many stairs. Soon we arrived to the port area of the town Sant Feliu de Guixols. It was quite big and had a diving center in it. Also there was a pier with a lighthouse at the end of it.

Then we went along the beach for some time before turning to the streets. They were narrow and the buildings were quite old. It seemed like we passed through the old fisherman settlement which probably was the truth. We didn’t walk for too long there and quite fast were out on the gravel route. There were many small houses and gardens and quite a bit of cyclists passing by. The route was beginning to climb gently up and we began getting hot. Soon we arrived to the “Urbanitzacio Casa Nova” that was an area with lots of villas and there we had to walk on the car road.

Then the trail turned to the gravel again, which was quite slippery to walk on because of sandy small rocks that it was consisting of. At first, it was quite gentle but then it began to go steeper and the path was getting narrower. There were lots of bushes and spiky plants growing on the sides and the land was still wet from the rain. Pretty blue violet flowers were accompanying us all day too.

When we got to la Creu d’en Barraquer we felt like having a small break and a snack and just stopped by the side of the road. In the area we saw lots of foot steps of wild boars with lifted ground and roots of the trees.

That day we were concerned about the place where to camp because the campgrounds in Tossa de Mar were closed already. So we were considering a wild camping option but as always the most important for that was finding a water source. So we were going to look around and see if any marked streams were even existing. Until that moment we met no signs of water in the places where it should have potentially be. And it was discouraging.

The trail went mostly uphill sometimes steeper and sometimes more gentle. Most of it along the gravel route where we met quite a bit of cars that day passing by us, most of them were local farmers or land owners we thought. Also we noticed the normal cars parked at the side of the road and many people with the baskets probably collecting mushrooms after the day before rain.

Slowly but steadily we were getting close to the upper part of the trail and at times it was getting a bit boring because of repetitive paths and landscapes. We got very few sea views on the uphill part unfortunately but we were expecting to get more exciting views on the descend. The landscapes around were dominating cork trees and we noticed on many of them had cut bark from the lower part of the trunk. We thought that this is how they get the raw material for making corks then. We were not sure if it didn’t do damage to a tree this way as it looked quite bad.

When we got close to Montagut which was a mountain top of 500m high we knew that we did more than halfway and thus deserved a lunch break. Therefore, we found a nice shade where to stop and spent half an hour there enjoying our meal.

As we up until that moment didn’t see any water on the way we decided to book a hostel room which was a rare case for us as when we are hiking we like staying outdoors as much as we can. Not only because of water, the terrain itself wasn’t really the best for camping with lots of bushes, trees and spiky plants not counting the slope. So it was the only viable option that day.

We were grateful that the trail went in the forest and with quite a lot of shade overall. The weather was very warm but in the second half of the day some clouds appeared on the sky and so it wasn’t the direct sun.

The path was still going up and down quite a bit when we came to Our Lady of Grace Chapel Ruins where the crossroads was and from there the trail went more straightforwardly down. Overall, we noticed many other routes and trails crossing with our GR so there were many options to hike in the area choosing different trails.

Starting from that part, we began seeing the seaside views blinking in between the trees. It was from a far but still very pleasant to see. The path turned to a quite steep slope and until the end it continued to be the same so our knees were definitely shaking a bit. Soon we began seeing the Tossa de Mar town from above. Several cross country motorcycles passed by us making the cloud of dust.

This way we quite fast made our way to the town at 17.30pm. We did our shopping and headed to the hostel.

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