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La Garrotxa Volcanic Area Nature Reserve

ECST. European Charter for Sustainable Tourism

Example of volcanic formation

It has a rich and varied vegetation with a predominance of holm oak, oaks and beech. There are also chestnut trees, hazel, alder, poplar and box.

The fauna includes species such as wild boar, wildcat, dormouse, marten and genet. This protected nature area is also home to the short-toed eagle, the goshawk, peregrine falcon, woodpeckers, nuthatch and marsh tit, as well as to vipers and other reptiles. It is also of particular interest due to its 40 volcanic cones and its 20 lava outcrops. It is considered to be the most important volcanic area on the Iberian Peninsula.

Type of area

Parque Natural

Information

Area: 13874 Hectares
Information for visits: Check with the visitor centres.
Environmental information: The vegetation and the fauna of the volcanic area of La Garrotxa a particularly noteworthy due to its variety. There are holm oak and oak forests, as well as beech woods such as the famous Fageda d’en Jordà.
Cultural information: La Garrotxa served as an area of transit for the Romans, and remnants of the road can still be seen in the Bianya valley. Examples of Romanesque architecture include the churches of Sant Pere and Sant Vicenç in Besalú, the monastery of Sant Joan les Fonts, and the church of the Sant Sepulcre in Palera. Also worth mentioning is the Modernist style on display in Olot, the regional capital.