Cantallops: History and the Ruta dels Xops

Cantallops brings together a distinctive church building, traces of history, a local legend and the Ruta dels Xops. When looking for a hotel in Cantallops, you can first consider whether your trip will focus more on local history or time spent on a route. The church and livestock-driving history tell different aspects of the place; for the route, the distance, elevation gain and landscape are described in concrete terms.

Santa Margarida and historical traces

The present-day Church of Santa Margarida was built in 1975. It is a circular place of worship at Cap de Grill in Cantallops. The year of construction dates the building, while its circular shape is its architectural feature. Both details give the church its own profile within the history of the town.

Another historical trace is the carrerada de Cerdanya, an important livestock-driving route that passed through Cantallops. Ca la Modesta is also part of this history: the building provided accommodation and a resting place for many transhumant shepherds. The route and the building therefore represent different aspects of historical shepherding: passage through the town and a place to rest.

The town's name, a legend and the Festa Major

The name Cantallops is associated with the designation “Campo de Lupis.” The first documented mention of this designation dates to 991. Alongside this is the local legend of the Queen of Cantallops: it links the town's name to a queen's overnight stay at La Cotxeria, where wolves from the nearby mountains howled. An early record of the name and a local tale thus come together, telling of a stay and the wolves in the surrounding area.

The Festa Major of Cantallops is also a recurring festive occasion. It is associated with 2 October and with celebrations lasting three or four days around Santa Teresa, or the festival on 12 October. If you would like to time your trip to coincide with the Festa Major, check the specific dates of the festivities in advance.

Ruta dels Xops: distance, elevation profile and landscape

The green route, also known as the Ruta dels Xops, passes through Cantallops and can be completed on foot or by bicycle. It is rated easy, is 5.8 kilometres long and has 153 metres of elevation gain. These details describe different aspects of the tour: the kilometres indicate the route's length, the elevation gain indicates the change in height, and “easy” is its stated difficulty level.

Along the Ruta dels Xops are vineyards, peach orchards and the wooded area of Plana d'en Bord. The route description therefore includes both cultivated land and woodland. If you take the landscape into account when choosing a tour, these three sections are specific points of reference. Trail conditions and markings may change; check both before setting out.

Water features and getting oriented

The catchment area of the Avinyó, Xops and Sant Sebastià dels Gorgs watercourses begins beside Cantallops; there it is called Torrent Gran. Another landscape feature in the area is the Santa Margarida ford: there, the watercourses enter dense woodland and form several pools. The ford and the catchment area are two separate water features described in the surroundings of Cantallops.

For road orientation, the state road to Vilafranca is a named reference point: Cantallops lies on this road. Together with the specific details about the route, the church building and historical sites, this can help you decide what to focus on during your stay, without combining the different themes into a single walk.

Discover more destinations: Esparreguera, Castellet i la Gornal, Cerdanyola Del Valles, Argentona, Vilanova De Sau, Arenys De Munt, Canoves, Sant Boi De Lluçanès.

For the broader travel overview: Barcelona.