Garrigoles: Culture and Hiking in the Hills

Garrigoles is shaped by two distinct scales: a small village centre and a hilly municipal area. The village centre consists of a small group of houses around the parish church; the quiet surroundings have the feel of a road that ends there. The municipal area lies between the Ter and Fluvià river basins and is characterised by rounded hills. When planning a stay, it helps to distinguish between the two: the churches and other buildings form a cultural focus, while the Ruta 140 describes a hike with a summit as its destination. If you are looking for a hotel in Garrigoles, you can first consider whether you want to focus your stay mainly on the historic buildings or the hike.

Romanesque Architecture and Building History

The parish church of Sant Sadurní de Garrigoles is a Romanesque church dating from the 12th and 13th centuries. It has a single-nave floor plan, and its semicircular apse is lower than the main body of the church. In addition to its construction period, it has a distinct historical connection: in 1185, the Bishop of Girona transferred the church to the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. These details describe different aspects—the period of construction and the transfer of the church.

Mas Garrigoles lies south of the church and dates from the 16th and 17th centuries. Its most striking feature is the round-arched portal, formed by large voussoirs. Taken together, the two buildings illustrate different architectural styles and periods: on one hand, the Romanesque church with its lower apse; on the other, the manor house with its distinctive portal. The Pou del petroli (aigua calenta) is also one of Garrigoles’ sights and is classified as a civil structure.

Culture and Buildings in Les Olives

Les Olives also offers a range of historical and cultural points of interest. The church of Sant Vicenç de Les Olives is a small, late-Romanesque church of the Cistercian type. Can Ros de les Olives, by contrast, is an 18th-century manor house. It was the ancestral home of one of the comarca’s prominent landowning families. These examples complement the older church of Sant Sadurní with other architectural styles and historical contexts.

The Fundació Rodríguez-Amat presents a retrospective featuring more than 400 works by the contemporary artist across 850 square metres. Its Casa-Taller is located in Les Olives’ village square. The Fundació’s auditorium hosts concerts, poetry readings, panel discussions, and meetings of artists and cultural professionals. If you have a particular date in mind, check event details in advance. This makes it possible to consider the art collection as a cultural attraction in its own right, while the auditorium offers a varied programme of events.

Hills, Fields and Olive Groves

The municipal area combines woodland and farmland. The landscape includes Aleppo pine forests, dry-farmed cereal fields, fodder and maize crops, olive groves, and occasional vineyards. The rounded hills between the Ter and Fluvià river basins give this rural area its shape. This means that the village centre is not the only point of reference; the surrounding agricultural landscape is also part of Garrigoles’ character. Woodlands and fields sit side by side, rather than the landscape being devoted to a single type of land use.

Hike to Puig Segalar and Practical Information

The Ruta 140 is a morning hike from Garrigoles to the summit of Puig Segalar. Its destination is clear: the route leads from the village to a summit. Check trail conditions before setting out. There is also an information board in Plaça Major labelled “Itineraris del Puig Segalar”; the church is just a few metres away.

A quiet local road climbs from Verges to Garrigoles and Les Olives. A short dirt track leads to the area in front of the church; a few vehicles can park there, but parking in the small village centre is very limited (as of 2022). Check parking conditions before you arrive. This allows you to factor the road journey, limited parking and hiking destination into your plans without assuming a specific driving or walking time.

Discover more destinations: Sant Jordi Desvalls, Cabanelles, Amer, Corçà, Maiá de Montcal, Juià, Urús, Planoles.

For the wider travel overview: Girona.