In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
Around 700 kilometres away from the coast: over the cliff edges of the Collsacabra into the volcanic landscape of the Garrotxa, across the Pre-Pyrenees to Solsona and Cardona, up to Montserrat and along the Cistercian Route to the vineyard terraces of the Priorat.
The spirit of the route
If you only know Catalonia from the coast, the silence here will surprise you. Beyond Vic the plateau drops away abruptly at the cliff edges of the Collsacabra, in the Garrotxa beech trees grow on cooled lava, and in the morning mist hangs in the craters. Further west the air smells of pine resin, in Cardona a mountain of salt glitters, and then the jagged conglomerate towers of Montserrat rise in front of your windscreen as if someone had set them down in the landscape. To the south come monasteries where bells have structured the day since the 12th century, and finally the steep slate slopes of the Priorat, where vines cling to narrow terraces. From your sliding door you look out on stone villages, almond trees and rows of vines. The roads are winding, the pitches small, the villages narrow: if you drive slowly, arrive early and stay the evening on the municipal pitch, you will experience the country the way the locals know it.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Barcelona to Vic (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- From Barcelona take the Ronda de Dalt or the Meridiana to the C-17 and follow it north through the Vallès Oriental, toll-free. Beyond Centelles the road climbs over the Congost pass into the Plana de Vic, a broad plateau at a good 500 m. Dual carriageway or good-quality road throughout, about an hour's driving without traffic; on weekday mornings and evenings there are queues on the way out of the city.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Plaça Major in Vic: one of the largest arcaded squares in Catalonia, with a market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, the stalls spread across the whole square.
- Sant Pere Cathedral with its Romanesque bell tower and the large-format murals by Josep Maria Sert, which he painted a second time after the fire of 1936.
- Temple Romà: a Roman temple that was built into a castle for centuries and only came to light again in the 19th century.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Àrea d’autocaravanes de Vic on the western edge of town, around ten pitches with water and waste disposal, about a 20-minute walk to the old town; check charges and length of stay in advance with the Vic tourist office. If you need electricity and sanitary facilities, there are campsites south-east of the town such as Camping Santa Eugènia Park or Camping La Vall; ask about season and facilities in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Vic the town area is not a place for free camping: parking on public squares is allowed as long as the signs permit it and nothing projects beyond the outline of the vehicle; for the night, the municipal Àrea is the right place. In the surrounding plain almost everything is privately owned or farmland – field tracks are not pitches.
- Insider tip for campers
- Barcelona is only the starting point – and there the ZBE Rondes de Barcelona applies on weekdays from 7am to 8pm inside the ring roads. Foreign vehicles have no Spanish sticker and must be registered beforehand in the register of foreign vehicles of the Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB), otherwise there is a fine from €100 even if the Euro norm is sufficient; diesel cars need at least Euro 4, petrol cars Euro 3. Processing can take up to 15 days – apply in good time before the trip. If you start at the weekend or via the Ronda de Dalt without entering the inner area, you avoid the issue. In Vic, buy fuet and llonganissa at the market; supermarkets with large car parks are on the roads out of town.
2Stage 2: Vic to Olot via Tavertet and Rupit (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- Take the C-153 east via Roda de Ter and L’Esquirol onto the Collsacabra plateau; the detour to Tavertet is a narrow, winding municipal road of about 9 km, tiresome for large vehicles. Back on the C-153 to Rupit, then in many tight hairpins over the cliff edge down into the Vall d’en Bas and on to Olot. A good 2 hours of pure driving time; take the descent to the Vall d’en Bas in a low gear.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Tavertet: stone village on the cliff edge; from the edge of the village you look down over the drop to the Sau and Susqueda reservoirs.
- Rupit: suspension bridge over the stream at the village entrance, cobbled lanes and the steps up to the church of Sant Miquel; the village centre is closed to cars.
- Salt de Sallent: waterfall at the cliff edge of the Collsacabra, about two hours on foot there and back from Rupit – most impressive after rain.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Olot, Càmping Les Tries lies on the eastern edge of town on the road towards Girona, with electric hook-ups, sanitary facilities and service points, on foot or by bus to the centre. As an intermediate stop, Tavertet has a small Àrea d’autocaravanes on the edge of the village (around 15 pitches), and Rupit has Càmping Rupit; check facilities and opening in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the Collsacabra plateau the temptation to spend the night on the cliff edge is great – but the area is a protected natural space, many tracks cross private land, and camping outside the sites is prohibited. The car parks in Rupit are day car parks with a charge. For the night, use the Àrea in Tavertet.
- Insider tip for campers
- The municipal road to Tavertet has passing places but little room; with vehicles over 7 m it is better to go only as far as the junction. In Rupit, arrive before 10am at weekends and on public holidays; after that the car parks fill up with day-trippers from Barcelona. Fill up with fuel in Vic or Olot – there is no petrol station on the plateau.
3Stage 3: Olot to Olot (Garrotxa loop via Santa Pau, Besalú and Castellfollit) (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- Take the GI-524 from Olot towards Santa Pau through the volcanic zone, continue on winding minor roads to the Fluvià at Besalú, then on the N-260 or A-26 up the valley to Castellfollit de la Roca and back to Olot. Well-made roads, with a few tight bends on the GI-524; pure driving time a good hour, a whole day with walks.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Volcà de Santa Margarida: a wooded crater with the little chapel of Santa Margarida in the middle of the crater floor, reached on waymarked paths from the Santa Margarida car park on the GI-524 (charge payable); the circuit with Croscat and Fageda d’en Jordà fills half a day.
- Volcà del Croscat: with its last eruption about 11,500 years ago it is considered the youngest volcano on the Iberian Peninsula; decades of quarrying lava gravel have cut into its flank, so you can see the layering of the cone as in a textbook.
- Castellfollit de la Roca from below: from the bank of the Fluvià the church of Sant Salvador on top of the basalt wall looks most striking; in Besalú, besides the bridge, the Romanesque church of Sant Vicenç and the Casa Cornellà are worth a visit.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Second night in Olot at Càmping Les Tries or – on the way to the next stage – at Camping Vall de Bianya north-west of Olot; check facilities, length limit and season with the operator in advance. If you would rather sleep among the volcanoes, choose the Àrea d’autocaravanes Vall d’en Bas in the south of the Vall d’en Bas, which has waste disposal.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Parc Natural de la Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa is a protected area: camping and overnighting outside the sites are prohibited, and the car parks at the volcanoes and at the Fageda d’en Jordà are day car parks with a charge. The craters themselves have delicate soils – leaving the waymarked paths is prohibited, including at the Croscat cut.
- Insider tip for campers
- It is best to walk the circuit to Santa Margarida and Croscat early in the morning: then there is often still mist in the hollows, and the car parks on the GI-524 are empty. Between Olot and Girona runs the disused-railway cycle path Via Verda del Carrilet – with bikes on board it is an alternative to moving the van. Monday is market day in Olot; avoid the town centre then.
4Stage 4: Olot to Solsona via Ripoll and Berga (approx. 125 km)
- The drive
- Take the C-26 through the Vall de Bianya to Sant Joan de les Abadesses and Ripoll, then on along the C-26 via Borredà through the wooded Pre-Pyrenees to Berga – a long, winding mountain road without any large towns. Beyond Berga the land opens up, and the C-26 leads over hills with pine forests to Solsona. Around 2.5 to 3 hours' driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Ripoll as an intermediate stop: the cloister of the Monastery of Santa Maria, which is less well known than the famous portal, and the old town at the confluence of the Ter and the Freser.
- Santuari de Queralt above Berga: a viewing balcony over the Berguedà as far as the Pedraforca; the approach is narrow, so with large vehicles it is better to park in Berga.
- Solsona: the Portal del Pont, the cathedral with the Romanesque stone figure of the Mare de Déu del Claustre, and the Diocesan Museum with Romanesque wall paintings.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping El Solsonès about 2 km north of Solsona on the road to Sant Llorenç de Morunys, with electric hook-ups, sanitary facilities and service points; part of the site is open all year, check dates in advance. On the way, near Berga, the Àrea d’autocaravanes of Avià is suitable as a break, with water and waste disposal.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The forests of the Solsonès and Berguedà are private or municipal woodland; under Catalan law forest tracks are largely closed to motor vehicles. Spending the night in a properly parked vehicle in the towns is legally possible, camping is not. The Àrea or the campsite is quieter and legal.
- Insider tip for campers
- The C-26 between Ripoll and Berga has few petrol stations – fill up in Ripoll. In Solsona the old town is narrow and partly pedestrianised; park on the ring road around the centre. If you come in February: at the Solsona carnival the town is full, so sort out pitches early. At Corpus Christi Berga celebrates the Patum, a UNESCO cultural heritage event with a fire spectacle – on those days getting through is tiresome.
5Stage 5: Solsona to Montserrat via Cardona (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- Take the C-55 south to Cardona, on through the valley of the Cardener to Manresa and along the C-55 to Monistrol de Montserrat. For the last kilometres to the monastery the BP-1121 climbs the mountain in hairpins; feasible for large vehicles, but at weekends busy with coaches and cyclists. A good 1.5 hours' driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Muntanya de Sal in Cardona: a salt diapir that reaches the surface; in the Parc Cultural a guided visit leads into the galleries of the former mine.
- Castell de Cardona with the Romanesque collegiate church of Sant Vicenç from the 11th century, high above the salt mountain.
- Montserrat: the monastery with the Black Madonna (La Moreneta) beneath the conglomerate towers; from the monastery, walk or take the funicular towards Sant Jeroni, at 1,236 m the highest point of the massif.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: For the night near Montserrat, the Área de autocaravanas de Monistrol de Montserrat on the C-55 at the edge of the village is the obvious choice: at most around ten pitches, stay up to 48 hours, water and waste disposal, no electricity; users report a variable state of upkeep. Alternatively stay overnight already in Cardona: the free Àrea d’autocaravanes on Carrer Mestre Pompeu Fabra by the sports ground has nine marked pitches, water and waste disposal, maximum 48 hours, a few minutes on foot to the centre.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Montserrat is a nature park (Parc Natural de la Muntanya de Montserrat): camping is prohibited, and open fires anyway. There is no official rule for overnighting in the monastery car park: some users report having stood on the coach park from the evening until early morning, others were sent away. Plan the night in Monistrol or Cardona.
- Insider tip for campers
- If possible, do not drive the motorhome up to the monastery: at the large car park below the monastery the vehicle height is recorded by camera, motorhomes pay considerably more than cars, and users report that the machine classes motorhomes as coaches and charges €80 – if you do drive up, pay at the staffed booth at the exit and check the classification. More relaxed is the rack railway (Cremallera) from Monistrol de Montserrat or the cable car (Aeri) from the station of the same name; both take you up in a few minutes.
6Stage 6: Montserrat to Montblanc via Santes Creus (approx. 130 km)
- The drive
- From Montserrat via El Bruc to the A-2, along it to Igualada, then on the C-37 south through the hills of the Alt Camp to the Pont d’Armentera and on minor roads to Santes Creus. On via Valls into the Conca de Barberà to Montblanc. Mostly well-made, with a few bends on the C-37; just under 2 hours' driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Reial Monestir de Santes Creus: Cistercian monastery with a Gothic cloister and the royal tombs of Peter the Great and James II in the monastery church.
- Valls: home of the Castellers, the human towers – experience them at a weekend festival in the old town; in winter, calçotada with grilled spring onions.
- Montblanc: an almost completely preserved town wall with towers and gates, the Portal de Bové and the church of Santa Maria on the hill with a view over the Conca de Barberà.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: On the edge of Montblanc is the campsite Montblanc Park with electric hook-ups, sanitary facilities and a pool; check opening times and motorhome conditions in advance. Between Montblanc and Poblet, the Heretat Masía Poblet, a winery, offers a motorhome area with water and waste disposal – a good base for the next stage.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Day parking is provided at the monastery car park of Santes Creus; there is no designated area there for the night. The riverside paths along the Gaià around the monastery are natural space; camping is prohibited. In Montblanc do not park inside the walls – the lanes are too narrow for motorhomes.
- Insider tip for campers
- In Montblanc, park outside the wall on the bypass and walk in through one of the gates. Around Sant Jordi’s Day in April the town celebrates a medieval week with the dragon legend – then parking spaces are scarce. Santes Creus is closed on Mondays, and open only in the morning on Sundays and public holidays. Fill up and shop between Valls and Montblanc; in the Conca de Barberà the village shops are closed at midday and on Sundays.
7Stage 7: Montblanc to L’Espluga de Francolí (Cistercian Route) (approx. 65 km)
- The drive
- From Montblanc on minor roads to Poblet at the foot of the Muntanyes de Prades, then north through vineyards and grain fields into the hills of the Urgell to Vallbona de les Monges and back to L’Espluga de Francolí. Quiet, narrow country roads with little traffic; pure driving time a good hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Reial Monestir de Santa Maria de Poblet: UNESCO World Heritage Site, still home to monks today, with the Pantheon of the Kings of Aragon in the monastery church.
- Santa Maria de Vallbona de les Monges: the third monastery of the Cistercian Route, inhabited by nuns since the 12th century, with a Romanesque-Gothic cloister.
- L’Espluga de Francolí: the Cova de la Font Major, a karst cave in the middle of the village with a museum, and the Modernista Celler Cooperatiu, one of the region’s “wine cathedrals”.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Area Autocaravana l’Espluga de Francolí on the edge of the village with waste disposal, a simple municipal area; alternatively the motorhome area of the Heretat Masía Poblet between L’Espluga and Montblanc. In Vallbona de les Monges there is a small Àrea d’autocaravanes with water and waste disposal for around eight vehicles.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The forest of Poblet is protected as a Paratge Natural d’Interès Nacional: camping, overnighting in forest car parks and open fires are prohibited. The monastery car parks are for visiting, not for the night.
- Insider tip for campers
- The GR-175 footpath (Ruta del Cister) links the three monasteries and can also be cycled in sections – if you have bikes with you, leave the motorhome in L’Espluga. Opening hours of the monasteries differ: Poblet and Vallbona have a lunchtime break (Poblet about 12.30pm to 3pm) but are open on Mondays too; in Poblet services can restrict visits. The drive to Vallbona runs through dry hill country – take water with you in summer.
8Stage 8: L’Espluga de Francolí to Falset (Priorat) via Siurana (approx. 95 km)
- The drive
- Over the Muntanyes de Prades with the village of Prades, whose houses are built of red sandstone, down to Cornudella de Montsant; from there a narrow, winding spur road climbs to Siurana. Back in Cornudella continue via Scala Dei and the slate slopes of the Priorat to Gratallops and Falset. Many bends and some narrow village streets; around 2.5 hours' driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Siurana: rock village on a limestone edge above the reservoir, the last Moorish stronghold in Catalonia; from the end of the village you look into the abyss where, according to legend, the Moorish queen leapt with her horse.
- Cartoixa d’Escaladei: ruins of the first Carthusian monastery on the Iberian Peninsula, from the 12th century, beneath the rock face of the Montsant.
- Vineyards on slate (llicorella) around Gratallops and Porrera, plus in Falset the Celler Cooperatiu, a Modernista winery from the early 20th century.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Falset is the Àrea d’acollida d’autocaravanes with around twelve pitches and waste disposal; near Siurana the Càmping Siurana on the access road, popular with climbers, and in Cornudella the Àrea d’autocaravanes Montsant. Check facilities and charges in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Serra de Montsant is a nature park, Siurana and its rock faces are a Natura 2000 area; camping is prohibited. When wildfire danger reaches the highest level of the Pla Alfa, the Agents Rurals close access to the Montsant – as in August 2024 and August 2025, for example. The vineyards are private property: do not overnight in rows of vines or on farm tracks.
- Insider tip for campers
- In Siurana the village centre is car-free, and at the village entrance there is a small car park with a charge – with a large vehicle come early or walk from Camping Siurana. Optional finish: from Falset it is around 90 km via Móra d’Ebre to the Delta de l’Ebre; there the Espai d’autocaravanes in Amposta offers around 60 pitches with electricity and waste disposal. In the delta nature park, beaches and dykes are not places to overnight, and from May to September mosquitoes are a nuisance.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- The basic Spanish principle: sleeping in a legally parked vehicle is allowed, whereas camping with anything that goes beyond the outline of the vehicle is not. Since 1 October 2026, Real Decreto 518/2026 (new Art. 92.4 of the Reglamento General de Circulación) expressly regulates when a motorhome is correctly parked: no parts projecting beyond the outline of the vehicle (awning, chairs, supports, steps), resting only on its tyres, safety wedges (calzos o cuñas de seguridad) allowed, no supports, no draining of liquids. Municipalities may still regulate parking times, zones and maximum duration, but according to the DGT they may not penalise solely because of the vehicle type; rules for protected areas and coasts apply independently. Implementation on the ground may take time – follow the signs.
- Catalonia permits camping only on authorised sites; in the nature parks on this route – Zona Volcànica de la Garrotxa, Muntanya de Montserrat, Serra de Montsant, Delta de l’Ebre – as well as in the forest of Poblet, camping and overnighting outside the sites are prohibited. Forest tracks are largely off limits to motor vehicles under the Catalan law on motorised access to nature.
- Fire: from 15 March to 15 October any fire is prohibited in Catalonia on woodland and in a 500 m strip around it; the only exceptions are masonry barbecues with spark guards in recreation areas and on campsites – when danger is high, special measures apply, and then even these barbecues and gas stoves are prohibited on woodland. The Pla Alfa classes municipalities daily into danger levels; at the highest level, 4, camping, hiking and sport in natural areas are suspended and individual natural areas are closed (in 2024 and 2025 the Montsant, for example) – campers then have to move to towns and villages. The Generalitat publishes the current map online.
- You can overnight legally on campsites and in the municipal Àrees d’autocaravanes, which are often limited to 48 hours and in the interior are frequently free but small (Cardona, Vallbona, Tavertet). Useful apps: park4night, Campercontact, Áreas AC; also the tourism websites of the comarcas, which list their own sites.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Water supply and waste disposal is called “àrea de serveis” or “punt de buidatge” in Catalonia; in the interior many stations are free (Cardona, Monistrol), but not always well kept – users report broken taps. Carry a water container with a hose adapter.
- Empty grey water and the cassette only at service stations; since RD 518/2026, draining liquids in car parks is also expressly a parking offence.
- Tap water in Catalonia is drinkable, but in the Priorat and the Conca de Barberà it is hard; in drought years municipalities can restrict the filling of tanks.
- Gas: German cylinders are neither exchanged nor refilled in Spain; Campingaz cylinders are available at DIY stores and petrol stations, and Spanish Repsol or Cepsa cylinders need their own regulator. Autogas (LPG) is available at larger petrol stations around Vic, Manresa and Valls, but rarely in the mountains – carry a Dish adapter and head into the Priorat with full tanks.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t 90 km/h outside built-up areas, 120 km/h on motorways and autovías; over 3.5 t and with trailers 80 and 90 km/h respectively. In built-up areas, 30 km/h applies on roads with one lane in each direction. Speed cameras and average-speed checks are frequent on the C-17, C-55 and C-37.
- Low-emission zone: the ZBE Rondes de Barcelona applies on weekdays from 7am to 8pm. Foreign vehicles must register beforehand in the register of the Àrea Metropolitana (petrol from Euro 3, diesel from Euro 4); without registration there is a fine from €100 even if the norm is met; processing can take up to 15 days. Other cities (such as Manresa and Vic) are working on their own zones – check the status before the trip.
- Tolls: no vignette, and the route is toll-free (C-17, C-26, C-55, A-2, C-37). By contrast, the car parks at Montserrat monastery, in Rupit, Siurana and at the volcanoes of the Garrotxa charge fees.
- In Spain, mark overhanging loads, such as bicycles on a rear carrier, with the red-and-white V-20 warning plate (50 × 50 cm). The connected V16 warning light has been compulsory for Spanish vehicles since 2026 and is a sensible addition for foreign ones; keep a high-visibility vest within reach.
- Alcohol limit 0.5 per mille, 0.3 for novice drivers; using a mobile phone at the wheel is prohibited, including at traffic lights. In winter, snow and ice can occur on the C-26 and on the Collsacabra; where signed, chains or tyres with the snowflake symbol are compulsory.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- A gas stove instead of a barbecue, and a fire extinguisher – until mid-October open fires are prohibited in and near woodland, and pitches are often right at the forest edge.
- Red-and-white V-20 warning plate for the rear carrier – in Spain the prescribed marking for bicycles that project beyond the vehicle.
- Water container with hose and universal adapter – at free municipal stations the taps are quite often broken or have no thread.
- Sturdy walking boots and a head torch – for the crater paths of the Garrotxa, the Salt de Sallent and the climb towards Sant Jeroni.
- Dish adapter for autogas and a Campingaz reserve – in the mountains and in the Priorat there are hardly any LPG filling stations.
- Binoculars and mosquito repellent – for the birds of prey above Siurana and, on the detour to the Delta de l’Ebre, for flamingos and the mosquitoes of the rice fields.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
