Beget and Rocabruna on the roads of smugglers

We head towards the Coll de Malrem climbing up GR83 that follows the old road, used since millennia, to communicate Beget with the neighboring village of the Menera the Vallespir.

This road, known as the smugglers' route, climbs rapidly, curving along the rocky pass of the Grau, with breathtaking views over Beget and the mountains of Alta Garrotxa. The road leads us to the Sant Anotni oratory in France, located in Coll Golofreu in an open area of pastures. You have to cross a track and follow the path that leads to the meadows of Bocabartella.

In a few minutes a path leads us to Coll de Malrem, where we find the R83 sign and from where we enjoy a curious view of the Comanegra and the Torres de Cabrenys and within the Vallespir.

We left the GR83 and continue now following the white and green signs, first along the ridge and then down gently to the Bocabartella pass. We will see the most that gives it its name. After the pass we go down a rocky path, where Rocabruna Castle, one of our itinerary objectives, stands on a hill before us. The path leads to some meadows where there are some old quarries.

Keep straight to find the path that, by a narrow passage between rocks, leads to the road to Rocabruna. To avoid a stretch of road you can follow the old road that you will find on the right side of a house in ruins. After rediscovering the road we arrive at the R80 sign (Can Tadeu).

From this point we can arrive in a few minutes to the village of Rocabruna with its Romanesque church dedicated to Sant Feliu. We continue the itinerary, now following the white and yellow signs, which lead us to the castle of Rocabruna, which stands before us on a hill. This castle, documented in the 11th century, played an important role during the 15th century. We leave the castle on a path that, turning around on the hill below, leads us directly to the Rocabruna stream.

You have to follow the stream down to the Molino de Sorolla where we find the R76 sign. We continue, now following the GR11, which descends parallel to the river in the direction of Beget, entering the forests of oaks and oaks.

As we move forward the valley widens and also the views towards the Alta Garrotxa mountains . After crossing the road, the path crosses the Beget stream between waterfalls and wells. The road turns into a dark path, sometimes quite narrow, that runs parallel to the road

After crossing the road twice more, the road descends quickly to Beget, just where we started the route.

Source: Regional Council of Ripollès