From Bascara to Girona

[peregrina2000]

The Generalitat guide lists two options from Bascara to Girona. They merge in Medinya, before Girona. One goes through Orriols, Viladasens and Cervia de Ter. The other goes more to the west, through Vilademuls, Terradelles and Olives.

If anyone has either walked or knows this area, can you recommend one option over the other? Are they both marked?

The guide lists the advantages and disadvantages as being:

-- Through Oriols (eastern branch) has some asphalt, has the advantage of passing through the nice town of Cervia de Ter

-- Through Vilademuls (western branch) has a short bit of asphalt and the rest is on a forest path, and there could be confusion in some parts. More ups and downs. About 5 km shorter. Takes you to Ermita de Sant Mer (XIII century).

I am likely to continue beyond Bascara to shorten the next day into Girona, where I want to do some touring, so if one of the branches presents better lodging, that'd be a consideration, too, though it looks like there's no shortage.

Thanks and buen camino, Laurie

 

[eze]

The Generalitat guide lists two options from Bascara to Girona. They merge in Medinya, before Girona. One goes through Orriols, Viladasens and Cervia de Ter. The other goes more to the west, through Vilademuls, Terradelles and Olives.

If anyone has either walked or knows this area, can you recommend one option over the other? Are they both marked?

The guide lists the advantages and disadvantages as being:

-- Through Oriols (eastern branch) has some asphalt, has the advantage of passing through the nice town of Cervia de Ter

-- Through Vilademuls (western branch) has a short bit of asphalt and the rest is on a forest path, and there could be confusion in some parts. More ups and downs. About 5 km shorter. Takes you to Ermita de Sant Mer (XIII century).

I am likely to continue beyond Bascara to shorten the next day into Girona, where I want to do some touring, so if one of the branches presents better lodging, that'd be a consideration, too, though it looks like there's no shortage.

Thanks and buen camino, Laurie

Hello Laurie ,

I don't know about the way through Oriols as we walked to Medinya throu Vilademuls. Most of the walk is asphalt except the two or three last kms before entering Medinya where we meet again asphalt.
Yes, many up and downs some of them steep. We met "dissuasive" dogs, i mean barking a lot but no attack. Those dogs were free to go on the small road we were walking on...
I also wish to mention the fact that, when entering the village of Terradelles, you'll have to be very careful as signs are not placed where they should be.. (pse refer to our diary !).
Before you enter the village, you pass a round about. Fifty or hundred meters, you turn right and find a gentle slope and, on the left side, a sign indicating the way. Now, you are in the right direction.
We had lunch (at about 2.30pm) in "Hotel restaurante Medinya" on the main road. Cheap 7 €. From there we took a bus to Girona.
What we saw from the bus window gave us the satisfactory impression that we did'nt miss anything at all...

I can't remember having noticed any lodging possibility between Bascara and Medinya.
I do remember that, the pension owner we stayed with, close to Bascara, said that most of the peregrinos walked through Oriols.

Buen Camino, Laurie !

 

[peregrina2000]

Hello Laurie ,

I don't know about the way through Oriols as we walked to Medinya throu Vilademuls. Most of the walk is asphalt except the two or three last kms before entering Medinya where we meet again asphalt.
Yes, many up and downs some of them steep. We met "dissuasive" dogs, i mean barking a lot but no attack. Those dogs were free to go on the small road we were walking on...
I also wish to mention the fact that, when entering the village of Terradelles, you'll have to be very careful as signs are not placed where they should be.. (pse refer to our diary !).
Before you enter the village, you pass a round about. Fifty or hundred meters, you turn right and find a gentle slope and, on the left side, a sign indicating the way. Now, you are in the right direction.
We had lunch (at about 2.30pm) in "Hotel restaurante Medinya" on the main road. Cheap 7 €. From there we took a bus to Girona.
What we saw from the bus window gave us the satisfactory impression that we did'nt miss anything at all...

I can't remember having noticed any lodging possibility between Bascara and Medinya.
I do remember that, the pension owner we stayed with, close to Bascara, said that most of the peregrinos walked through Oriols.

Buen Camino, Laurie !

Thanks, Eze, good to know I can go either way. The Girona ASsociation people recommend that I go through Oriols, they say it's better marked, and there seem to be a couple of casas rurales I might be able to stay in. I think the thing to do is to call ahead before leaving Bascara to see if there is a possibility, because I know there's a pension in Bascara, so even if it makes for a longer day into Girona the next day, I know I'll have a bed. Thanks, this is getting real, now, I've printed out the Generalitat guides and am annotating them with all the information I can find on the forum or the web.

 

[eze]

It is a pleasure, Laurie.

Let me add one detail. Don't do the same mistake we did and walk roughly 2kms for nothing.
After having passed Pontos, you'll walk for something like 2 kms down to Nacional II.
When arrived at the crossroad, turn right (not left as we did as we were tired), there you'll have to follow that main road, cross a long bridge and enter Bascara. We had lunch in restaurante Can Carles, nice place with good food, welcoming people.
Dining room is upstairs, first floor. Afterwards, we walked (tired !) on a long, nice and small path along the river until we reached Los Roques, a small village where was the pension we stayed at. The owner is ready to give you a lift from and to Bascara for free. Call when arriving in Bascara.

 

[Castilian]

The Girona ASsociation people recommend that I go through Oriols, they say it's better marked, and there seem to be a couple of casas rurales I might be able to stay in.

I have info just about one casa rural in Orriols and be aware is (very) expensive. Take a look at its fares yourself:

http://www.odissea-emporda.com/eng/insite01.html

P.S.: There's a cheaper accommodation in Terradelles, if that's any useful.

 

[peregrina2000]

What would I do without eze, sulu and Castilian? Thanks so much!

The Generalitat guide shows La Casa Nova in Viladasens, the Can Pedrosa in Cervia de Ter, as well as the Mas Borrell in Cervia de Ter, so I will be calling those places. The place in Orriols doesn't look like it's a realistic pilgrim option, though I'm sure its 165 euro suite would be very nice! Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Castilian]

The Generalitat guide shows La Casa Nova in Viladasens, the Can Pedrosa in Cervia de Ter, as well as the Mas Borrell in Cervia de Ter, so I will be calling those places.

It doesn't seem any of those places offers the option of booking just a room for just a night. In other words, they seem to be the sort of casas rurales that you have to book fully (i.e.: all the house) and for a minimum number of days (usually a weekend). Of course, you can always call to see if they offer you the option of booking just a room and just one night (and at what price) but it seems it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a plan B just in case you weren't lucky.

P.S.: The Mas Borrell has its own web:

http://www.masborrell.cat

 

[peregrina2000]

It doesn't seem any of those places offers the option of booking just a room for just a night. In other words, they seem to be the sort of casas rurales that you have to book fully (i.e.: all the house) and for a minimum number of days (usually a weekend). Of course, you can always call to see if they offer you the option of booking just a room and just one night (and at what price) but it seems it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a plan B just in case you weren't lucky.

P.S.: The Mas Borrell has its own web:

http://www.masborrell.cat

Hi, and thanks, Castilian. My experience last year on the Olvidado was that owners renting casas rurales were always willing to rent a room to a pilgrim (only if the house wasn't fully rented, of course). In fact, I encountered incredible kindness and occasional unwillingness to charge me!

This strategy works most often out of season and during the week, and since it's likely that the night before I walk into Girona will be a Saturday in June, the odds aren't good for me! But it's always worth a call. The people in the Girona Camino Association have also suggested this option.

 

[Castilian]

This strategy works most often out of season and during the week, and since it's likely that the night before I walk into Girona will be a Saturday in June, the odds aren't good for me! But it's always worth a call.

Yes, you have nothing to lose (other than the cost of the call, that's it). Best of luck.