Els Jardins de la Martana
Why we like it: Family hotel with eleven rooms in an early 20th-century building at the start of the Besalú bridge, with gardens down to the Fluvià.
Duration1 night
Best timeSeptember – June
Budget€130–380 pp, depending on the balloon
Getting thereCar or TEISA bus
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving mid-morning on Saturday and flying on Sunday at first light. If you are not flying, Sunday starts at ten with the miniatures museum or the loop round the Castellfollit cliff.
Saturday
- 111:00The fortified bridge over the Fluvià
Seven arches and a hexagonal tower from 1390 in the middle. Cross it on foot towards the village and look back at it from the bank: the best photo is from below.
- 211:45Sant Pere and Plaça de la Llibertat
The Romanesque monastery of Sant Pere, with its lions on the façade, Sant Vicenç and the arcaded square. An unhurried hour and a half.
- 313:45Lunch at Curia Reial
Market cooking in a 13th and 14th-century building on the same square, with a terrace and a children's menu. Book by phone.
- 416:30Castellfollit de la Roca
Fifteen minutes by car towards Olot. Park at the entrance and walk to the viewpoint at Plaça de Josep Pla, on the edge of the cliff. With an extra hour, route 13 of the natural park drops to the river and climbs back up: 2.8 km and 125 m of ascent, to see the wall from below.
- 520:30Dinner at Pont Vell
A family restaurant since 1981 at the foot of the bridge, with produce from the Banyoles market. Saturday is the only night it serves dinner: book days ahead.
Sunday
- 1dawnBalloon flight from Santa Pau
Half an hour by car to the take-off field beside the Croscat. Flight, toast and farmhouse breakfast on the ground. Count on the whole morning.
- 212:00Guided visit to medieval Besalú and the mikveh
On weekends at 12:00 the tourist office runs the Descobreix el Besalú Medieval tour, 75 minutes and €5. The inside of the mikveh can only be seen with a guide: confirm when you book that it is part of your visit.
- 313:45Buffet at Oliveras
Homestyle Catalan cooking as an all-you-can-eat buffet, open every day at midday; at weekends it includes an aperitif. Home after coffee.
Besalú can be seen in half a day: the bridge, the arcaded square, the monastery of Sant Pere and the Jewish quarter. What a night asks for is what surrounds it. Fifteen minutes away, Castellfollit de la Roca perches over a basalt wall more than fifty metres high. Half an hour away, in Santa Pau, the balloons take off that fly over the cones of the Garrotxa volcanic zone, and the flight leaves at first light. You sleep in Besalú, dine by the bridge and get up early. You are 37 minutes from Girona and an hour and forty from Barcelona.
What is the balloon flight like?
Vol de Coloms takes off from a field beside the Croscat volcano, in Santa Pau, and flies for between an hour and a quarter and an hour and a half. From the ground it is hard to make out the shape of the volcanoes; from above they appear as they are, round cones covered in forest, with the beech woods over the old lava flows. The price, from €195 per person on weekdays and €225 on Saturday and Sunday, includes coffee and pastries on arrival, a toast with rosé cava and coca de llardons, a farmhouse breakfast on landing and the flight certificate. An exclusive flight for two starts at €980.
It flies all year. The time changes with the season because it leaves at first light, when the air is stillest: in winter you get up later. In the air it is the same temperature as on the ground; wrap up more than you think.
Where to sleep?
| Accommodation | Where | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel Casa Marcial | Carrer Tallaferro, next to the Jewish quarter | Couples: adults only, a 1,200 m² garden with a pool among Romanesque remains |
| Els Jardins de la Martana | At the start of the bridge | Seeing the bridge from your room; dogs welcome |
| Hotel 3 Arcs | Old town | Twelve rooms, triples and self check-in with a digital key |
| Càmping Besalú | Camí de Sant Ferriol | Families: bungalows for five and a pool with a children's area |
| Can Buch | Sant Aniol de Finestres, about 50 min away | A 1621 farmhouse with a natural pond, a private spa and chef's dinner; from €170 a night for two |
For the balloon, Besalú has the advantage of distance: half an hour to Santa Pau. From Can Buch or Cal Terra, in the Alta Garrotxa, the early start is longer.
Without the balloon, another Sunday
If the budget or the wind don't cooperate, Sunday changes without losing its point. Sleep late, join the 12:00 guided visit and leave the Museu de Miniatures i Microminiatures as a pause, with pieces you can only see with a magnifying glass. If you prefer walking, do the loop round the Castellfollit cliff in the morning and leave the village of Besalú for after lunch.
With children and with a dog
The Vol de Coloms flight goes well with children who can cope with an early start; ask the minimum age when you book. The mikveh is reached by stone steps and doesn't admit pushchairs; the youngest enjoy the miniatures museum or the free dramatised tour on Saturdays at 12:00, Entre pedres i cavallers, more. Dogs cross the bridge and walk the old town and the Castellfollit viewpoint; Els Jardins de la Martana and Càmping Besalú admit them, and so do Pont Vell and Oliveras.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Besalú, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Besalú
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Besalú as a base for the Garrotxa
With a car, Besalú is central: Castellfollit and Olot to the west, Banyoles to the south and Girona 35 minutes away.
80–130 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepSmall hotels in the old…
- Getting aroundThe old town is for…
- Where to eatCatalan buffet outside the old…
- ServicesTourist office at the entrance…
Where to sleep
- Small hotels in the old town, by the bridge or the Jewish quarter
- Campsite with bungalows on the Sant Ferriol road
Getting around
- The old town is for residents: park outside and walk in
- Santa Pau and the volcanoes, about 30 minutes away
Where to eat
- Catalan buffet outside the old town, €20 on weekdays
- Market cuisine at the foot of the bridge
Services
- Tourist office at the entrance to the bridge
- Service station on the Olot road
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're driving
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Casa Marcial
Why we like it: Adults-only hotel in two houses on carrer Tallaferro in Besalú, next to the call, with a 1,200 m² garden, a pool and twelve rooms.
Hotel 3 Arcs
Why we like it: Small twelve-room hotel in the old town of Besalú, renovated in 2020, with a triple room, online check-in and digital key.
Càmping Besalú
Why we like it: Campsite with 91 shaded pitches, wooden bungalows for five and a swimming pool with a children's area, on the road from Besalú to Sant Ferriol.
Can Buch
Why we like it: A 1621 farmhouse restored with clay and lime in Sant Aniol de Finestres, with a natural pond, a private spa and a vegetable garden that supplies the kitchen.
From €170
View details
Cal Terra
Why we like it: A restored farmhouse among 42 hectares of woodland in Montagut i Oix, in the Alta Garrotxa, with six double rooms, an apartment and workshops.
Mil Estrelles
Why we like it: Ten transparent bubbles with a bathroom, bath and private garden in Cornellà del Terri, between Banyoles and Girona, with dinner and an astronomy session extra.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Besalú
Restaurant Pont Vell
What to order: the seasonal menu, with produce from the Banyoles market.
Carrer del Pont Vell 24 · closed Monday and Tuesday; lunches Wednesday to Sunday and dinners only on Saturday · 972 591 027
Restaurant Oliveras
What to order: the midday Catalan buffet.
Carrer Pau Clarís 13 · open every day at midday · 972 590 392
Curia Reial
What to order: lunch on plaça de la Llibertat, in the heart of the old town.
Plaça de la Llibertat 8-9 · 972 59 02 63
Can Nou
What to order: outside the old town, on the Olot road, to eat without the queues at the bridge.
Carretera d'Olot 20 · 972 590 085
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Park in the car parks at the entrance and walk in: the old town has restricted traffic and the streets are narrow. Book the mikveh visit by phone or email with the tourist office: places are few.
We'd skip it
The last weekend of August, during Besalú Medieval, unless you are going for the festival: the village fills with jousts and a market and there is no free table or bed. And summer Sundays at midday, when the bridge looks like a queue.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Barcelona?
An hour and forty minutes by car. From Girona, 37 minutes. There are also TEISA buses from Barcelona and Girona, but for the balloon and Castellfollit you need a car.
How much does a balloon flight over the Garrotxa cost?
From €195 per person on weekdays and €225 on Saturday and Sunday, breakfast included. The exclusive flight for two, from €980.
Can the mikveh be seen independently?
No. The inside can only be visited with a tourist office guide. Plaça dels Jueus can be seen from above at any time.
Do I need to book for lunch?
Yes at the weekend, especially at Pont Vell, which closes on Monday and Tuesday and only serves dinner on Saturday. Oliveras is open every day at midday.
Is one night enough?
For Besalú, Castellfollit and the balloon, yes. With a second night, add Olot and the volcanoes on foot.