# A getaway to Besalú and the volcanic Garrotxa, with a balloon flight

The fortified bridge, the Jewish quarter with its mikveh, Castellfollit above the basalt and a balloon at dawn over the volcanoes. One night, 37 minutes from Girona.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/besalu/itineraries/besalu-garrotxa-one-night-balloon · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Dónde: Besalú

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?

AccommodationWhereFor whom

Hotel Casa MarcialCarrer Tallaferro, next to the Jewish quarterCouples: adults only, a 1,200 m² garden with a pool among Romanesque remains

Els Jardins de la MartanaAt the start of the bridgeSeeing the bridge from your room; dogs welcome

Hotel 3 ArcsOld townTwelve rooms, triples and self check-in with a digital key

Càmping BesalúCamí de Sant FerriolFamilies: bungalows for five and a pool with a children's area

Can BuchSant Aniol de Finestres, about 50 min awayA 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.

## El plan

### Saturday · 11:00 · The 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.

### Saturday · 11:45 · Sant 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.

### Saturday · 13:45 · Lunch 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.

### Saturday · 16:30 · Castellfollit 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.

### Saturday · 20:30 · Dinner 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 · dawn · Balloon 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.

### Sunday · 12:00 · Guided 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.

### Sunday · 13:45 · Buffet 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.

## Un consejo más

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.

## Cuándo no ir

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.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.

## Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Els Jardins de la Martana**: A family hotel at the entrance to the bridge
Els Jardins de la Martana occupies an early 20th-century building, completely renovated, on carrer del Pont, with the entrance right at the start of the Romanesque bridge over the Fluvià. It is the only building on that side of the bridge and has views over the town. Its gardens go down to the river. It presents itself as a family hotel, with a lounge with sofas and a fireplace, a library also with a fireplace and a dining room for breakfasts.
The rooms
There are eleven double rooms, for twenty-two people in total, renovated and adapted. All have their own bathroom, some with a shower and others with a bath, air conditioning, television with a USB connection, minibar and free wifi. The website does not say which room has views of the bridge or the garden: if it matters to you, ask when you book. Daily cleaning is included and the minimum stay is one night.
Breakfast and services
Breakfast is served in the hotel dining room. You can book a private jacuzzi with solarium by the hour and ask for a therapeutic massage or foot reflexology, also by appointment. The hotel has no restaurant advertised on its website; for dinner you have carrer del Pont and plaça de la Llibertat a few minutes' walk away, on the other side of the bridge.
Getting there and parking
Its address is carrer del Pont 2. There is a public car park about 30 metres from the hotel, an advantage in a town whose historic centre reserves interior parking for residents. You enter the old town by crossing the fortified bridge, and from there you have the Jewish quarter and the mikveh, Sant Pere and plaça de la Llibertat and the Museu de Miniatures. In September, the hotel is right on the route of Besalú Medieval.
- **Hotel Casa Marcial**: Two houses on carrer Tallaferro, next to the call
Hotel Casa Marcial is on carrer Tallaferro, in the heart of Besalú's historic centre, a step from the old Jewish quarter. It occupies two recently restored buildings. The main one is a listed neoclassical house, from the late 19th or early 20th century, with a stately façade and arched galleries inside. The second is a new building raised on the remains of an old noble house, combining contemporary design and heritage. The hotel is for adults only.
The rooms
There are twelve: five doubles, six suites and one quadruple suite. All look onto the garden or the call, are spacious and have their own bathroom. The doubles are about 20 m² with a double bed and a shower. The suites are around 40 m², with a sitting room and a bathroom with shower or bath; if there are three of you, you can ask for a triple suite by contacting the hotel. The quadruple suite, of 80 m², is made up of two double rooms with a sitting room and two bathrooms, useful for two couples travelling together.
Garden, pool and breakfast
The garden exceeds 1,200 m², on two levels, and preserves remains of a 10th-century wall and a 12th-century Romanesque apse. The pool is set among those remains, lit at night, with a padded platform for lying out. The gallery, with large windows onto the garden, is for reading or resting. Breakfast is included and there is free wifi throughout the hotel. Its website does not mention a restaurant or dinners: for dinner you have plaça de la Llibertat a few minutes' walk away.
Getting there and what to do nearby
The hotel is inside the historic centre, where parking is for residents with a permit, so leave the car outside and walk in; ask the hotel when you book where it is best to park with your luggage. From the door you have the Jewish quarter and the mikveh, Sant Pere, Sant Vicenç and plaça de la Llibertat and the fortified bridge. Banyoles is 12 km away, the Olot volcanic zone and Figueres about 25 km, and Girona 30 km.
- **Hotel 3 Arcs**: A small, practical hotel in the old town
Hotel 3 Arcs is a simple, functional hotel on carrer Ganganell, in the old town of Besalú, a few steps from plaça de la Llibertat. It was completely renovated in 2020 and since 2021 has operated with a smart key: check-in is done online before you arrive, so you can come in at your own time without depending on a reception desk, and the staff answer by phone or WhatsApp if you need anything. It has a café.
The rooms
There are twelve rooms spread over three floors, with a lift and stairs. There are four types: standard with a 1.50 m double bed, king size with a 1.80 m bed, twin with two 90 cm beds and triple with three 90 cm beds, the option if there are three of you. All have a full bathroom with shower, hairdryer and toiletries, air conditioning, heating, wifi and a Smart TV with satellite channels. Cleaning and towel changes are done on request: if you want your room tidied, ask before 11:00 that day.
Getting there and parking
The address is carrer Ganganell 15. The hotel gives no parking directions on its website, and the town council reserves parking in the historic centre for residents with a permit, so leave the car outside the old town and walk in with your luggage; ask the hotel by WhatsApp where it is best to leave it. TEISA buses from Girona, Olot and Barcelona also come to Besalú.
What to do nearby
From the door you have Sant Pere, Sant Vicenç and plaça de la Llibertat, the Jewish quarter and the mikveh, the fortified bridge and the Museu de Miniatures. By car, Castellfollit de la Roca and the Santa Pau volcanoes are less than half an hour away.
- **Càmping Besalú**: A campsite among pines and oaks on the edge of Besalú
Càmping Besalú is on the road that climbs from Besalú to the Sant Ferriol sanctuary, at kilometre 2.5, in a quiet area shaded by pines, holm oaks and oaks. It is a medium-sized campsite, with 91 pitches, wooden bungalows, a swimming pool and a restaurant, designed as a base for exploring the Garrotxa and the Pla de l'Estany.
Pitches and bungalows
Of the 91 pitches, eleven are 120 m² and the rest 100 m²; they have a 10-amp electricity hook-up, and tents can ask for a 4-amp one for lighting. The bungalows, renovated in 2022, are all of the same type: for four or five people, with two bedrooms (one with a double bed and the other with a bunk bed and a single bed), a kitchen equipped with a microwave and utensils, a bathroom with shower, air conditioning, television and a covered porch. Sheets and towels are included. They are in a shaded lawn area, next to the playground and about 200 metres from the restaurant and the pool.
Services
The pool has a shallow area for little ones and a large meadow for lying out. The restaurant and bar has two terraces, one beside the pool and the other beside the children's area. There are sinks with hot water, coin-operated washing machines and dryers, a baby changing table, adapted toilets and showers, and free wifi throughout the campsite. They store caravans and motorhomes all year, covered or outdoors.
Getting there
You get there by car from Besalú along the Sant Ferriol road. The campsite does not detail access on foot, so plan to take the car to the old town, which has interior parking reserved for residents. From there you can see the fortified bridge, the Jewish quarter and the mikveh or the Museu de Miniatures, and in September, the Besalú Medieval festival.
- **Can Buch**, desde 170 € / night: A 17th-century farmhouse in the Vall de Llémena
Can Buch is a farmhouse dating from 1621, restored in 2020 with stone, clay, lime and ceramics, at La Barroca, in the municipality of Sant Aniol de Finestres, on the boundary between the Garrotxa and the Gironès. It runs on renewable energy and has an organic permaculture vegetable garden, which you can visit whenever you like and which supplies a good part of the kitchen. Instead of a swimming pool there is a 14-metre natural pond, purified with plants, with no chlorine or salt, with views of the Rocacorba range. There are cats, dogs, hens and lambs: in the afternoon you can help feed them and collect the eggs for breakfast.
The rooms
There are twelve rooms and an apartment, each named after a tree, a bird or a corner of the estate. The walls are earth and stone, the ceilings Catalan vaults, the floors La Bisbal tiles and the furniture solid wood from the Montseny; they have central heating, air conditioning and wifi. Several admit an extra bed and some, such as Els Bens, on the ground floor with its own entrance, sleep four. La Cabana is a two-storey apartment a few metres from the house, with a kitchen, a living room with a fireplace and two bedrooms with a south-facing balcony, for four or five people.
The spa is a stone hammam with a hot-water pool, jacuzzi and steam bath, booked by the hour and used by only one room at a time; children may enter.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Breakfast is included: a buffet from 9:00 to 10:00 with the house sourdough bread, jams, honey from their bees, local cured meats and cheeses and homemade yoghurts. At midday they serve lunch at the table or in a picnic basket (order it before 13:00). Dinner, from 20:30 to 22:00, is a signature menu of Catalan cooking with produce from the garden; there is always a vegan dish and gluten-free options, and under-14s have their own menu.
Getting there
You need a car. Arrive at Sant Esteve de Llémena, take the paved road signposted to La Barroca and follow the wooden Can Buch signs for about 6 km, around ten minutes. Parking is private and free, with an electric car charger.
What to do nearby
From the door, walking routes waymarked by the house itself set off: to the hermitages of Sant Roc and Santa Lena, about two hours, or the witches' pool route, to a waterfall, four hours with a good climb. By car, the house puts Besalú at about 50 minutes: there you have the fortified bridge and the Jewish quarter with the mikveh. Castellfollit de la Roca and the balloon flight over the volcanoes are a similar distance.
- **Cal Terra**: A farmhouse in the Alta Garrotxa woods
Cal Terra occupies Mas Vallmajor, a farmhouse in the hamlet of Els Vilars, in Montagut i Oix, surrounded by ivy, wild vegetation and 42 hectares of woodland, among mountain, meadows and farmland. The house has recently been renovated while keeping the original architecture. It is run by a textile designer who has returned to her childhood family home, at the foot of the Pyrenees, and who sees it as a place to rest, disconnect or work on creative projects, with permaculture as the way of understanding the estate.
The rooms and common areas
In the main house there are six double rooms, each with its own bathroom, with natural light and windows onto the landscape. In an annexe, with a separate entrance, there is an apartment for four people, useful if you are travelling as a family or with friends. For relaxing you have two sitting rooms, one on each floor, a reading corner, a breakfast room and a large terrace on the second floor. The house works with producers from the region: bread from local bakeries, fresh pasta, fruit and vegetables from nearby market gardens. Its website does not detail what breakfast is like or whether it serves dinners, so ask when you book.
Retreats and workshops
Throughout the year it organises weekend retreats and workshops: photography with a mobile phone or an old camera, an introduction to permaculture and ceramics, with modelling and glazing. If you coincide with one, the house may be dedicated to it; it is worth asking for the dates.
Getting there
The car is the practical option. The nearest bus stop is the Teisa one at the Sant Jaume de Llierca-Montagut junction, about ten minutes by car, and the nearest high-speed station is Figueres Vilafant, half an hour away. The house is about 125 km from Barcelona, and the Costa Brava and the Empordà are between 45 and 60 minutes away.
What to do nearby
The house itself suggests forest bathing, rivers to swim in, cycling, climbing and walks through a landscape of dormant volcanoes. Besalú is close: the fortified bridge over the Fluvià, the Jewish quarter and the mikveh or the Museu de Miniatures. Also Castellfollit de la Roca, on its basalt cliff, and the balloon flight over the volcanoes from Santa Pau.
- **Mil Estrelles**: Ten bubbles in a clearing between Banyoles and Girona
Mil Estrelles has been running since 2012 in the Borgonyà neighbourhood, in Cornellà del Terri, halfway between Banyoles and Girona. It has ten transparent bubbles, each with its own garden closed by hedges so nobody sees you from outside. Six are the Jardí type, the classic version. Three, the Bosc type, are a little bigger and have more garden. The only Sirius adds a private spa area with a jacuzzi and infrared sauna. With Jardí and Bosc you don't choose the specific bubble: they give you the best one free for your date.
All have a double bed, a private bathroom with a bath, and heating and ventilation. They are closed, so the night goes on even if it rains. What does change the night is the sky. With a new moon and no clouds you will see many more stars than on a full-moon night.
How the night is organised
Check-in is from 16:00 and check-out until 11:00; when booking they ask for your approximate arrival time. Parking is free and inside the site. Contact is by WhatsApp; the website publishes no email for customers.
Everything else is added when booking and paid separately. Breakfast is charged per person per night. Dinner is served inside the bubble: dishes to share, a bottle of wine, water and dessert, priced per couple. The astronomy meeting lasts an hour and takes place in a room for six people at most, with an astronomer explaining the sky on a screen; if it is clear, you then go out to look through a professional telescope, and if it is cloudy the talk is extended. In winter it is before dinner and in summer, after. There are also massages with essential oils and details such as cava and petals.
If you go with a child, it can only be one, up to about 6 years old, with no cot or extra bed: book for two adults and tell them by WhatsApp. Dogs are welcome with a supplement per night, and they ask you to pick up whatever they leave inside and outside.
What to know before paying
Rates are non-refundable. You can change the date once with 15 days' notice, by WhatsApp and with a €20 handling fee; if you book with less than 15 days, it can no longer be changed. You pay the whole stay when booking, plus the tourist tax. The website publishes no prices per night: you see them in the booking engine when you choose a date.
From here the Garrotxa is within reach. Besalú, with its fortified bridge, is to the north, past Banyoles, and a little further on is the Fageda d'en Jordà. More ideas in Besalú.