geocalia
Day itinerary · 41.76° N · 2.40° E
A flat walk round the Santa Fe reservoir, among beeches that turn copper in autumn, and a grill lunch in the mountains. By car, or by train and Bus Parc.
Part of MontsenyUnusual places to stay in SpainHorse riding routes in Spain
The plan
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
via the AP-7 to Sant Celoni and the BV-5114, with bends
Loop round the reservoir and beech wood · 2 h with stops · flat
La Fonda del Montseny · charcoal grill in the village's old inn · €€ · booking required
Montseny · +34 938 473 040
Come down while it is light; you arrive around 17:30
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Santa Fe is the green heart of the Montseny: a high valley, above a thousand metres, with a small reservoir ringed by beech forest. The walk is flat and short, suitable for anyone, and what it asks for is time to look. In autumn the beech forest turns copper and the ground crunches with leaves; in spring it is a green tunnel. Then you go down for a grill lunch, unhurried.
9:00 · Departure. Motorway to Sant Celoni and, from there, the BV-5114 road that climbs via Campins and Fogars de Montclús to Santa Fe. The last kilometres are tight bends: go up slowly and expect cyclists on Sundays.
10:30 · Santa Fe. The public car park is at kilometre 21 of the BV-5114, was refurbished in 2025, is free and has accessible access. All the marked paths in the valley start from it.
10:45 · Round the reservoir. It is the signposted itinerary of the Diputació: 2.6 km on the flat, about 50 minutes at an easy pace, recommended for families and passable all year. The dam was built in 1935 to produce electricity and today is part of the valley's landscape and habitat for many species. Walk quietly along the shore, cross the dam and return on the other side among the grey trunks of the beeches. With stops, photos and a while sitting on the leaf litter, you fill the two hours.
12:45 · If you still feel like it. From Santa Fe other marked routes also set off: the Font del Frare one, adapted for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and the long climb to the Turó de l'Home and Les Agudes, which is already a full-day excursion. For this plan, the circuit is enough.
13:00 · Towards Montseny village. Lunch is in the village of Montseny, on the other side of the massif. The simplest way is to go down the BV-5114 towards Sant Celoni and, from Sant Esteve de Palautordera, go up the BV-5301 to the village. Allow close to an hour of bends.
14:00 · Lunch at La Fonda del Montseny. It is the village's old inn, on Plaça de la Vila: in the 19th century it already gave beds to muleteers and traders, and since 1992 it has been a restaurant, run by the same family since 1966. Classic Catalan cooking, with a grill section and produce made in the Montseny itself. At weekends it opens from 9:00 to 18:00; closed Monday and Tuesday.
16:30 · Return. Come down in daylight: the road has no lighting and in autumn it gets dark early.
This is a grill plan. At La Fonda, from the grill section: the Montseny butifarra sausage combo, the Viladrau chestnut butifarra or the Montseny lamb. The Montseny Menu, at €26, serves that butifarra with ganxet beans, the Vallès white bean, and potatoes. In autumn, order the porcini sautéed with garlic and parsley. For dessert, something from the house and a long coffee. Book by phone before Friday in October and November: it is the Montseny's high season and the mountain restaurants fill up on Sundays.
Every year, between October and early December, the park receives so many people that the Diputació regulates access. In 2026, at weekends and holidays from 10 October to 8 December there is a reception point at the entrance to Fogars de Montclús, with free parking and a Bus Parc to Santa Fe and Fontmartina, information staff and guided activities. If you arrive late and it is full up there, leave the car there and go up by bus. Better still: set off early.
The walk round the reservoir is one of the best mountain routes for small children: flat, short and beside water. A pushchair with large wheels can do it; with a light buggy, the Font del Frare is better. Dogs must always be on a lead: there are livestock and wildlife, and the park asks that they do not bathe in the streams. On the Bus Parc only small dogs in a carrier are allowed.
Where to eat
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
What to order: from the grill, the Viladrau chestnut butifarra or the Montseny lamb; the Menú del Montseny serves it with ganxet beans.
What to order: Something from the holm-oak grill or, in autumn, the seasonal mushrooms; the desserts are made in the house.
What to order: The onion and chestnut soup, the wild boar civet with chestnuts or the chestnut butifarra with mushrooms; for dessert, the chestnut baba.
Map
With where to park at each one.
Getting there
When to go
The beech forest changes colour between late October and mid-November: they are the prettiest Sundays and the busiest. In spring the forest is green and quiet; in summer, above 1,000 metres, it is cool. In winter the road may freeze.
Tips
On colour Sundays the Santa Fe car park fills by mid-morning. Early, too, the forest is silent.
Santa Fe is above a thousand metres. Even if it is sunny in Barcelona, up there it is a lot colder and damp.
Wet beech leaf is slippery. You do not need mountain boots, but you do need a grippy sole.
The Bus Parc does not accept cards: bring the exact fare.
The mist among the beeches has its charm and the circuit is short. In heavy rain, keep the lunch and leave the walk for later, if it clears.
Sunday middays in November, if you hate crowds. Go on a Saturday early or in spring.
Questions
A little over an hour by car, with the last kilometres of bends. By public transport, train to Sant Celoni and Bus Parc: allow quite a lot more and check the timetables first.
No. The walk round the Santa Fe reservoir is 2.6 km on the flat, about 50 minutes, and is designed for families.
Usually between late October and mid-November. It depends on each year's rain and cold.
No. The Santa Fe car park is free, and so is the one at the Fogars de Montclús reception point in autumn.
Yes, on a lead the whole way. On the Bus Parc only small dogs in a carrier are admitted.
Yes, especially in October and November. Book before Friday.
More plans like this
geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/montseny/itineraries/montseny-beech-forest-and-grill
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/montseny/itineraries/montseny-beech-forest-and-grill
