The Serra d’en Cals dolmens route

What it is

It is E-Route 2 of the Gavarres megalithic routes: a 10.38 km circular walk along the Serra d’en Cals and the Serra Mitjana, starting and finishing at the church of Santa Coloma de Fitor. The Consorci de les Gavarres rates it moderate in difficulty and estimates about 4 hours, stopping to see each monument. It can be done in a leisurely morning. It visits ten megalithic monuments and shows the variety of megalithic culture in the north of the Gavarres, the massif with the most dolmens in the Girona region.

The route also goes back in time: from the Camí Ral along which cork, timber and charcoal came down to Palamós, past farmhouses and medieval villages, to the prehistoric necropolises of the ridges.

The route step by step

1. From Fitor to Can Marines. You leave the church of Santa Coloma de Fitor heading east.
2. To Mas Cals. From Can Marines you follow the yellow and white marks of the short-distance trail (PR). You reach the ice well of Mas Cals and Mas Cals itself, on the Camí Ral.
3. Roques del Duc and charcoal-burning sites. You pass the Roques del Duc and the charcoal-burning area of Mas d’Anguila.
4. Dr. Pericot dolmen. You climb to this dolmen, with good views south over the Gavarres and a group of rock engravings.
5. Clot del Llorer and medieval settlement. You see the cist at the Clot del Llorer and the medieval settlement of the Serra d’en Cals.
6. The cluster of dolmens on the Serra d’en Cals. This is the central stretch: the Tres Peus dolmen, the Serra d’en Cals dolmen, the Tres Caires dolmen, the dolmen of les Maries and the Pedra Dreta de les Tres Finques, a menhir. Those of Tres Peus, Tres Caires and the Serra d’en Cals are among the best preserved.
7. Serra Mitjana and Roca de l’Aglà. You finish with the Serra Mitjana dolmen and the dolmen and engravings of the Roca de l’Aglà.
8. Back to Fitor, passing the teuleria of Mas Plaja, the old tile kiln.

How to follow it

It is an electronic route. Download the GPX track or the PDF from the Consorci de les Gavarres website and follow it on your phone with Wikiloc, OruxMaps or another app. Part of it follows the PR waymarked in yellow and white; each monument has a sign with a QR code that opens its information sheet. Coverage in the woods is patchy: bring it downloaded and with plenty of battery.

Getting there

Fitor is reached by forest tracks from Fonteta, from Sant Climent de Peralta, from Mont-ras or from the Coll de la Ganga. Drive slowly and park next to the church without blocking the way.

Rules

The route passes mostly through the lands of the estate of Joan Botey i Serra, private property. Respect paths and fences, don’t climb on the dolmens or touch the engravings, keep your dog on a lead and take your litter with you.

When to go and what to bring

Spring and autumn are the best times. In summer, start early and check the fire risk on the Generalitat’s Pla Alfa before setting out. Bring hiking footwear, at least a litre and a half of water per person and food. In winter it gets dark early: don’t start it after lunch.

Who it is for

For teenagers and adults who walk regularly. Four hours along forest tracks and trails is too much for small children; for them there is the 45-minute short Fitor dolmens route.