The route
This route is a clear example of the awesomeness of the nature out of the known zones. In this little corner of the world you will find beeches, yews, black pines, boxwoods, hollies, hazels, white beams and wild pines. All this, a few kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea.
Of all these kind of trees, you will be able to see two heritage ones: the Faig Pare (a beech) and the Pi Gros (a pine). Faig Pare is a specimen that seems out of a fairy tale. It is approximately 300 years old. Pi Gros is a specimen of a black pine of epic proportions and it is approximately 700 years old. In order to get to the starting point you will need to start from la Sénia to Ulldecona’s Lake and follow the forest track of la Fou for 9 km.
You may park your car at the starting point of Els Ports Natural Park routes. The route starts counter clockwise: you will undo the track that led you to the starting point and you will find the start at Racó del Tabac. There is a long, steep and constant climb that will take you to Plans de Valldebous, a point that unites several paths, specifically the Rossec old path, from which used to descend the old rossegadors. That job has disappeared, but it used to consist of finding the best pines in the area of which making furniture and tools. They cut down the pines and transport them with the help of their animals until they get to La Sénia.
You will continue to the left, following the PRC 82 and going to Mola del Boix. After, you will go under it, you may visit the Teixet, a yew tree that it is not a monumental tree but is worth a look. Some meters ahead you will get to the Vallcaneres Altes forestry path. You will follow this path until hiking down. Then, you will continue along the path and you will see the Fageda del Retaule. After that, you will take the PRC 95 and you will get to the Faig Pare. You can take some photos and afterwards follow the Retaule path until you find a trail and a fountain of the same name. There, you can drink some water and enjoy the views that you will probably remember for life.
Following the path you will find the climbing to the Pi Gros. You will be able to go up to see it and once you will be done, you will have to go down again. You should keep on the same PR until you will find the Collet de l’Herbassana. Once there, you must pay attention as you have to follow the path that passes in front of the “door” you find in the forest track.
Later, you will get on a steeply downhill to the Barranc dels Cirerers, and right after, you will pass below a few spectacular caves until you get to the Fou track again. You have to keep on going down along the same path until you will get to the Font del Teix, where you turn back on the path to Cova dels Bous. Once there, you turn left to get to Barranc de les Tosques and later to Barranc de la Cova passing the cave with the same name.
The highest point of this track will be the Portella de la Malladeta, from where you can see the Pont Foradat just in front of you: a one-of-a-kind masterpiece result of the karstic soil erosion. Finally, you get back to the Àrea de lleure de la Fou where you can enjoy the views.
