Summary
A true breath of fresh mountain air just one hour’s drive from Barcelona centre. A relatively easy 11km circuit with a 700m climb to the peak offering spectacular views across Catalunya.
Matagalls – 1698m
At 1698m Matagalls is one of the 3 highest peaks of Montseny, the closest mountain range to Barcelona city centre.
From the summit you have excellent views of els Cingles de Bertí, the Pyrenees (including Canigó, Puigmal and el Cadí), and Montserrat. It’s also often the closest destination to have a day out in the snow from Barcelona, as we did the day I recorded this route!
Matagalls summit 11km circular route from Collformic
A relatively easy 11km circular route that starts and finishes at Collformic (1140m) reaching the 1698m peak of Matagalls at the halfway point, the perfect spot for a picnic. The route is not steep or technical, so should be suitable for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness.
Start Point: Collformic
Our route starts from Collformic, a mountain pass at 1140m. There are a couple of car parks, but as the closest high peak to Barcelona, they can fill up fast, so best to arrive early to get a spot.
There is also a bar/restaurant which is open Wednesday to Sunday, serves decent food, and generally has space available.
The route
This circular route follows two waymarked paths – The GR5.2 from Collformic to the peak, then the PR-C 205 direction Sant Segimon on the way back down in order to make the route circular.
For the most part, the route is very easy to follow, the only point where you really need to pay attention is on the way back down, just before the Turó de Sant Segimon. Here we deviate from the main PR-C 205 onto a small single track “El Camí de Sant Segimon” which can be easy to miss (or at least it can be in the snow!). If you arrive to the Turó you’ve gone too far… Or it was an intentional side trip…
