Spain's Sendero Historico: The GR1

Northern Spain - Picos to the Mediterranean

By John Hayes

ISBN

9781852845698

Availability

Published

1 Oct 2015

Edition

First

Pages

304

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.70cm

Weight

340g

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Guidebook to the 1250km of Spain's Sendero Historico (GR1), traversing northern Spain from Puerto de Tarna in the province of Leon in the west to the Mediterranean near L'Escala in Catalonia, through fascinating, varied landscapes and the foothills of the Pyrenees. Described in 53 stages, about 25km each in length, with detailed mapping.

Seasons

potentially accessible throughout the year but best experienced from April to early June and in September and October

Centres

Reinosa, Vitoria, Olite, Murillo de Gállego, Graus and Gironella

Difficulty

quiet and often remote providing a wide range of walking experiences none of which requires technical expertise; accommodation can usually be found on the route and at the end of a 7 to 8-hour walking day

Must See

combines visits to many of the most important sites in the country's historical development with some its best scenery

ISBN

9781852845698

Availability

Published

1 Oct 2015

Edition

First

Pages

304

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.70cm

Weight

340g

Overview

The GR1 (Sendero Historico) is a long traverse of northern Spain from west to east over 1250km of remote country and mountain walking. The waymarked route runs through the Pyrenean foothills from Puerto de Tarna at the western end to near L'Escala on the Mediterranean coast. Arguably one of Spain's best long-distance paths, it follows gently graded paths, making a long but easy walk suitable for a reasonably fit walker.

The complete trail requires around 53 days to complete end to end, but the guidebook splits the route into 7 sections, each with a start or endpoint that can be easily reached by train or bus, allowing walkers to explore the route in manageable chunks. The guidebook also describes how to extend the route to Finisterre and the Atlantic using GR routes.

Providing all the information you will need, the guide combines practical information about planning your own itinerary, when to go, cuisine and terrain with general information about the varied geology and history of the area. Route description is accompanied by contoured mapping and stage and section summary information, as well as detailed information about any accommodation available en route.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

Introduction

Topography of the route

Climate and vegetation

Agriculture and wildlife

History

What the trails are like

Staying in Spain

Eating in Spain

When to go

Breaking the GR1 into chunks

Planning your walk

What to take

Finding your way

Using this guide

The Sendero Historico

1 Puerto de Tarna to Reinosa

Stage 1 Puerto de Tarna to Salamon

Stage 2 Salamon to Prioro

Stage 3 Prioro to Camporredondo de Alba

Stage 4 Camporredondo de Alba to Cervera de Pisuerga

Stage 5 Cervera de Pisuerga to Brañosera

Stage 6 Brañosera to Reinosa

2 Corconte to Berantevilla

Stage 1 Corconte to Pedrosa de Valdeporres

Stage 2 Pedrosa de Valdeporres to Salazar

Stage 3 Salazar to Paresotas

Stage 4 Paresotas to Bóveda

Stage 5 Bóveda to Espejo

Stage 6 Espejo to Fontecha

Stage 7 Fontecha to Berantevilla

3 Berantevilla to Olite

Stage 1 Berantevilla to Peñacerrada

Stage 2 Peñacerrada to Bernedo

Stage 3 Bernedo to Santa Cruz de Campezo

Stage 4 Santa Cruz de Campezo to Los Arcos

Stage 5 Los Arcos to Larraga

Stage 6 Larrage to Olite

4 Olite to Murillo de Gállego

Stage 1 Olite to Ujué

Stage 2 Ujué to Sos del Rey Católico

Stage 3 Sos del Rey Católico to Petilla de Aragón

Stage 4 Petilla de Aragón to Biel

Stage 5 Biel to Murillo de Gállego

5 Murillo de Gállego to Graus

Stage 1 Murillo de Gállego to Loarre

Stage 2 Loarre to Bolea

Stage 3 Bolea to Arguis

Stage 4 Arguis to Nocito

Stage 5 Nocito to Paúles de Sarsa

Stage 6 Paúles de Sarsa to Ligüerre de Cinca

Stage 7 Ligüerre de Cinca to Tierrantona

Stage 8 Tierrantona to Salinas de Trillo

Stage 9 Salinas de Trillo to Graus

6 Graus to Gironella

Stage 1 Graus to Lascuarre

Stage 2 Lascuarre to Puente de Montañana

Stage 3 Puente de Montañana to Àger

Stage 4 Àger to Hostal Roig

Stage 5 Hostal Roig to Messanés

Stage 6 Massanés to Oliana

Stage 7 Oliana to Cambrils

Stage 8 Cambrils to Sant Llorenç de Morunys

Stage 9 Sant Llorenç de Morunys to Sant Lleïr de la Vall d’Ora

Stage 10 Sant Lleïr de la Vall d’Ora to L’Espunyola

Stage 11 L’Espunyola to Gironella

7 From Gironella to the coast

Stage 1 Gironella to Lluçà

Stage 2 Lluçà to Alpens

Stage 3 Alpens to Ripoll

Stage 4 Ripoll to Sant Pau de Segúries

Stage 5 Sant Pau de Segúries to Oix

Stage 6 Oix to Besalú

Stage 7 Besalú to Banyoles

Stage 8 Banyoles to Orriols

Stage 9 Orriols to Sant Martí d’Empúries

Appendix A Route summary tables

Appendix B A Spanish coast-to-coast

Appendix C Useful contacts

Updates

October 2023

Reader updates

Many thanks to Louise Heinemann for her updates on Stages 1–3 of the GR1. Louise managed the route without GPS and used the guide and waymarks.

Stage 1

On leaving Olite, the route is via an underpass below the railway which fills with water - locals appear to ignore it and cross the railway line.

There appears to be an error in the text, with the Canal de Navarre being placed a paragraph and an hour before it actually arrives.

A wildfire in June 2022 burned a huge area on the other side of the canal - the path with waymarks is clear at the moment but following it may become more difficult as the vegetation returns. There is an old cross at the junction not mentioned in the guide but a useful landmark.

Stage 2

There is now an obvious zig-zag descent into Gallipienzo. Opposite the new hotel there is a waymark and a path

The first half of the route to Caseda may have been changed slightly. It was adequately waymarked but waymarked from the opposite direction (i.e walking East to West) so check behind as well as front. Overall, the route to Caseda is now clearly waymarked following minor rough roads. A bit tedious at times, but absolutely obvious.

Stage 3

Louise had to climb the gate described in para 3 page 143 and local hunters are clearly trying to discourage hikers - the hunting season is between October and February.

Accommodation

Ujue – Casa Rurale Isolina had a great view and friendly people

Sos del Rey Catolico – the youth hostel has excellent views, friendly staff, free tea and coffee and is only 20 euros. It was virtually empty; probably best to check as they do have large groups of children.

Petilla de Aragon – Hostal Santiago Ramon y Cajal, run by Roberto and his wife, great value and strongly recommended

Biel – The town hostel is still operational

Aguero - the bar has closed, and the sandwich maker only seems to operate only in July and August, Louise recommends the casa rural, the Villa Garibaldi (tel 658817922) on the edge of town.

Riglos – The refugio is strongly recommended

October 2023

Fiestas

Fiestas are a huge feature of Spanish community life and every town and village has a least one a year.

Depending on how hard your day's walking has been they can either be a wonderful distraction or a sleep-destroying pain in the neck. Louise Heinemann recently returned from walking the GR1 and found September a particularly busy fiesta month.

Fiestas are a huge feature of Spanish community life and every town and village has a least one a year.

April 2023

Accommodation updates

The author, John Hayes, has produced accommodation updates to the GR1. These are best accessed via his blog

June 2022

Author updates

In Arguis - p168 - the Hostal Migalon is closed and looking for a new owner, as an alternative walk down the road to Hotel El Capricho (extra 2km).

The castle at Liguerre de Cinca (p183) is now open only for weddings - consider Casa A Chaminera in Escanilla run by the very helpful Ana (974500166 or 629274250).

p264 - the hostal marked on the map is closed and there are no facilities available between the start and finish of this stage.

p272 - the cave museum at Serinya is probably overrated by locals and does not appear to be open any more.

p275 - the signs have been removed on the way into of Orriols and given dogs it may be better to join the N11 at K13 at walk into the town that way. The hotel is now closed but alternative accommodation is available at Bascara where the Hostal Fluvia is recommended.

p276 - to avoid walking along the road after the village, head into Llampaies, and join a forest trail that starts near the centre and rejoins the route further along.

July 2016

Update

John Hayes is keeping update information for his book listed on his own blog.

This can be seen at: http://www.johnhayeswalks.com/p/the-gr1.html

Reviews

This is a well written guide to an attractive route and makes interesting reading. Recommended.

Spain has a fine selection of long-distance paths, but this one is probably the finest.

The walking is generally easy and full of interest with wide ranging views as the mountains are not covered with trees as some areas of similar altitude are. There is much of historical interest as the route roughly follows along the Medieval Moorish Christian frontier.

The GR1 falls short of being a coast to coast walk, but the author details a number of ways of extending the route using other Spanish long distance paths from the Atlantic coast to Puerto de Tarna, the start of GR1.

This is a well written guide to an attractive route and makes interesting reading. Recommended.

Slackpacker, Backpack magazing

“Very thorough and compact guide to Northern Spain’s GR1 from the Picos to the Mediterranean. Clear text, plenty of maps and photos, and lots of practical information from the author including accommodation, contacts for local taxi drivers when needed, suggested restaurants and plenty of heads-up for when a section of the walk has no dining or sleeping options along it. Highly recommend it.”

Ken Baldwin, Managing Director, Totally Spain, www.totallyspain.com.

"Guides/schmuides. In the digital age we live in, do we really need to reserve space in our luggage for a book? If the title in question's The GR1: Spain's Sendero Histórico, there's a case for making room.

Especially as generally the words are less dry-as-toast text and more dripping-like-butter prose...

Hayes' [experience] allows him to compare landscapes. And so "the limestone landscape of the eastern Cantabrian Mountains" resembles "the Ardeche in France and includes some of the same distinct features including the deep gorges, natural bridges and underground caves." This is an author who much prefers to rely on first-hand experience as opposed to trawling through the World Wide Web.

Easy to digest, The GR1: Spain's Sendero Histórico feels a short 294 pages. Whilst you could read it cover to cover as I did, it's of more use if you dip in and out of it. This is a book, after all, designed for those on the go.

Matthew Hirtes, The Huffington Post.

Stuffed full of fantastic and sunny photographs, the Sendero Historico guide for Cicerone is a great little guide to a super looking long distance trek.

Dave Sarker, Climbing Gear Reviews

Downloads

Spain's Sendero Historico: The GR1 - GPX File

John Hayes

John Hayes is a retired management consultant with degrees from Liverpool University and University College London. Immediately after finishing work in 2011 he embarked on an epic 5,000km trek across Europe, walking from Tarifa in Spain to Budapest. John has written for numerous walking and trekking magazines, and has written four walking guides and a cycling guide for Cicerone.

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