Capafonts, Baix Camp

About the place:

If you like the mountain, the forest and the charming villages, you have to visit Les Tosques, in Capafonts, a tiny hamlet near Prades. You will find houses of stone and some magnificent views on the valley of the Brugent river and the massif of the mountains of Prades. Little by little, walking through fields of hazels you will penetrate into the forest, until you find the river of crystalline water, with some fantastic waterfalls.

An excursion to enjoy nature and the mountains with the family!

Direction tips:

You have to arrive to Capafonts by the beautiful but curvy local road TV-7041. In Capafonts you can leave the car in the parking lot in front of the office of Tourism (a square building of wood at the entry of the village). From here you take the Pau Casals Street until the street Barcelonet Street. Take the Barcelonet Street in direction of the main road (TV-7041). Turn towards the right and follow the road about 300 meters until you arrive to a very pronounced bend. The route starts here. Take the track following the indicator 'La Mussara through the Llúdriga source'. The path leads to a cemented driveway that crosses another way. You have to turn left and follow the main path leaving small detours and vegetable gardens behind you. Follow the path until it divides in two approximately 1 km of the start (20 minutes of route). In this point you have to follow straight on  passing the padlock that blocks the step of the vehicles.

A few meters further on you will find a detour on the left, which goes to Les Tosques. Take it. You will go into a forest that becomes closer while you advance. The path will become narrower and you will find some rises and steps where you will have to help the small children. You will arrive again to a fork, but you always have to follow the main path heading to Les Tosques. You follow the sound of river and you will find it exactly in front of you at the height of the Observatory of Les Tosques. You can now continue the path following the river upwards so you’ll see some small waterfalls. Make a stop and enjoy the show of the water and nature. To return to the village, you have to continue rising and take the stairs with a wooden handrail. Little by little, giving small strolls and always following the main path, you will arrive to the way where you have come from. Take it towards the right and undo it until you arrive again to the village.

The best season:

winter, autumn, summer, spring

Lunch tips:

You won’t find any picnic area in the middle of the forest, but the stones beside the chain halfway can serve as seats. If you want to have lunch more comfortably, you can approach Prades and have lunch at el Racó d’en Manelic restaurant, just 7 km away.  If you are cold in winter or in summer you really need to escape of the sun, you can have a quick stop at the El Grèvol Cafè  (Les Fonts, 11) in Capafonts. Even though it is a place where you can smoke and is not really suitable for children, the people are really nice and you can find some great escargots.

More info:

Difficulty: average
Type: semi-circular route
Duration: aprox. 1 hour and 20 minutes (without stops, it includes both ways)
Distance: aprox. 1,5 km
Accessibility: the first stretch is very simple, but once you take the path that leads to Les Tosques, the path becomes narrower and starts to rise and you’ll find a lot of uneven parts.
Recommendations: in winter it can be quite cold, therefore we recommend you to use suitable cloths (including gloves). Even though in summer there is a lot of shadow,  we  recommended to avoid the hours of most heat. Remember to take enough water with you.

Photo: © ExploraTgn.cat