The GR92 follows the whole Catalan coast, from the French border at Portbou to Pont de l’Olivar on the Valencian border. It mixes wild headlands and coves with fishing towns, wetlands, coastal hills and a crossing of Barcelona’s edge. You are rarely more than a few hours from a town or a train, which makes it easy to walk in sections.
Trailhome is testing this trail now. Distances come from the OpenStreetMap route; the official guide splits it into 31 stages, OpenStreetMap into 34 sections.
The route
- Portbou to Torroella de Montgrí (about 109 km, 6 sections). Rocky coast over the Cap de Creus peninsula to Cadaqués and Roses, then flat through the Aiguamolls wetlands to the Greek and Roman ruins at Empúries and over Montgrí to Torroella.
- Torroella to Tordera. The classic Costa Brava: Begur, Palamós, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Tossa de Mar and Lloret de Mar, on coastal paths between coves.
- Tordera to Barcelona. Inland over the Montnegre and Marina hills and through Collserola above the city.
- Barcelona to Tarragona. The Garraf massif, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Calafell, Torredembarra and into Roman Tarragona.
- Tarragona to Pont de l’Olivar. Salou, Cambrils, L’Hospitalet de l’Infant and L’Ametlla de Mar, then across the Ebro Delta via Amposta and Sant Carles de la Ràpita.
What’s underfoot
From OpenStreetMap, the route is roughly 259 km of footpath, 216 km of dirt track, 98 km of minor or town roads and 27 km on main roads (these add up to slightly more than 586 km because they include a few short branches). The longest stretches on main roads are between Begur and Palamós and between Lloret and Tordera, about 3 km each.
Sleeping
Wild camping is not allowed in Catalonia, and it is enforced in the Cap de Creus Natural Park. Plan on campsites, hostels and guesthouses. Most campsites close from about October to March; on the first section, Càmping l’Ombra (Llançà), Càmping Joncar Mar (Roses) and the campsites at L’Estartit stay open all year. Call ahead out of season.
When to go
- Spring and autumn: the best balance of temperature, daylight and open campsites.
- Summer: possible, but hot, and the coast is at its busiest. Campsites and rooms cost more and need booking ahead. Carry extra water, start at dawn, and check for forest closures: in very high fire risk, Catalonia can restrict access to natural areas.
- Winter: mild and quiet, but most campsites and many guesthouses close, days are short and some fountains are switched off.
Good to know
- Getting there and away: Portbou and Llançà are on the R11 train line; the coast further south has regular trains and buses, so you can join or leave the trail almost anywhere.
- Water: about 370 mapped fountains within 350 m of the route. Some are switched off in winter, so check the latest hiker comments.
- Toilets: public toilets are scarce and often locked out of season. Bars and cafés are the usual answer.
- Wind and weather: the Tramuntana wind can be very strong around Cap de Creus, and autumn storms bring heavy rain.
- Daylight: in November it is dark by about 17:20, so start early.
- Emergencies: call 112.
Route and places from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Trailhome is not an official guide of the FEEC or FEDME.