Themed routes
Beech woods turning copper, stags roaring at dusk, baskets of wild mushrooms and roast chestnuts in the village square. Autumn is the most rewarding season for a motorhome trip through Catalonia and the Pyrenees: fewer people, golden light and quiet campsites.
September and October are mid season, with a 4-day minimum rental; from November the low season begins, with a 3-day minimum and the lowest price of the year, €125 a day (dates are approximate, so check the booking calendar). Campsites empty out, mountain roads are quieter and at night the Truma heating keeps the motorhome warm however chilly it gets outside. At Segimon Rental you pick up near Granollers in the afternoon and can be in the Garrotxa or the Montseny in little more than an hour.
The colour does not arrive everywhere at once: the high Pyrenean valleys turn first, and overall the best window runs from mid-October to mid-November, depending on the year and the altitude. The most famous forests, such as Irati, Ordesa and the Fageda d'en Jordà, get busy at weekends and on bank holidays. If you can, go midweek and arrive early: parking is easier and you will have the paths almost to yourself.
A beech forest growing on an old lava flow in the volcanic Garrotxa, near Olot. In autumn the ground is carpeted with leaves and the light turns golden between the trunks. The paths are short and flat, perfect for an easy stroll. Use the signposted car parks and avoid weekend peak hours.
See route: Garrotxa volcanoes
One of the largest beech and fir forests in Europe, in the Navarrese Pyrenees. In autumn it turns yellow, orange and red. The circular walk around the Irabia reservoir, about 10 km, starts from the Casas de Irati. At weekends the access roads from Orbaizeta and Ochagavía get very busy: set off early or go midweek.
See route: Ordesa and Irati in autumn
The Ordesa valley, in the Aragonese Pyrenees, mixes beech, fir and maple beneath huge limestone walls. The classic walk to the Cola de Caballo waterfall follows the Arazas river past cascades. At busy times, access from Torla to the Pradera is by shuttle bus only, so check the national park website before you go.
See route: Ordesa and Irati in autumn
From mid-September to mid-October, red deer stags roar across the Serra de Boumort in the Pallars Jussà. The reserve's inner tracks need a 4x4, so the sensible choice is a guided outing with an authorised company, leaving the motorhome at the campsite. Bring silence, warm clothes and binoculars.
See route: Deer rut in Boumort
The Solsonès and Berguedà are mushroom country: saffron milk caps, ceps and horns of plenty fill the woods and markets in autumn. Many forests are private and some areas regulate or charge for picking. Respect signs and landowners, take small amounts with a basket and knife, and never eat a mushroom you have not identified with certainty.
See route: Mushrooms in Solsonès and Berguedà
The Montseny, 40 minutes from our base, is the closest taste of autumn. The Santa Fe beech wood turns copper and the chestnut groves around Viladrau and Arbúcies fill with spiky husks. Late October brings the castanyada, with roast chestnuts and panellets. Go midweek: at weekends the Santa Fe car park fills early.
See route: Montseny and Osona
Usually from mid-October to mid-November. The higher Pyrenean forests turn first and mid-mountain ones such as the Montseny or the Garrotxa a little later. It varies each year with rainfall and the first frosts, so check the parks' social media before you set off.
In September and October the minimum rental is 4 days, and from November it is 3. With 4 or 5 days you can combine the Garrotxa and the Montseny or explore the Solsonès at leisure; for Irati and Ordesa a week is better. Rentals of 3 to 6 days include 300 km a day.
Outside it can drop below zero in the Pyrenees, but the Truma Combi 4 heating keeps the inside at home temperature all night. Pack warm layers for going out, keep an eye on the gas level and, on a campsite, an electric hook-up gives you even more margin.
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