Morning mist, village fairs, the Fageda d'en Jordà beech forest turning copper and the fire lit in the evening. A whole farmhouse inside the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, just for you.
October is fair season in La Garrotxa. 12 October 2026 falls on a Monday, so the Pilar bank holiday gives you a three-day weekend.
Dates published by Garrotxa Tourism and the local councils (checked on 30/09/2026). They may change, so check the official calendar before you come.
Right in Sant Joan les Fonts, its 20th edition: market, shows and the Witches’ Dance.
A month of volcano activities at Espai Cràter and on Montsacopa, most of them free.
A three-day weekend, with free open days at heritage sites across the county (9 to 11 October, booking required).
Olot’s oldest fair, in the town centre. The same weekend brings the Basalt crime-fiction festival.
A 7 km food walk through the Vall d'en Bas, stopping to taste local produce (booking required).
A short, flat guided night walk through the Fageda d'en Jordà (booking required).
Autumn menus in restaurants across the county. The 2026 dates have not been announced yet.
The Fageda d'en Jordà is a beech forest growing on the Croscat lava flow, at just 550 metres above sea level. In autumn it turns copper; the exact timing changes every year, usually between late October and November. The Joan Maragall trail is a flat 1.5 km walk, ideal with children.
Right next to it are the 160-metre Croscat, the largest volcanic cone of its kind in the Iberian Peninsula, and Santa Margarida, with a Romanesque chapel in the middle of its crater. All of it about 25-30 minutes’ drive from the house.
Autumn weekends get busy, so go early. The Can Serra car park is pay-and-display; the Rumbus (2 €, unlimited rides all day) runs from Olot at weekends and on public holidays.
On foot from Sant Joan les Fonts’ main square, past the medieval bridge, the Molí Fondo mill and three stacked lava flows, the oldest over half a million years old. It is currently closed at Fontfreda, but the Boscarró quarry and the Molí Fondo viewpoint are open.
The basalt cliff of Castellfollit de la Roca, over 50 metres high, is about 15 minutes away. Besalú, with its medieval bridge and Jewish quarter, about 20. One morning covers both villages.
57 km by bike from Olot to Girona along the old railway line, for walkers and cyclists only. The first stretch climbs to the Coll d'en Bas; after that it is mostly downhill.
More ideas: things to do in La Garrotxa →
Sant Joan les Fonts, the village of the house →
Santa Pau beans, with their own protected designation, are freshly harvested. The Cuina Volcànica restaurants cook with local produce, and in autumn their menus bring mushrooms and chestnuts. To finish, a glass of ratafia.
About mushrooms: foraging is restricted inside the Natural Park and most woodland is private property. Photograph them along the way and taste them at a restaurant instead.
Two fireplaces, heating throughout and a kitchen with a wood-fired oven. On the lower floor, under the stone vaults, there is a pool table, table tennis, darts, a gym and the wine cellar: rainy days are good days too.
The house is rented whole, for one group only, and dogs are welcome. If you would like to come for an autumn weekend, write to us and we will reply the same day.
It varies from year to year, but usually between late October and November. Weekends get busy, so go early in the morning or on a weekday.
Yes. 12 October falls on a Monday, so the Pilar long weekend runs from Saturday 10 to Monday 12. 1 November is a Sunday and is not moved in Catalonia.
At the Can Serra area on the Olot to Santa Pau road, which is pay-and-display. At weekends and on public holidays the Rumbus also runs there from Olot: 2 € for unlimited rides all day.
Inside the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park foraging is restricted and most woodland is private property. We suggest photographing them and tasting them at local restaurants, which put them on their autumn menus.
Espai Cràter and the museums in Olot, Juvinyà Castle in Sant Joan les Fonts or a stroll around Besalú. And back at the house, the fireplace and the games room downstairs.
Yes, dogs are welcome at Casa de Canadell: just let us know when you book. Inside the Natural Park, including the Fageda, they must be kept on a lead.
Sources: Garrotxa Tourism, Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park, Olot and Sant Joan les Fonts town councils.