Gorges de Salenys

There's a bit of a word game going on here: in Santa Cristina d'Aro, there aren't any 'gorgues' but there are 'gorges', which are perfect when the Costa Brava is suffering from overbooking. The difference between the two is: a 'gorga' ('gorgues' in plural) is a section of a river where the water dams up and allows for swimming; a 'gorja' ('gorges' in plural) is a narrow opening beween cliffs where water runs... if you're lucky and the weather allows, a small gorja is formed there where you can't actually swim, but can definitely cool down: el Pou de les Goges. No, we're not having you on: the 'goges' are nothing to do with geology but water-nymphs that legend describes as having ultra-natural and eternal beauty. Doubtless to avoid any confusion, the spot is also known as el Pas de la Mosca (the Passage of the Fly), because the cliffs are so close that even such an agile creature would have problems getting through! The route starts in Santa Cristina d'Aro, where you can get to the Font Picant ('Spicy Spring') by car or along the bike path. Oonce there, head into the forests of Romanyà and the foothills of the Gavarres, and you'll see former bottling installations for ferruginous water, an enterprise that a few years back restarted on a small scale, providing the town of Llagostera with a new industry that is both environmentally friendly and very popular among gourmands. The route is fresh and practical with children if you follow the tracks that avoids the need for having to climb along a 'via ferrata' steel cable to get over el Pas de la Mosca. Indeed the kids will love having adventures there with features such as the hanging bridges. Plus it's a marvellous walk to do after a summer storm.