"Camins de Carro a l'Empordà" | The base of this Gravel paradise.

In the Empordà region, the "Camins de Carro" (carttracks) are not just dusty paths between fields; they are traces of memory, gentle scars that have witnessed centuries of rural life, migrating flocks, and contraband. Even today, among twisted olive trees and dry-stone walls, one can still trace the history written by the hooves of animals and the wooden wheels.

For centuries, the peasantry has been the heart of the Empordà region. Cart tracks connected farmhouses like Gravel House (or historically known as Can Navata), orchards, vineyards, and markets. At dawn, carts laden with sacks of wheat, bundles of hay, or baskets of vegetables traveled these routes toward nearby villages: Figueres, Peralada, L'Escala, Peratallada, Ullastret, La Bisbal… They were slow journeys, but full of meaning.

In spring and autumn, these same paths were trodden by sheep and goats, led by shepherds practicing transhumance between the low-lying pastures of the Empordà and the mountains of Ripollès or Garrotxa. This ancient custom, inherited from medieval times, followed the flattest and most sheltered routes. The cart tracks offered refuge and guidance, passing by springs, shepherds' huts, and isolated hermitages. Here is an article where you can see the most popular routes.

During the darkest years of the 20th century—especially after the Civil War—some of these paths became black market routes. With the country impoverished and the authorities vigilant, the secondary roads of the Empordà were ideal for moving prohibited goods: coffee, sugar, tobacco, textiles... At night, under the dim light of a watchful moon, groups of farmers or silent smugglers moved between farmhouses and mountains, evading checkpoints and hunger. Many of these paths led to the border, through the hidden passes of the Albera. Many of these paths have been restored and are a real treat for gravel cyclists; we love this area and often explore it with our guided groups.

Exploring the "Camins de Carro" is like taking a journey back in time, a way to connect with the land, the people who worked it, and a more deeply rooted, slower, yet meaningful way of life. At Gravel House, we hold these values firmly in our DNA and apply them every day, whether with guests booking the farmhouse, hosting events, or leading guided tours. We hope you can discover it for yourself soon!