• Region: Catalonia
• Province: Barcelona, Gerona y Lérida
• Declared a Natural Park: 1983
• Park surface area: 41,059 hectares
• Towns and villages Alàs i Cerc, Alp, Bagà, Bellver de Cerdanya, Castellar de n’Hug, Cava, Das, Gisclareny, Gósol, Guardiola de Berguedà, Josa i Tuixent, Vansa i Fórnols, La Montellà i Martinet, Riu de Cerdanya, Saldes, Urús, Vallcebre.

Points of interest

The Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park (Catalan: Parc Natural del Cadí-Moixeró) is located to the north of Catalonia and near to the border with Andorra. A rugged terrain in the comarques of Alt Urgell, Berguedà and Cerdanya, the protected area stretches for more than 30 kilometers over the mountain ranges of Serra del Cadí and Serra de Moixeró, with the peak of Vulturó at 2,648 metres.

In addition to the outstanding natural beauty of the area, the medieval walls and porticoed square of Bagà, the gothic church and the towers and walls of Bellver de Cerdanya and the rural architecture of the majority of the towns and villages in the area are particularily interesting to visit.

Zoo of the Pyrenees

If you are travelling in the region of the Catalan Pyreneees then not far from The Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park (Catalan: Parc Natural del Cadí-Moixeró) you will find the Fundació Zoo del Pirineu.

Here you can photograph a variety of animals in their natural Pyrenean environment at a refuge that rehabilitates local wildlife. Learn about the animals from a wildlife expert in a private photography session. Click the below image for more information and reservations.

• Take stunning up-close photographs of wildlife in a natural environment
• Admire magnificent owls, eagles and hawks in their home in Pyrenees
• Enjoy a personalized session photographing the animals you want to see
• Learn about the animals and their care from a wildlife expert
• Encounter a wide variety of mammals and birds of prey local to the region

Address: Fundació Zoo del Pirineu. Ctra. L-401, km 35,6, 25283 Odèn / Lleida, Cataluña / España

Flora

Almost 1500 plant species and subspecies have been recorded in the Natural Park which represents approximately one third of the plant species in Catalonia. A botanists paradise with around one hundred species that are considered to be endemic, thirteen endangered species and another twenty that are extremely rare.

Find a hotel in the Cadí-Moixero Natural Par

The most important ecosystem is the coniferous forest formed by fir trees (Abies alba) and pine forests of black pine (Pinus uncinata) with undergrowth of boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) or rhododendron (Rhododendrom ferrugineum), hellebore (Helleborus viridis) and smooth crosswort (Cruciata glabra).

In the lower parts of the park we can find downy oak (Quercus humilis) which occupies a large part of the slopes accompanied by Italian maple (Acer opalus), hazel (Corylus avellana), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and juniper (Juniperus communis). planted and naturalized woodlands of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) also grow in the area.

Some fantastic sceneries from the The Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park

Fauna

Among the mammals, the chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) stands out as it has an exceptionally high population in the Natural Park. Red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) which at one time were hunted to extinction in the area are now fairly numerous due to various reintroduction programs.

Among the birds, it is worth noting bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), grouse (Tetrao urogallus), Tengmalm’s owl (Aegolius funereus) and the black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) (which was chosen as the logo symbol of the Cadí-Moixero Natural Park). In the highest and most rugged areas the golden eagle (Aquila crysaetos) is present in good numbers.

The green lizard (Lacerta viridis) and the Western whip snake (Hierophis viridiflavus) are present and among the amphibians, the Pyrenean newt (Euproctus asper) is endemic to the area. Present in large numbers is the more common European grass frog (Rana temporaria).

Only three species of fish live in the rivers and lakes in the Park, trout (Salmo trutta), mountain barbel (Barbus meridionalis) and common minnow (Phoxinus phoxinus).

Hiking and walking Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park

The Cadí-Moixero Natural Park has an extensive network of marked footpaths with varying degrees of difficulty. There are eight nature routes for all audiences, three routes adapted for people with reduced mobility and more than four hundred kilometers of trails approved as SL, PR or GR. There are also geological itineraries and journeys to be made on foot, by bicycle or on horseback.

Some of the most emblematic routes in the Cadí-Moixero Natural Park

• Camí dels Bons Homes (Camino de los Buenos Hombres)
• Cavalls del Vent (Caballos del Viento)
• Ruta de l’Ermità (Ruta del Ermitaño)
• Ruta dels Segadors (Ruta de los Segadores)
• Camí Picasso (Camino Picasso)
• Cycling tour to Cadí Moixeró
• Pedals de Ferro (Pedales de Hierro)
• Vuelta al Cadí-Moixeró in BTT

Also in the area

Cadí Tunnel as a scenic driving route.

The Cadí tunnel is a toll road tunnel located in the Catalan Pre-Pyrenees in the Sierra del Cadí. It joins the regions of Alto Bergadá and Cerdaña and was built in the early 1980’s . The inauguration and commissioning took place on October 30, 1984. It has a length of 5,026 meters and is the fourth longest road tunnel in Spain. (The third longest in Catalonia after tunnels I and II of Viella (Alfonso XIII and Juan Carlos I.)

The Bagá-Alp section can be covered, in addition to the Cadí tunnel, on a series of small, narrow and hardly maintained roads. Great care needs to be taken in some places!

• At Bagá, leave the C-16 and take the B-402 towards La Pobla de Lillet.
• Take the BV-4031 towards Castellar de Nuch. At the end of this road, turn left and take the GI-400 towards La Molina.
• In La Molina, finally, take the GIV-4082 to Alp, where it joins again with a branch of the C-16 on the other side of the mountains which leads to the N-260 and Puigcerdá close to the French border .

The “natural free alternative” for the more adventurous is the BV-4024, through the Coll de Pal, although this road has not received any serious maintenance since the opening of the pay tunnel almost 40 years ago.

Information/Visitors Centers

Centros de Interpretación Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park

There are excellent visitor centres in some of the villages but the main one for the park is in Bagà (Berguedà) other centres can be found in: Saldes, Tuixent, Martinet and Bellver de Cerdanya covering various aspects of fauna, flora and geology and human impact/culture of the area.

Jardín botánico del centro de flora del Parque Natural del Cadí Moixeró

Located just outside the town of Tuixent, this botanical garden is well worth a visit. It is well laid out the staff can help you with some of the more difficult plant identifications. There is a second Botanic garden in the village of Trementinaires.

Other botanical sites to visit

• Arboretum de los Planells del Sastró (Tuixent) A great walk through the arboretum with information signs on the local use of medicinal herbs
• Plantación de especies autóctonas Ca les Monges con cualidades medicinales in Bellver de Cerdanya. Interpretation of medicinal plants and their traditional use.

• Official Catalan tourist website: https://www.catalunya.com/cadi-moixero-natural-park-17-17001-573532?language=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PNCadiMoixero/

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clive

I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain.