Jordà beech wood. Santa Margarida Volcano and Croscat Volcano

Distance: 9.9 km    Duration: 3 h 

This itinerary is circular, beginning and ending at the same point after visiting three of the best-known and most attractive spots in the Natural Park: the Jordà beech wood and the Santa Margarida and Croscat volcanoes. The route is marked by the natural park with the number 1 and the color red. Get the Teisa bus to Olot (1hr 10 ish), get a taxi from the bus station to 'Area Servei Santa Margardia' or 'Parquing Can Serra'(10 mins). Get the taxi driver's number to call him when you want to go back.
Although the recommended starting point is the Can Serra service area (Jordà beech wood), it is also possible to begin at the Santa Margarida service area. Both service areas are on the GI-524 road from Olot to Santa Pau, at kms 4 and 6, respectively. If you leave Can Serra and head south, you have to cross the road and go down some steps which lead to the Jordà beech wood. Just before you reach the wood, on the right-hand side there is a monolith in the memory of poet Joan Maragall. 

Jordà beech wood is exceptional, because it grows on flat ground, 550 m above sea level, on top of a lava flow from the Croscat volcano. Leaving the wood, the path goes on to the Can Batlle gap and Sant Miquel de Sacot (Romanesque church, 11th century); km 3.5. From there it descends to the Sacot plain via the Bassols gap, on the south-west flank of the Santa Margarida volcano (km 5.2). 
Santa Margarida volcano 
This is a mixed volcano, which has phases of eruption of the strombolian and phreatomagmatic types. The latter are explosive and opened up a broad circular crater, within which is the hermitage which has given the volcano its name. Apart from the crater, now a meadow, the rest of the volcano is covered with woodland, evergreen oaks on the sunny side and mixed deciduous trees on the shady side. The itinerary continues on down to the Santa Margarida service area (km 6.2), crosses the GI-524 and joins Itinerary 15 (Croscat volcano clay pits), to the turnoff to Can Passavent (km 7). 
Croscat volcano
Strombolian, and the cone is the largest on the Iberian Peninsula. 160 m high. It also seems to be the youngest of them all. For years volcanic materials were extracted from the side, leaving an impressive gash (grederes), which we can visit by following Itinerary 15.After skirting the old rubbish tip, now sealed off, on the north flank of the volcano, the path descends gently to the car park and the Can Serra service area (km 9.90). 

Practical information 
You should carry a map of the area. You need suitable clothing and footwear, food and water. 
Turisme Garrotxa 
Av. Onze de Setembre, 22, 2ª pl. 
17800 Olot 
972 271 600 
www.turismegarrotxa.com 
Oficina de Turisme d'Olot 
C/ Hospici, 8 
17800 Olot 
972 260 141 
www.turismeolot.cat 
Taken from Palau Robert Routes website