Bellcaire Hill rises amid the Empordà plain, offering exceptional panoramic views. The landscape and architectural history provide two distinct ways to explore the area: the circular route around the Estany and historic buildings from different periods. When planning your visit, you can first decide whether to focus more on a tour or on the area's architectural history.
Circular Route and Cycling Connection
From Bellcaire d'Empordà, you can walk or cycle a circular route around the entire Estany de Bellcaire. Another cycling route, “El condado de Empúries,” passes through the town and connects it, along its course, with Torroella de Montgrí, Ullà, and Verges. The routes differ in type: one circles the Estany, while the other is a named cycling route through Bellcaire that connects the town with the places listed above. A path branches off to the west and descends from the Montgrí Massif into the plain, leading to the village of Bellcaire d'Empordà. Alongside the circular route and cycling route, the direction between the massif, the plain, and the town also serves as a point of reference.
Landscape and Protected Area
The area of the former lake of Bellcaire has been part of the protected Montgrí, Illes Medes and Baix Ter Natural Park since 2010. This protected status applies to the former lake area, while the circular route runs around the Estany de Bellcaire. This makes it possible to distinguish the historical context of the former lake area from the specific tour around the Estany.
Architectural History Across Different Periods
The history of Sant Joan de Bedenga dates back to the late antique, Visigothic period of the 6th century AD. Successive construction phases and architectural styles can be traced there. Restoration work and excavations in the 1980s led to the development of a system for viewing the oldest architectural remains preserved beneath the floor. This connects the site's early historical context with a sequence of construction phases, evident in the different stages and the oldest surviving remains.
In the town center, Ca la Pepeta, also known as Mas Quintana, is a 16th-century farmhouse integrated into the town center. At the Molí de Bellcaire, it is important to distinguish between its origins and the part visible today: the mill building originally dates from the Middle Ages, while the part visible today reflects architectural alterations commissioned by the Marquès de Ciutadilla in the 18th century. The buildings thus point to different periods: Sant Joan de Bedenga to the late antique Visigothic period, Ca la Pepeta to the 16th century, and the Molí to a medieval origin followed by later alterations.
Discover more destinations: Sant Martí D'empúries, Calonge, L’escala, Gombrèn, Sant Miquel d'Aro, Urús, Maiá de Montcal, Palafrugell
For the broader travel overview: Girona.
