The Cerdanya region, located in the Great Pyrenees Valley, offers an impressive landscape and an ideal environment for practicing all kinds of sports and relaxation activities throughout the year: skiing, snowboarding, horse riding, hiking, climbing, golf and cycling.
However, many people are unaware that Cerdanya is also the ideal place to look for mushrooms. This area has peculiar characteristics, such as its hours of sunshine, its altitude, its intense and short storms and its meadows of lush vegetation. With the arrival of autumn the landscape is transformed, the forest takes on warm tones and is tinged with a dreamlike image. The first rains arrive, the temperatures become cooler, and the mushrooms hidden between the tree trunks begin to appear. But mushroom picking is not just a recreational activity, it also offers the opportunity to fully connect with nature, to take long walks among the trees, to exercise outdoors and to discover the wonders that the mountains and the forest offer.
Tips for mushroom picking
It is important to know that mushrooms grow mainly in autumn, after a period of rain, so the most appropriate time to look for them is during the months of September to November. The main tips for mushroom picking are the following:
It is recommended to be equipped with the appropriate equipment: boots, warm clothing and a wicker basket to place the species found, as well as a knife to always cut them at the base, without pulling them out. It is also important to carry a brush to proceed to clean them at the time of collection.
Not all specimens are edible, so it is necessary to use a guide or a mobile application that allows each one to be identified correctly. In any case, the places furthest from the paths are the most appropriate to find the best species.
The most common types that you can find in the region and around Puigcerdà are the following: boletus edulis (cep), saffron milk caps (rovellon), yellow trumpet, Grey Knight (fredolic), Morchella, Fairy ring mushroom and chanterelle.
The Cerdanya region has numerous routes in which to practice the fun activity of mycology. Among them, we can highlight the following:
The Meranges forest route. This route offers a wonderful landscape and is one of the most popular enclaves for mushroom hunting. The species that can be found there are the following: chanterelles, boletus and Fairy ring mushrooms.
The Guils de Cerdanya forest route. This is a very comfortable route for a walk in the countryside where you can find the following species: boletus, Grey Knight, saffron milk caps and chanterelles.
The routes around the ski slopes of La Molina and Masella where you can find boletus, saffron milk caps and chanterelles among others.
Another of the charms of the region is its exquisite gastronomy, whose dishes cannot be missing the delicious recipes made with local products.
Traditional cuisine lovers will be able to enjoy traditional mountain recipes among which the Fricandó stands out, a typical dish of Cerdanya that combines beef with mushrooms; as well as other dishes, such as mountain rice, risotto with ceps, rossinyols omelette or scrambled eggs with boletus. Those who want to experiment with more innovative preparations cannot miss the Forest Trinxat, where mushrooms are added to the well-known Catalan recipe with winter cabbage and potatoes, as is a tasty pizza topped with freshly picked mushrooms.
With its fabulous climate and its wide range of entertainment, mountain sports and relaxation options, Cerdanya is the perfect place to have a second home where you can enjoy contact with nature and an idyllic setting all year round. And of course, enjoy the mushrooms.
Opening hours
Tues-Th 10:00 - 19:00
Fri-Sat 10:00 - 20:00