Things to see in Riudarenes: a church burnt by Spanish troops in 1640, a flour mill painted bright red, a castle turned into a sanctuary with views from the Montseny to the Gavarres, and a tower everyone calls the “Witches’ Tower”.
Riudarenes is our nearest village: Can Micos is 1.5 km away. It has about 2,500 inhabitants and doesn’t appear in the guidebooks, but it holds more history than you’d think. You can see the centre in a relaxed morning, and Argimon and l’Esparra fill an afternoon. Here’s what’s worth seeing, what you can only see from the outside, and a few tips from people who live next door.
| Where | La Selva county (Girona), between Santa Coloma de Farners and Sils |
| Time needed | A morning for the centre; 2–3 more hours for Argimon and l’Esparra |
| Don’t miss | The walk up to the Argimon sanctuary |
| Town festival | Third Sunday of September |
| From Can Micos | 1.5 km |
Sant Martí church and the spark of 1640
The first thing you notice is that the church isn’t in the centre but at one end of the village. There’s a reason: in the mid-18th century, floods from the Santa Coloma stream and other torrents forced people to build further north, away from the water. The church stayed where it was and the village moved away from it.
Sant Martí is first mentioned in 1190, but the building you see today dates from the second half of the 17th century. The previous one was burnt by Spanish troops in May 1640, and that fire was no minor event: the looting of Riudarenes, Santa Coloma de Farners and Amer sparked the peasant revolt that became the Reapers’ War, the one Catalonia’s anthem is about.
Take a look at the granite Baroque doorway: it bears the date 1730 and a figure of Saint Martin cutting his cloak in half to give it to a beggar.
Foto: Karsten Ratzke, CC0
Plaça del Diumenge and Carrer Major: look up
Walk round the right side of the church to Plaça del Diumenge. The wall of the square has four bricked-up stone openings, including two Gothic windows, one with an ogee arch and one trefoil. They are thought to be remains of 15th-century houses abandoned in the 18th. It’s in poor condition and hardly anyone stops to look, but it’s among the oldest things you can see in the village. Next to it is Ca l’Oller, a traditional manor house with a round-arched doorway.
Foto: Karsten Ratzke, CC0
Carrer Major is lined with two-storey 18th-century houses, and many still have the owner’s name and religious symbols, such as crosses and chalices, carved on the lintel above the door. It’s the kind of detail you miss if you’re looking at your phone. With children it works well as a game: who can spot the most crosses?
La Farinera, the red building, and the school the miller gave the village
At the end of Travessera Major you reach Plaça de la Vila, home to the town hall and the most photogenic building in the village: La Farinera. It’s a former flour mill from the late 19th century, in eclectic style, with a tower and deep red walls set off by white corners. It was called La Joya de la Selva and is attached to an even older mill bearing an inscription from 1816.
Foto: Karsten Ratzke, CC0
A few steps away, on Plaça de Lluís Ribera, is the old Josep Boada school. The square is named after the owner of La Farinera, who donated the land for the school in 1929. The Noucentista building went up in record time: work began in March 1929 and it opened that September. And for football fans: Gerard Deulofeu was born in Riudarenes.
Argimon: castle, sanctuary and the best views
If you only do one thing in Riudarenes, make it this. On top of the Puig d’Argimon, at around 450 m, stands an 18th-century sanctuary built exactly where the medieval castle used to be. What’s left of the castle is part of a tower and the original Romanesque chapel, probably 10th-century, now partly hidden behind the sanctuary. King John I ordered the castle destroyed in 1367, and today it is a listed national monument.
Foto: Josep Maria Viñolas Esteva, CC BY-SA 4.0
Foto: Josep Maria Viñolas Esteva, CC BY-SA 4.0
But people go up for the views: from the top you look over the Esparra valley and can see from the Montseny to the Gavarres. At sunset it’s spectacular. We often recommend it to guests with dogs: it’s one of the favourite walks, along with Estany de Sils and the paths that start right at the house.
| Getting there | Road from Riudarenes to l’Esparra, then a dirt track of about 3.5 km |
| On foot | Circular routes from Raval de l’Esparra, about 8.5–9.5 km with 340–430 m of ascent |
| When | All year; best early morning or at sunset |
| Festival | Aplec d’Argimon, second Sunday of September |
| For hikers | One of the FEEC’s “100 Cims” summits |
L’Esparra: the church, the Witches’ Tower and the hackberry tree that’s gone
L’Esparra is a small hamlet in the municipality, about 6 km west of the village, on the way to Argimon. It’s worth a stop. Sant Martí de l’Esparra church is mentioned as early as 1169, although the current building is 18th-century. Nearby, on a hilltop, stands the Esparra tower: a 12th–13th-century fortified house, recorded as the castle of La Roqueta, which locals call the Torre de les Bruixes, the Witches’ Tower. With a name like that, you’ve got a story for the kids on the way.
Foto: Carlos Pino Andújar, CC BY-SA 3.0
Foto: Antoni Grifol, CC BY-SA 4.0
For almost two centuries the church square had a monumental hackberry tree (lledoner), planted in 1812 to celebrate the Cádiz Constitution. A storm tore off a huge branch in 2007 and the tree slowly died; today not even the trunk remains. We mention it because it still appears on many lists of places to visit, so you won’t go looking for it.
Montcorb chapel and its legend
On the road from Hostalric to les Mallorquines there’s a small chapel with a big legend. The Mare de Déu de Montcorb sanctuary was built in 1125 and rebuilt in 1423, when the Manresa family donated the statue of the Virgin; according to legend, they had taken it from the Moors. In 1484 Pope Sixtus IV granted indulgences to pilgrims who came here. It’s a short stop, the kind you make on the way somewhere else.
Foto: Josep Maria Viñolas Esteva, CC BY-SA 4.0
Walking and cycling routes from Riudarenes
The Camí dels Segadors is the easiest route for getting to know the La Selva plain. It commemorates that revolt of 1640 and links Santa Coloma de Farners with Vidreres via Riudarenes and Sils, so you can just do one stretch. The Sils section takes you to the Estany.
| Route | Distance | Ascent | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camí dels Segadors (Santa Coloma – Vidreres) | 17 km, one way | +60 m | Easy, blue and white waymarks |
| Argimon from Raval de l’Esparra | 8.5–9.5 km, loop | +340 to +430 m | Moderate |
If mountain biking is your thing, we describe eleven routes in our guide to mountain bike routes in La Selva, and nearby Farners Castle has its own article. For more trails, see our page on hiking in Girona.
Festivals worth noting
| Festival | When |
|---|---|
| Sant Ponç | Sunday closest to 11 May |
| Roser de l’Esparra | First Sunday of June |
| Aplec d’Argimon | Second Sunday of September |
| Town festival (Festa Major) | Third Sunday of September |
| Sant Martí | 11 November |
Where to eat
In the municipality, our recommendation is Hostal Mallorquines, in les Mallorquines. For more options nearby, we also like Hostal de la Granota in Sils and Can Valls in Brunyola. And to see what else there is around here, carry on with our guide on what to see in La Selva.
Where to shop: meat, bread and cakes
Since the village bakery closed, we recommend Can Companyó in Sils for bread, which isn’t far. And for cakes, our pick is Pastisseria Serra Tornes.
And if you need anything else, just ask us during your stay: we’ll tell you where to go and we’re always happy to help.
Can Micos: your house 1.5 km from Riudarenes
Can Micos is an 18th-century Catalan farmhouse rented in its entirety to groups of 16 to 25 people, just outside Riudarenes. From here, Girona is 24 km away, the Costa Brava 24 km and Sils train station 5 km. And if you’d rather not cook, we offer optional catering.
We’re Carmen and Dani and we’ve been welcoming groups for more than 26 years; we’ll help you plan your stay.
- 9 bedrooms: 8 with private bathroom
- Dining room for up to 30 people
- Living room of 60 m² with fireplace
- Fenced garden of 4,000 m²
- Pool 9×4 m (all year)
- Covered barbecue area of 115 m²
Rated 4.8 out of 5 on Google, with more than 220 reviews from groups who have stayed.
Frequently asked questions
What can you see in Riudarenes in one day?
In the morning, the centre: Sant Martí church, Plaça del Diumenge, Carrer Major and La Farinera. In the afternoon, head up to Argimon via l’Esparra and its tower.
How do you get to the Argimon sanctuary?
Take the road from Riudarenes to l’Esparra and then a dirt track of about 3.5 km. There are also circular walking routes from Raval de l’Esparra of about 8.5 to 9.5 km.
Can you visit inside La Farinera?
No. It’s a private building with offices and homes. You can see it from Plaça de la Vila.
When is the Riudarenes town festival?
On the third Sunday of September. A week earlier, on the second Sunday, the Aplec d’Argimon takes place.
Where can a group stay near Riudarenes?
Can Micos is 1.5 km from the village: an 18th-century farmhouse rented in its entirety to groups of 16 to 25 people, with a pool, a 4,000 m² garden and a covered barbecue area.
Coming to discover Riudarenes?
Tell us your dates and group size and we’ll help you plan the weekend: rooms, meals and things to do for the whole group.
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