Ripollés: a guide to the mushroom forests of the Pyrenees

Ripollés (Ripollès) is a comarca, that is, a district, in the north of the province of Girona in Cataluña, in the eastern Pyrenees. Why read on: you don't need a permit to pick here, but there are rules on the ground, and the forest here is lower and more mixed than people imagine when they hear “Pyrenees”. That determines which altitude band to head for and under which tree species. Below are the elevations, tree species, mushroom species and months that the MicoRadar model takes into account, and what you will be asked about on the spot.

How Ripollés differs from the high Pyrenees

By altitude. According to the model, the comarca's cells lie between 451 and 2677 m, with a median of 1158 m ¹. That means half the territory is below that mark, and this is precisely the model's altitude optimum for most of the species it calculates here ². In the high Pyrenees there is far less of this “working” middle ground.

The highest parts of the comarca are in the north, and they are also the protected ones: the Capçaleres del Ter i del Freser natural park covers more than 14,500 ha across seven municipalities (Queralbs, Setcases, Vilallonga de Ter, Molló, Ribes de Freser, Pardines, Planoles) and rises from 1100 m to almost 3000 m at the summits. About 80% of the park's area is public land and the rest is private ³.

What the forest is like here: pine, beech and two oaks

The most mixed of the three Pyrenean zones we have described. The forest area according to the model is 713.4 km², and within it Scots pine grows alongside beech, mountain pine and two deciduous oaks ¹.

The model classes the climate of the cells as almost entirely subhumid: 1027 cells out of 1031 ¹.

Which species the model calculates, and in which months

The MicoRadar model is a cell-by-cell calculation: forest type, altitude, climate and weather. It does not report that anything has been found anywhere; from here on, “by calculation” and “the model” mean exactly this. The months below are the season windows the model uses across the whole of Spain, not a calendar specific to Ripollés ².

Hence a simple rule: for the model, the pine and beech parts of the comarca work differently. The oak belt adds summer and autumn species as early as June, while the pine windows, by contrast, stretch towards winter.

In the same forests the model also calculates deadly poisonous species: the death cap (Amanita phalloides) under beech and oaks (September–December), Cortinarius orellanus under beech and Quercus petraea, and Galerina marginata under pine and beech ². We do not give identification features and we do not call any species edible; there is a separate section on the poisonous ones. If you feel unwell after eating wild mushrooms, call 112.

Do you need a permit for Ripollés?

No. In Cataluña, mushroom picking is not regulated except in certain protected areas, and municipalities and landowners may set restrictions on their own land ⁵. There is no permit for the comarca.

One historical detail that trips people up when reading old forums: in 2014 the Consell Comarcal del Ripollès reported that a paid carnet for picking in the Generalitat's public forests in Molló and Setcases was not, after all, being introduced, and that in Setcases (Sant Miquel mountain) a “recol·lecció reservada” (reserved picking) zone was marked with signs, with a voluntary and free pass ⁸. We were unable to confirm whether this is still in force. If there are signs on site, follow what they say.

And keep in mind that about 80% of the forest area in Cataluña is privately owned ⁹. The absence of a permit does not mean that access is free everywhere.

What is expected of you in the natural park

The park's rules are short and mostly concern behaviour rather than mushrooms: dogs on a lead at all times, close any livestock gate you open behind you, do not pick wild plants, no free camping, and fire is strictly forbidden outside permitted places. You may drive only on roads and tracks open to traffic, and park only in designated places ⁴.

To this are added the rules of others: the park shares its territory with the Reserva Nacional de Caça del Freser-Setcases ³. On motor access to the natural environment they share common ground: follow the rules, respect private property, and do not drive straight across fields ⁶; on dirt roads and tracks the speed limit is 30 km/h ⁹.

How to pick: a basket and undisturbed leaf litter

Put mushrooms in a basket, not in a plastic bag. Do not disturb the leaf litter and moss, whether with your hands, a rake or sticks. Do not take anything you don't know, nor anything too small, broken, frost-damaged or rotting. Home tests such as blackening garlic or a silver spoon cannot be trusted ⁹.

In the mountains, weather matters more than the season

Ripollés reaches altitudes of up to 2677 m, and a day here can turn out quite differently from what the calendar promised. The Generalitat's firefighters advise checking the forecast before you set out and finding out about an unfamiliar area, taking suitable clothing, food and water, a map and any devices you know how to use. Do not go alone, and keep visual or voice contact with your companion. Take bearings: paths, watercourses, the place where you left the car. When the day is short, plan your return before dark. The emergency number is 112 ⁷.

How the MicoRadar map can help

On the forecast map and the district map, the calculation runs by day and by species, taking into account the altitude and forest type in each cell. This helps you choose which altitude band and which forest to head for on a particular weekend; check the district page for the live forecast, as we do not duplicate it here. There is no layer of regulated zones for Cataluña on the map, so it does not replace signs and local rules. There is also a separate weekend forecast.

Before you set off

• Check the weather forecast and the district calculation for the days you need, and choose an altitude band and forest type.
• Check the signs on site: reserved-picking zones and municipal restrictions change.
• Pack a basket, water, food, a map and a charged phone; dress brightly.
• Arrange for someone to go with you, and agree a return time before dark.
• In the park: dog on a lead, close gates, no fires, and drive only on open roads and tracks.
• Save 112 in your phone.

Data and quotations checked against the sources on 01/10/2026; names, rules and sums change over time.