The works have improved pedestrian access to the volcano from the stairway located behind the cemetery. The project is part of the Tourism Sustainability Plan in Destinations (PSTD) “La Garrotxa soft & smart country”, an initiative conceived and drafted by Turisme Garrotxa and owned by the Consell Comarcal de la Garrotxa, which has also enabled other improvement actions in this area.

Improvement works at the Montsacopa volcano have now been completed. The intervention focused on two sections of the pedestrian access path. Firstly, the former wooden steps have been replaced with a continuous metal stair system, adapting to the terrain while preserving the topography and minimizing impact on vegetation and wildlife.

One of the project’s most distinctive elements is the construction of an integrated staircase with more than 300 steps to overcome a 50-metre elevation gain. It has been built using a draining metal grid (16 mm corrugated steel) installed on micropiles, ensuring low environmental impact and strong landscape integration. The path follows the natural terrain and maintains a width of 1.5 metres to allow two-way pedestrian flow, consistent with other trails in the Natural Park. The ceramic sculpture by Joan Carrillo at the beginning of this section has also been restored. Works on this section were carried out by engineer and landscape designer Martirià Figueras (Aspecte Paisatge).

The second intervention focused on upgrading a 125-metre-long and 3-metre-wide dirt path with steep slopes, in some areas exceeding 14%. Located alongside the western boundary of the Olot cemetery, this section suffered from erosion during heavy rainfall. The solution combines different paving techniques: exposed basalt aggregate concrete in some sections, and metal grid paving in others, using steel bars placed transversely to stabilise the volcanic soil. A retaining wall has also been built at the lower end, along with the installation of benches and new vegetation.

The works were carried out according to the urbanisation project drafted and directed by architects Toni Casamor and Anna Codina (Vol Studio Architecture SLP).

With this intervention, PSTD actions in Olot are now complete, representing an investment of €812,436.83 in the Montsacopa volcano. Across the city, the total investment amounts to €1,239,432.13, of which €1,156,189 corresponds to PSTD funding awarded to the Consell Comarcal de la Garrotxa under the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan – funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU. The remaining amount comes from local funds.

The programme has also enabled other improvements in the Montsacopa area, including the undergrounding of the electrical line at the foot of the volcano and the first phase of the improvement of the “Camí dels Horts”. All these actions are part of line 2.1 “Olot: functional and landscape improvement of the Montsacopa volcano”, within action 2 “Landscape enhancement and restoration of natural areas” under axis 1 “Green and sustainable transition”.