Driving the unpaved Camí de Fontlletera to Coll de Melanell
The Camí de Fontlletera (GIV-5265) is a high mountain track in the Eastern Pyrenees of Girona, Catalonia. Linking Ribes de Freser and Tregurà de Dalt, this 28.9 km route is a serious challenge where the road is carved directly into the mountainside, crossing Coll de Melanell before topping out at over 2,000 meters.
| Road facts: Camí de Fontlletera | |
|---|---|
| Location | Girona, Catalonia (Spain) |
| Max Elevation | 2,059 m (6,755 ft) |
| Coll de Melanell Elevation | 1,971 m (6,466 ft) |
| Length | 28.9 km (17.9 miles) |
| Surface | Unpaved / Gravel and loose scree |
How long is the road through Camí de Fontlletera?
The whole trip is 28.9 km long, but the paved sections are short. Most of the journey is a 20 km grind on a dirt track that winds through high alpine pastures. You’ll climb past the Coll de Melanell at 1,971m, but the real work starts as the road keeps pushing up to 2,059 meters. It’s a lonely drive where the clouds often sit right on the track, and there are no barriers between your tires and the steep grassy slopes that drop away into the valley.
Is the road to Coll de Melanell unpaved?
Yes, and it’s a rough one. The surface is made of packed gravel and loose grey scree that has been washed down from the rocky walls above. Every time it rains, the water carves small channels across the road, so you’ll need a vehicle with decent ground clearance to avoid scraping the undercarriage. An SUV or a 4x4 is definitely the right tool here; a normal car will struggle with the loose stones on the steeper bends, and you risk getting a puncture or damaging the exhaust on the high center ridges of the track.
What are the driving conditions on Camí de Fontlletera?
The road is narrow and follows the natural contour of the mountain, meaning you often have a vertical rock face on one side and a sharp drop-off on the other. There isn't much room for two cars to pass, so if you meet a farmer's truck or another 4x4, someone is going to have to find a wide spot or reverse. The track is very exposed to the weather, and thick fog can roll in fast, making it hard to see where the edge of the road ends and the cliff begins. Keep a steady pace and watch out for cows that often wander onto the path.
Is Camí de Fontlletera open in winter?
Forget about it from November to May. Because the road goes over 2,000 meters, it spends a lot of the year buried under snow. Even when the spring sun starts to melt the drifts, the track stays muddy and slippery for weeks. The best time to drive the GIV-5265 is from June to October. If you try to go too early in the season, you’ll likely find a wall of snow blocking the pass at Coll de Melanell, and on a road this narrow, turning around is a nightmare.
Pic: Santi Gimeno