This autumn Collserola is not an option. Discover where to look for mushrooms in Barcelona, which mushrooms you can find, and how to get there by public transport. Hola Barcelona takes you there!
Autumn is mushroom season, but this year regular mushroom hunters in Collserola will have to look for alternatives because the Natural Park is closed to the public due to preventive measures against African swine fever.
If you are eager to grab your basket and head into the woods, one great option is setting off for the Serralada de Marina, located very close to Barcelona and easily accessible by public transport. You can get there using the Hola Barcelona Travel Card to combine metro, bus, and Rodalies commuter trains within Zone 1.
Serralada de Marina: An Alternative to Collserola for Mushroom Hunting
The Serralada de Marina is one of the natural areas where you can enjoy a day in the forest and hunt for mushrooms near Barcelona. Its holm oak groves, oak woods, and pine forests offer diverse habitats for fungi, and mycology events and workshops are frequently organized there.
One of the best options is to head toward Tiana and, from there, explore the trails of the Serralada de Marina. You can get there from Barcelona by combining public transport and starting your route from various access points.
How to get there:
Metro: Pompeu Fabra (L2).
Bus: Line B29.
Which Mushrooms Can You Find in the Serralada de Marina?
The season, rainfall, and type of woodland will determine what you discover, but around the Maresme area and the Serralada de Marina, you can find species such as pine caps (rovellons and pinetells), grey knights (fredolics), waxcaps (llanegues), chanterelles (rossinyols and camagrocs), porcini (ceps), and black trumpets (trompetes de la mort).
Don't expect to find all of them on a single outing. Mushrooms appear when conditions are favorable, especially after periods of rain and humidity.
Want a tip? Look at the forest before you look at the ground. Notice whether you are in a pine forest, a holm oak wood, or a mixed forest, and search under fallen leaves, near trees, and in humid, shady spots.
What to Bring for Mushroom Hunting in Barcelona
If you want to be a mushroom hunter for a day, you don't need much:
- Basket: Better than a plastic bag so the mushrooms can breathe and don't get crushed.
- Knife: To harvest the mushrooms cleanly without disturbing the soil.
- Comfortable footwear: Some trails feature uneven terrain.
- Mobile phone: To check your route and photograph specimens you don't recognize.
And above all, do not pick a mushroom unless you can identify it with complete certainty.
How to Harvest Mushrooms Like a True Mushroom Hunter
When you find a mushroom you know, cut it carefully at ground level and avoid disturbing the leaf litter or soil. There is no need to scrape or dig up the terrain to find more!
If you don't know what it is, leave it where it is. We recommend taking a photo of the whole mushroom, top and bottom, as well as the surrounding area where you found it, and using a good field guide or the internet to identify it.
And remember: not all mushrooms you find are edible. Do not rely on home remedies or old wives' tales to test if a mushroom is toxic. When in doubt, it's best to leave it in the forest.
Where to Find Mushrooms in Barcelona Without Complications
If you are visiting Barcelona and want to take advantage of your trip to enjoy a woodland getaway, the Hola Barcelona Travel Card is a practical choice for moving around the city and reaching various points within Zone 1.
The card offers unlimited travel for 24, 48, 72, 96, or 120 hours and includes TMB metro and bus, FGC Zone 1, TRAM, and Rodalies Zone 1 trains. It also includes round-trip metro journeys between the airport and Barcelona.
This autumn, if Collserola is not an option, change your route, get your basket ready, and discover the forests of the Serralada de Marina. Hola Barcelona takes you there!
