Mushroom season in Catalonia 2026: where conditions are best right now

Catalonia's 2026 mushroom season is off to a slow start, but September rainfall is beginning to create meaningful differences between regions.

Current weather data points to the Ripollès, northern Berguedà and Garrotxa as the areas with the best relative combination of recent rainfall, cooler mountain conditions and forest environment.

This is not a map showing confirmed mushroom finds. It is an analysis of conditions that may support mushroom fruiting. Finding mushrooms is never guaranteed.

Why the 2026 season is running late

The summer of 2026 was the hottest ever recorded in Catalonia, according to the Catalan Meteorological Service, ahead of 2003 and 2022.

Much of the territory was dry, with particularly severe rainfall deficits in parts of western and southern Catalonia. More than 80% of the region recorded summer temperature anomalies of at least +3 °C.

Forests therefore entered September after a period of considerable heat and water stress.

On 12 September, researcher Juan Martínez de Aragón from the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia said mushroom abundance remained very low in much of the country.

Recent rain has improved the outlook, but mushroom fruiting does not happen immediately after a storm.

1. Ripollès and the upper Ter valley

Very favourable.

The Ripollès currently stands out most clearly. September rainfall recorded by Meteocat includes 81.5 mm at Sant Joan de les Abadesses, 58.2 mm at Sant Pau de Segúries and 37.4 mm at Molló-Fabert.

Sant Joan de les Abadesses currently leads Meteocat's monthly rainfall summary. Higher elevation and cooler nights also give the area an advantage over warmer parts of Catalonia.

The beginning of the week is expected to remain warm, before temperatures fall and showers become possible around midweek. These factors may help soil moisture, but they do not guarantee mushrooms.

2. Northern Berguedà

Favourable.

September rainfall has reached 65.2 mm at La Quar and 58.0 mm at Castellar de n'Hug. That puts parts of northern Berguedà among the strongest areas on current weather data.

Field reports at the start of the season, however, still describe mushroom production as sparse and highly localised.

3. Garrotxa and Vall d'en Bas

Favourable.

Olot has recorded 55.1 mm of rain in September and Vall d'en Bas 47.8 mm.

Recent rainfall combined with naturally humid forest environments makes this one of the areas worth watching. Whether moisture persists during the coming days will matter.

4. Osona and Collsacabra

Interesting.

Vic has recorded 52.9 mm so far this September. That is substantial, but conditions differ considerably between the Vic plain and cooler, higher forest areas.

The latter are more interesting at this point in the season.

5. Cerdanya, Alt Urgell and the Pallars

Still patchy.

Higher elevations and cool nights are positive factors. Rainfall, however, has been uneven.

Two neighbouring valleys may currently have very different soil moisture conditions, so it would be misleading to label the whole region as favourable.

6. Montseny and the pre-coastal ranges

Still patchy.

Some areas around Barcelona and the pre-coastal ranges have seen substantial September rain: 51.7 mm at the Fabra Observatory and 48.1 mm at Castellbisbal.

That does not mean mushroom season is fully active across the pre-coastal mountains. At this stage of September, higher Pyrenean and pre-Pyrenean areas generally have a temperature advantage.

7. Western, coastal and southern Catalonia

Less favourable.

Large areas of western and southern Catalonia experienced a particularly dry summer. Future autumn rain could change the situation quickly.

For now, these regions do not show the same combination of favourable factors as the northern mountain areas.

Why one rainy day is not enough

Mushrooms do not simply appear the morning after heavy rain. Fruiting depends on a combination of factors:

• soil water availability
• temperature
• humidity
• wind
• elevation
• forest type
• mushroom species
• timing of rainfall

Why we do not publish exact mushroom locations

This guide works at county and broad regional level. It does not provide coordinates for productive forest sites, which helps avoid unnecessary pressure on specific woodland areas.

It is also important to remember that many Catalan forests are privately owned. Landowners retain rights over forest resources, including mushrooms, and signs restricting collection must be respected.

Protected natural areas may also have specific rules. In the Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici National Park, for example, mushroom picking is not permitted inside the national park and is only considered in certain peripheral protection zones.

Never eat a mushroom you cannot identify with certainty

Catalonia's official public-health advice is straightforward: only eat mushrooms belonging to species you can identify with complete certainty.

There are no reliable household tricks for deciding whether a wild mushroom is poisonous. Garlic, silver, snails and colour tell you nothing about toxicity.

Some mushroom poisonings can be extremely serious, and the first symptoms may appear many hours later. Anyone who develops symptoms after eating wild mushrooms should seek medical help immediately.

Where are conditions best this week?

Based on the current weather picture, CatalunyaInfo's ranking is: 1. Ripollès / upper Ter, 2. Northern Berguedà, 3. Garrotxa / Vall d'en Bas.

Osona and Collsacabra form a second group worth watching. The 2026 season remains early, delayed and highly uneven.

This guide will be updated as rainfall and temperatures change.