Taste & Walk Catalonia (Grade 2)

Day 1: Arrive at Barcelona El Prat or Barcelona Reus Airport or Barcelona Centre where you will be transferred to your accommodation in Montblanc, once there you will have a welcome meeting with an local English speaking guide. At 6pm, enjoy a visit and wine tasting at the Josep Foraster Winery.

Montblanc is one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Catalonia, its ancient architecture, rich cultural and natural heritage make it the perfect place to start your Catalan Adventure.

Accommodation: 3* Hotel, Montblanc. This wonderfully charming hotel has rustic features thanks to its careful renovation from a 19th-century home constructed of wood and stone. Escape to the Catalonian countryside in traditional style. Located in the centre of Montblanc, you will experience an authentic feel for this lovely village in the Catalonian countryside.

Day 2: Today you’ll head off along some lovely trails and onto the famous Poblet Monastery (a UNESCO world heritage site), the richest working Monastery of the three Monastery’s you’ll visit on this holiday. You’ll walk up into the hills along some beautiful trails, passing the Santissima Trinitat chapel before descending gently through deciduous woods and past the vines tended by the monks of Poblet and finally you will arrive in Poblet. (10Km, accumulative ascent 550m, approx. walking time 3hrs 20 mins)

Poblet is a beautiful village in the interior of this province. The incredible beauty of its natural surroundings and its closeness to the Poblet Monastery of have made this village a firm favourite with many tourists returning again and again.

The Poblet Monastery is one of the largest in Spain. At its centre is a 12th-century church. This austere, majestic Monastery, which has a fortified royal residence and contains the pantheon of the kings of Catalonia and Aragon, is an impressive sight and only 10 minutes walk from your accommodation.

Accommodation: 3* Hotel, Poblet. Offering rooms with views of the mountains surrounding Poblet, Hostatgeria de Poblet is set within the village’s famous monastery. It is located in the centre of this charming UNESCO World Heritage Site. Each modern room at Hostatgeria de Poblet has simple décor with wooden floors. There is heating, free Wi-Fi and a private bathroom. You can enjoy Catalan dishes in the Poblet’s restaurant.

Day 3: Today at 9am you are going to complete the first part of the trail by 4×4 with a local guide , traversing the low escarpment to the north of Poblet, until the El Tallat Monastery. You’ll then drop gently along a beautiful route to Vallbona village, where you will enjoy a picnic lunch paired with a wine tasting in the vineyards. After the wine tasting and/or the visit to the Monastery of Vallbona you’ll continue onwards to your hotel in Rocallaura. (15Km, accumulative ascent 230m, approx. walking time 4hrs 30mins )

Rocallaura is a small medieval village close to the beautiful Vallbona Monastery, for eight centuries the Monastery has been cared for by cistercian nuns, they have never left it since it was founded in the twelfth century. The tomb of Queen Violant of Hungary, the choir of the  church where the nuns hold their prayers, its spectacular fine dome, the cloister, which blends romanic and gothic styles, the chapter-house with a statue of the Virgin of Mercy and the chapel where you can admire the Virgine of the cloister will not fail to impress you.

Accommodation: Modern 4* Hotel, Rocallaura. Surrounded by a natural landscape of green mountains, this magnificent new spa hotel takes advantage of the thermal waters of its own spring to create an atmosphere of peaceful relaxation. The hotel was opened in 2009 following the careful completion of an impressive building dating from 1908. Nowadays it blends a tranquil, historic feel with state-of-the-art design and facilities. In the hotel spa you can unwind with the help of the natural spring waters, known for their beneficial properties.  The on-site restaurant serves gourmet cuisine to enjoy during your stay. It specialises in delicious local Catalan dishes and offers amazing views of the surrounding scenery through its large windows.

Day 4: Today you head east, you will follow a beautiful trail through a shady oaks forest, after a while the views will open up over the Conca de Barberá, an area famed for its wines and tasty cheeses. After a gradual ridge ascent you will arrive at the highest point of the week with outstanding panoramic views before you descent down to Vallverd de Queralt, (18.5Km, accumulative ascent 400m, approx. walking time 5hrs 30mins)

Vallverd de Queralt is a small medieval village, the first historical reference dating back to 1186.

Accommodation: Rural Hotel, Vallverd de Queralt. Your accommodation is a renovated 16th-century country house set in the beautiful Catalan countryside. This rustic stone-walled hotel offers heated rooms with a TV. The bathroom comes with a bath or shower, a hairdryer and toiletries.

Day 5: Today at 9am you’ll use the luggage transfer vehicle to shorten the walk little. It is a longer days walk but nevertheless still beautiful and enchanting. The descent towards the village of Pont d’Armentera on the river Gaia winds through Mediterranean scrub and aromatic vegetation. This is a pleasant walk through riverside vineyards and arable fields to the Santes Creus Monastery (you will visit the Monastery tomorrow).  (16.3Km, accumulative ascent 100m, approx. walking time 5hrs)

The village of Santes Creus was formed around the grounds of the of the Santes Creus Monastery, a beautiful village to spend your last night inland before you head to the coast tomorrow.

Accommodation: 3* Hotel, Santes Creus. The hotel is family run and offers the perfect stay for nature lovers and just a few steps away from the Cisternian Monestir of Santes Creus. The scenery and tranquillity offer a memorable stay. The rooms are lovely with stone walls and timber beams and the accommodation has a nice bar and restaurant.

Day 6: Today you stay local and visit the Santes Creus Monastery which came into being in 1160 under the patronage of the Montcada and Cervelló houses and Count Ramon Berenguer IV. On the banks of the River Gaià the monks, who came from the Occitan Abbaye de Grandselve, found the ideal site for building a monastery which, until 1835, would be the centre of one of the largest and most influential monastic domains of the Kingdom of Aragón. Its history and the Cistercian way of life are described in the audiovisual tour you can take “The Cistercian World”. At an agreed time you will then be transferred to Tarragona for a 2 nights stay in this beautiful historic city.

The eternally sunny port city of Tarragona is a fascinating mix of Mediterranean beach life, Roman history and medieval alleyways. Spain’s second-most important Roman site, Tarragona has a wealth of ruins, including a seaside amphitheatre. The town’s medieval heart is one of the most beautifully designed in Spain, its maze of narrow cobbled streets encircled by steep walls and crowned with a splendid cathedral. A lively eating and drinking scene makes for a perfect location for your last two nights.

Accommodation: 3* Hotel, Tarragona. At this lovely hotel you can have breakfast on the terrace, cool off in the swimming pool, relax in the tranquillity of the garden or have a drink at the chill-out. Located in a privileged position, you can walk to some of the beaches and the historic centre, a nice place to end your holiday.

Day 7: A chance to explore the Roman remains of Tarragona as well as exploring the maze of boutiques in the old town. There are several beaches within walking distance of the town, should you want to dip your toes in the Mediterranean.

Accommodation. As above

Day 8: Departure