Short breaks
3 Walk the coast
There is plenty of beautiful walking along the coast near Barcelona. The route from la Fosca to Calella takes in some of the most secluded beaches, as well as shaded pine and cork woods. Stop for a swim and picnic in the beautiful Mediterranean surroundings. Hire a guide: www.creativecatalonia. com
4 Laze on a beach
If you’d rather skip the walk and just laze on a beach, Barcelona has loads – but you’re better off hopping on a train to find the quieter, cleaner ones, where your bag won’t get nicked. Try heading to Sitges, a pretty resort half an hour from Barcelona. There are about 10 beaches here. El Garraf has good facilities, is not usually overcrowded and is an easy walk from the station (Baixador del Garraf). http://en.costabrava.org
5 Mountain bike
There are over 15 dedicated MTB centres (called BTT centres in Spain) near Barcelona, offering circuits for all levels with maps and signs showing the degree of difficulty, bike facilities, bike hire, parking, washing points, shower and toilet facilities. Climb from sea level to summits with lovely countryside views, then wind through forest along fire trails and single trail back to base. A list of the BTT centres is here: www.turismedecatalunya.com/btt (select language top left).
6 Natural Park it
Half an hour from Barcelona, the Natural Park of Sant Llorenç del Munt i de la Serra d´Obac is carefully managed to provide unspoiled Mediterranean nature at its best. Expect mountains, crags, forests and, in spring, carpets of primroses and
Bonita: Barcelona
violets. Access it from Terrassa (north of Barcelona). The highest peaks are La Mola (1,095m) and Montcau (1,053m) and there are sign-posted trails. More info: Centre D’informació del Parc (+34) 938317300. Hire a guide, www.walkingcatalonia.com
7 Montserrat
Following several ‘sightings’ of the Virgin Mary in the Montserrat mountains, the Montserrat Monastery was built in her honour in the 12th century. It’s perched high on the rocks, and its mountain setting provides many lovely walks (there’s a leaflet of them in the nature centre at the top of the railway). Montserrat is 40km from Barcelona, and you can get there by train, then cable car or rack railway. Barcelona Tourist Office: (+34) 932853834
8 Diving
The Costa Brava coastline is perfect for diving. There are underwater caves, thousands of exotic fish, shipwrecks and reefs in warm clear waters. Most dive centres offer everything from courses for beginners upwards to just renting out equipment and filling air tanks. Diving in the Costa Brava is relatively cheap compared with the UK and USA. www.costa-brava-scuba-diving.com
9 Cycling
Barcelona City Council promotes cycling as an alternative form of transport in the city, and you can also save time by flouting the oneway systems. And the countryside around Barcelona is a great place for cycling, with rolling plains, vineyards and olive orchards dotted with rural villages. Oficina de la Bicicleta in Barcelona (+34) 934023434; or do a guided tour: www.barcelonabybike.com ■
need more info? ›› Get There Ryanair (www.ryanair.com) and easyJet (www.easyjet. com) fly to Barcelona. easyJet flies directly to Barcelona International Airport (also called El Prat); Ryanair flies to Reus and Girona-Costa Brava airports – Reus is 100km south-west of Barcelona and Girona is 100km north-east, but there are easy transfers. ›› The longer, greener option It’s dead easy to get to Barcelona by train – take the Eurostar (www.eurostar.com) from London St Pancras (15.02) to Paris Gare du Nord (arrive 18.17). You can then take the ‘trainhotel Joan Miro’ at 20.34 to Barcelona for 08.24 (www.elipsos.com). ›› Stay there - Posh You’ll find posh hotels like the Hilton (www.Hilton.co.uk/ Barcelona) in Barcelona’s Avinguda Diagonal. Princesa Sofia Gran Hotel (http://princesasofia.concorde-hotels. com) has hydrotherapy pools, a gym and a large solarium. If you like a hydro-massage bath in your ensuite, try Turo de Vilana (www.turodevilana.com). - home from home Within the Natural Park of Sant Llorenç del Munt and 150m from the centre of the village of Rocafort, Masia El Prat, is a 14th century country house which has been restyled into comfy accommodation with walks on the doorstep. www.masiaelprat.com - Happy camper There are few better campsites than Camping CambrilsPark in Tarragona on the Costa Dorada. It has an excellent farmhouse restaurant, a lagoon pool complex and a fabulous jungle-themed children’s pool. The campsite is 400m from the beach, the towns of Tarragona and Reus are a 10-minute trip by car, and Barcelona city is an hour’s drive away. www.cambrilspark.es ›› Go out there - Culture Fun in Barcelona rarely ceases and if you got out in the evening, you’re likely to spend an entire night out. Start with a performance at the Palau de la Musica Catalana music hall or theatre at Teatre Lilure (www.teatrelliure. com), or for free entertainment watch the dancing fountains at Montjuic. Have dinner, then head for the Barri Gòtic district with its drinking dens, ritzy cocktail lounges, cheery pubs and classy wine bars. - Beer The local brew is Estrella Damm and San Miguel is also widely drunk. A local speciality is sangria de cava, a champagne-based mix that’s also known as tisana. - Food So many restaurants! Tapas and seafood are the best bits about Barcelona, or try mar I muntanya (‘sea and mountain’) which is a meat and seafood combo. And remember the Spaniards are owls – if you go for dinner before 10pm everywhere’s likely to be deserted or closed.
www.atmagazine.co.uk March/April 2010 47