One day road trip to Siurana

How are you doing guys? It’s been a while since our last post but we were working on some blog improvements and now, when the technical part is done, we are finally ready to share with you our last trip!

Since I moved to Catalonia 6 years ago, I’ve been impressed with the quantity of beautiful spots that this part of Spain has to offer. Catalonia is a perfect destination for those who don’t like to limit themselves to just one type of holidays. You have mountains, lakes, coastline and medieval towns in just one place, so it’s not possible to get bored. 

Our last road trip was supposed to be Costa Dorada, but we had to slightly change our plans because of the weather. We also visited Tamarit and Tarragona, but our main destination for that day was Siurana. 

After hours of checking Catalan medieval towns, we decided for Siurana because of its exceptional viewpoint. The town sits on impressive limestone over the river and is surrounded by limitless forests, what really makes it look like taken out from a fairytale.

Another curiosity about Siurana is the fact that it’s the place where two symbols of opposite religions come together – a Romanesque church and an Arab castle. Protected by its natural environment, Siurana resisted the Christian siege until the end, being the last Muslim stronghold in the entire Catalonia. If you take a look from the cliff, you will understand why it was not conquered in three hundred years and why the end of this place was so tragic.

According to a legend, when the Christians closed the fence around the fortress and the surrender of this era imminent, the beautiful Moorish queen Abdelazia couldn’t bear the idea of falling onto the hands of her enemies and mounted on her white steed to jump over the precipice. The animal in its last resistance left on the rock the footprint of the horseshoe. Although the legend is very sad, this tale village is a real must see if you spend some time in Catalonia.

Today Siurana is a beautiful village with old houses and cobblestone streets, together with the rest of the Saracens stronghold. If you are planning to visit it during summer, a clean and calm water offers you the possibility of practicing any kind of aquatic sports. Siurana should be also noted as a destination for climbers and hikers. Its legendary cliffs are known around the world as a perfect place for practice. For us this trip was mostly about walking and having our lunch on the top of the rock, so as you can see, there is a little bit for everyone there 🙂

The easiest way to get to Siurana from Barcelona is by car, because it’s situated in the middle of the mountains and there is no direct bus from the capital city. If you don’t bring your lunch on board, try one of very few local bars and remember to be fast when booking a table.

We believe half of a day was enough to enjoy the beauty of Siurana, so we took the way back and made few more stops before we got to Barcelona. If the weather is nice, you should take a bath in one of coves of Costa Dorada – it’s a less known and definitely less touristic coastline comparing to Costa Brava. You can also head to Tarragona or Cambrils for early dinner. Maybe you would prefer to stay in Siurana for night and hike the surrounding mountains? Whatever your plan is, let us know if you have any questions! 🙂