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Discover a great trip through the interior of Tarragona in a motorhome. It will surprise you!
If you don't have a motorhome or camper and you have to rent, a little gift before continuing:
Roadsurfer, camper rental professionals, has given us a gift for you! We do not charge any commission if you reserve a Roadsurfer camper, but in this case the discount they give you I think is very worth it for you, so we leave it here in case it helps you:
Road surfers you are going to deduct 100 euros in your camper or motorhome rental if you reserve it through this link for 5 or more days and enter the CODE: KUCAVANAEUR
About DreamTravelDream
A couple who dreams to travel and continue dreaming. Mercè and Xavier They show us corners of the world through their videos in Catalan and always with Spanish subtitles.
Getaway through Inland Tarragona in a motorhome
One of the things we like the most about traveling by motorhome is that it is allowing us to discover some places that, otherwise, we would never have visited. In addition, the restrictions of this COVID-19 era force us to make shorter, more local trips, but they are giving us welcome discoveries. And it is that you do not always have to do 500 kilometers to find unforgettable places.
The route
We establish as "base camp" the The store 340, in Roda de Barà (Tarragona). It is a private area, with all services and very well connected. This means that we will basically do circular routes, with departure and arrival at the same point. We are going to move mainly through the Tarragonès region, although we will make a small foray into Alt Camp, both in the province of Tarragona.
Although Tarragona is well known for its many fantastic beaches, ideal for going with children, the interior has architectural jewels of the first order.
Our proposal
Next, our getaway proposal:
Day 1: Hiking
From Area 340 we have a couple of very interesting hiking routes. If we approach the seafront (only about 300 meters from the area), we will find a comfortable walk, which in summer fills with itinerant stalls: bracelets, sarongs, glasses, towels, bags ... You can find a thousand and one treasures.
Heading north, and connecting with the Road of Ronda at the end of the walk, we reached the Roc de Sant Gaieta. It is a small urbanization with houses of different styles: an Andalusian patio, a building with Arab reminiscences, a Castilian-style house ... In total it is 2,2 kilometers one way, and as many back, but when going next to the beach does not get heavy.
The Roc de Sant Gaietà
Heading south, also from the same promenade, we find a long beach very suitable for walking. There is also the option of going along the promenade, bordering the different buildings that are on the beach and crossing areas of great ecological value. We have done this route a couple of times by bicycle, as it is very flat and does not present any difficulty.
Day 2 - Modernist Route (82km)
When you hear the word "Modernism", the best-known great works come to mind: the designs of Antonio Gaudí, Puig i Cadafalch or Domènec i Muntaner. But there is really much more modernism than the great works and we have discovered that in this getaway.
We have discovered the Cathedrals of Wine de Cesar Martinell, wineries and cooperatives built on the basis of high catenary arches and “Catalan volta”, in exposed brick and with beautiful mosaics. Cesar Martinell designed up 40 buildings of this type. In the population of Nulls you can visit one of them, the Adernats winery, which offers different experiences: visits to the winery, route through the vineyards, tastings, etc. The City Hall building Salomó and of Brafim they are also works by the same architect.
Adernats Wineries (Nulles)
But if there is a building that will leave you with your mouth open, it is, without hesitation, the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Montserrat en Montferri. This Sanctuary was designed by the architect Josep Maria Jujol, a disciple of Antonio Gaudí, and his influence is very clear, since the building is also known as the little holy family.
Josep Maria Jujol is also the Temple of the Sacred Heart in Vistabella. Something simpler than the previous Sanctuary, in appearance, but full of details that make it unique. In addition, both buildings were entirely designed by him, but the construction was the responsibility of the inhabitants of Montferri and Vistabella, respectively.
In addition to these two buildings, Jujol was the architect of various reconstructions and civil buildings. We can find his works in Roda de Berà (parish church and Mas Carreras house), Creixell (parish church), Bonastre (Santa Magdalena church) or in the town of ElsPallaresos (Bofarull House and Andreu Fortuny House).
Visits
Both the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Montserrat, in Montferri, like the Bofarull House, in ElsPallaresos, are open to the public, although you have to pay to enter. Check the visiting hours on the websites:
- Adernats winery
- Sanctuary of the Virgin of Montserrat
- Bofarull House
We have only been able to visit the centers of worship when it coincided with the celebration of the weekly mass.
Itinerary
The proposed itinerary covers a total distance of 82 kilometers that runs through county roads in good condition and typically Mediterranean crops: olive trees, almond trees and vineyards, many vineyards.
Leaving from Area 340, we will go to Roda de Berà, Bonastre, Montferri, Bràfim, Nulles, Vistabella, ElsPallaresos, Creixell and we will end up, again, in Area 340:
Modernist route
Day 3 - Medieval Route (62km)
For this third day we propose a route through the most characteristic medieval architecture: monasteries and castles. And it is that the province of Tarragona houses three masterpieces of monastic architecture of the Middle Ages: the Royal Monastery of Poblet, the Monastery of Santa María de les Monges de Vallbona, and the Royal Monastery of SantesCreus. In addition, the surroundings of the Gaià river constituted, back in the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, the border area between Al-Andalus and the County of Barcelona, so there is a great density of fortresses and similar buildings.
For this last day we suggest you start the day by visiting the Royal Monastery of SantesCreus. Currently the visit is done with an audio guide, which will be provided at the ticket office. It is a group of buildings that are part of the Cistercian route, with a large cloister of predominantly Gothic style, an additional cloister of more modern times, a church and the typical rooms of any monastery: the refectory, the chapter house, the library, the kitchen, etc.
Royal Monastery of SantesCreus
Although we did an express visit in less than an hour (the time we had before closing), it is worth spending more time and enjoying the capitals of the cloister, for me the most spectacular area, and strolling quietly through the rest of the facilities.
From there we can head towards El Catllar, but along the way there are a couple of “mandatory” stops:
An open-air museum
In the municipality of Vespella of Gaià, with just over 200 inhabitants out of season, we can visit the Museum of Artistic Installations. It is an open-air museum, where we will not have to worry about whether it is open or closed, with large contemporary art sculptures that will delight the little ones in each house. In addition, we can also go to the old castle, or what remains of it, the Romanesque chapel of Sant Miquel.
Next, we will stop at The Nou de Gaià, one of the smallest municipalities -in extension- of the Tarragonés, where we can walk through its cobbled streets and reach the viewpoint, from where we will contemplate impressive views of the region. The castle it has been transformed into a social and cultural facility.
Viewpoint in La Nou de Gaià
And we will end the day in The Catllar, a town located next to a meander of the river Gaià, on a hillock crowned by the castle of El Catllar.
This castle has its origins in Muslim times and, as usual, has undergone various adaptations and reconstructions. It is currently an interpretation center for the castles of Bajo Gaià.
Castle of El Catllar
Visits
- Royal Monastery of SantesCreus
- Vespella of Gaià
- The Nou de Gaià
- Castle of El Catllar
Itinerary
The first part of the itinerary runs along the same regional road to Montferri. From SantesCreus and to El Catllar we will follow the directions of the browser without any problem.
Medieval Route
Where to eat
Restrictions on the opening of bars and restaurants have prevented us from trying the local cuisine as we would have liked, but we had better luck in the town of SantesCreus, where we ate a home-made menu, abundant and delicious at the Catalunya Restaurant, and for only 12 €. Here you have its website.
Overnight with motorhome
- Area 340 (Roda de Barà) - GPS: 41.166901, 1.456880
- El Catllar RV Park - GPS: 41.176701, 1.326920
Tarragona Interior in motorhome. You can't miss it!
En Our youtube channel You will find the videos of our getaway in the Playlist: Escapadesd'Interior. Here you have the link to one of them.
The videos have been recorded in Catalan and are subtitled in Catalan and Spanish. We wait for you!
Congratulations for this great Mercé, I'm sure he will be of great use to us when we go throughout that area.
The good thing about all this is the large amount of information that we provide each other.
Thank you!