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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:
Roadsurfer will give you a €100 discount on your campervan or motorhome rental if you book through this link for 5 days or more and use the code: KUCAVANAEUR
About DreamTravelDream
A couple who dream of traveling and continuing to dream. Mercè and Xavier show us corners of the world through their videos in Catalan, always subtitled in Spanish.
Getaway through Inland Tarragona in a motorhome
One of the things we love most about traveling in a motorhome is that it's allowing us to discover places we would never have visited otherwise. Furthermore, the restrictions of this COVID-19 era are forcing us to take shorter, more local trips, but these are leading to wonderful discoveries. After all, you don't always have to travel 500 kilometers to find unforgettable landscapes.
La Ruta
We've established our "base camp" at Area 340 in Roda de Barà (Tarragona). It's a private area with all amenities and excellent transport links. This means we'll primarily be doing circular routes, starting and finishing at the same point. We'll be mainly exploring the Tarragonès region, although we'll make a few short forays into the 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 joining the Camí de Ronda at the end of the promenade, we arrive at Roc de Sant Gaietà . It's a small residential area with houses of different styles: an Andalusian patio, a building with Moorish influences, a Castilian-style house… In total, it's 2,2 kilometers each way, but since it runs alongside the beach, it doesn't feel tedious.
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've discovered the Wine Cathedrals of César Martinell , wineries and cooperatives built with soaring catenary arches and Catalan vaults, exposed brick, and beautiful mosaics. César Martinell designed up to 40 buildings of this type. In the town of Nulles , you can visit one of them, the Adernats Winery , which offers various experiences: winery tours, vineyard walks, tastings, and more. The town halls of Salomó and Bràfim are also works by the same architect.
Adernats Wineries (Nulles)
But if there's one building that will leave you speechless, it's undoubtedly the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montserrat in Montferri . This sanctuary was designed by the architect Josep Maria Jujol , a disciple of Antoni Gaudí, and his influence is very clear, as the building is also known as the "little Sagrada Familia ."
Josep Maria Jujol also designed the Sacred Heart Church in Vistabella. Somewhat simpler in appearance than the previous sanctuary, it is full of details that make it unique. Furthermore, both buildings were entirely designed by him, but their construction was the responsibility of the residents 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).
Views
Both the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Montserrat in Montferri and the Bofarull House in Els Pallaresos are open to the public, although there is an entrance fee. Check opening times on their 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 route covers a total distance of 82 kilometers, running along well-maintained local roads and through typically Mediterranean crops: olive groves, 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 exploring the most characteristic medieval architecture: monasteries and castles. The province of Tarragona is home to three masterpieces of medieval monastic architecture: the Royal Monastery of Poblet, the Monastery of Santa Maria de les Monges de Vallbona, and the Royal Monastery of Santes Creus . Furthermore, the area around the Gaià River formed the border zone between Al-Andalus and the County of Barcelona during the 10th and 11th centuries, resulting in a high concentration of fortresses and similar buildings.
For this last day, we suggest starting with a visit to the Royal Monastery of Santes Creus. Currently, the visit is conducted with an audio guide, which you can obtain at the ticket office at the entrance. It is a complex of buildings that form part of the Cistercian Route , featuring a large cloister in a predominantly Gothic style, an additional cloister from a more recent period, 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 de Gaià , with just over 200 inhabitants outside of peak season, you can visit the Museum of Artistic Installations . This open-air museum, where you don't have to worry about whether it's open or closed, features large contemporary sculptures that will delight children. You can also visit the old castle, or what remains of it, and the Romanesque chapel of Sant Miquel.
Next, we'll stop in La Nou de Gaià , one of the smallest municipalities in the Tarragona region, where we can stroll along its cobbled streets and reach the viewpoint, from where we'll enjoy breathtaking views of the surrounding area. The castle has been transformed into a social and cultural center.
Viewpoint in La Nou de Gaià
And we will end the day in El Catllar , a village located next to a bend of the Gaià river, on a hill 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
Views
- 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
Food & drink
The restrictions on the opening of bars and restaurants prevented us from trying the local cuisine as much as we would have liked, but we had better luck in the village of Santes Creus, where we enjoyed a delicious, hearty, and homemade set menu at Restaurante Catalunya for just €12. Here is their 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!
On our YouTube channel you'll find videos of our getaway in the playlist: Escapadesd'Interior. Here's a link to one of them.
The videos have been recorded in Catalan and are subtitled in Catalan and Spanish. We wait for you!