Philip Freakley

Mountain Walking in Southern Catalunya

Philip Freakley

This first English-language guide describes the best mountain and coastal walking near Tortosa, Southern Catalunya, Spain, in the Parc Natural dels Ports, on the Cardó and Montsia massifs and along the coast, all easily accessible from Barcelona, Valencia and Reus. 30 idyllic winter walking routes for walkers of all experience and abilities are included through this area of remarkable natural beauty and diversity. The immense limestone crags, ridges and pinnacles of the Parc Natural dels Ports overlook the broad orange and olive groves beside the River Ebro, giving a high drama to the landscape. Closer the to the Mediterranean, there is good walking on the massifs of Cardó and Montsia and a long-distance footpath along the coast. Mysteriously, the region is practically unknown outside the region. The wild limestone landscapes, from herb-covered hillsides to high pine forest, dotted with Templar castles and picturesque hill villages, remain untouched by mass tourism. All walks are graded for route-finding, scrambling required and exposure, and non-technical, suitable for any experienced hillwalker, and listed in a summary table at the back for easy selection, along with a Catalan glossary of mountain terms and lots of other local information.