WalkingWomen Spring Wine Walk in Priorat, North East Spain

SUMMARY

WalkingWomen Wine Walk in Spain May 2024

Dates: Sat May 18th to Sat May 25th  – 7 nights

Guide: Lorraine Roberts

Walking Grade: 2 Goats walking between 3 to 4 hours a day with plenty of stops and chances to experience the local food and wine and meet local women producers. The ground is sometimes uneven with loose stones – we encourage walking poles.

Base: The Priorat Aparthotel, Falset, Priorat Región, North-East Spain is our first choice with 6 wonderful rooms. PLEASE BOOK EARLY TO BE SURE OF A ROOM.

Once the Aparthotel is full we use the lovely Lotus Hotel next door. Everyone eats breakfast together at the Priorat Hotel.

Arrivals : We will arrange pick up from Barcelona. Please arrive for a 3pm ish group transfer from Barcelona Airport. The journey is approx 2 hours to Falset. If you can not fit in with this time we can arrange pick ups at an additional cost to you.

We don’t like keeping people hanging around at the airport so if you would like the transfer please arrive on time.

We encourage train travel and we will pay if you would like to take the beautiful coastal train ride from Barcelona to Falset.

We can also arrange pick ups from other Airports such as Reus at a cost of approx 60 euros for a taxi each way.

Departures – arrange flights after 14.00. There will be a group transfer after breakfast at approx 10am

Price: £1,800 per person for this unique holiday which includes:

• Single occupancy,ensuite in double bed in newly renovated luxury ensuite accommodation
• All meals except for on 2 evenings where you have free time
• Premium wine and olive oil tours and tastings with local women producers
• Specialist Guide for the week – English speaking
• A guided tour of Tarragona
• Visit to the first Carthusian Monastery in Spain
• Group transfer from Barcelona to Falset and return
• All transport needed for walks and visits.

The cost of the holiday is £1,600 per person if you bring a friend and share a room.

Not included:

• Travel to Barcelona
• Two meals which your guide will recommend and book restaurants so the group can eat together if they choose
• Additional drinks not included above

We can help organise any extensions to your holiday – perhaps a few days in Barcelona or on the beach in Sitges.

DETAILS

For a flavour of our wonderful WineWalking holiday take a look at our video made by Charlotte Bull Photography

• The wine made and explained by amazing women winemakers
• Walking off the beaten track with beautiful views
• The Aparthotel and our hosts John and Joan 

Our location for our WalkingWomen Wine Walk in Spain is Falset in the region of Priorat. There are many local wines to try as well as local products like goat’s cheese and olive oil. We focus on women producers. Falset is a lovely Spanish small town with cobbled streets, some shops and many little bars and cafes, set in the dramatic landscape of Priorat.

More and more women are becoming winemakers and this trip will give the opportunity to walk among the vines, to learn about what inspires these women and to taste their creations. The walking is beautiful amongst vineyards and rolling hills.

Our walks are graded 2 goats as they range from 8 – 14km, along footpaths and stoney tracks, up hills and along valleys. Some have steepish sections, not mountain walking, but can feel a little challenging. There is a maximum ascent in a day of 600m.
The walks give beautiful views across fields, vineyards, gorges and rivers to the mountains. This is definitely off the beaten track little known by walkers – we will not see many if any, other people.

The idea is to experience the local culture with lots of local wine tasting and eating Spanish food. On some days we will have a ‘menu del dia’ in a pretty Spanish village on our route. We will visit at least two bodegas and an olive press to see how the wine and olive oil is made and for some tasting.

In the evenings we will go out to eat together in a local restaurant where we can also try pica pica tapas!

We will add in visits to sites of significant cultural interest such as the archaeological site of the Escaladia Abby. One day we will take the train to Tarragona for a fascinating half-day tour including the amphitheatre and cathedral, with the afternoon free to explore the narrow streets and shops or to go to the beach and swim.

Our accommodation is a Boutique ‘aparthotel’ – rooms are ensuite with kitchen area, balconies or terraces. All rooms are double, and some have an additional bed and can therefore become a twin. It is a little bit of luxury for relaxing in at the end of the day.
The Aparthotel and the Lotus hotel are on a quiet street in the old, medieval part of town.

May is a beautiful time to visit, it will be warm and we may find some rocky pools to swim in as we wander in this wonderful wine region.

ITINERARY

Details Please note that the itinerary for our WalkingWomen Wine Walk in Spain may change depending on weather or availability of specific wine makers. Our guide will brief you each day about the day’s programme.

Day 1

Check-in is from 4 pm. Settle into rooms before meeting together with your guide at 18.00 for introductions, a welcome briefing and an introduction to the wines of Priorat by a local expert with the chance to taste some.  Dinner will be together in a local restaurant at about 8 pm.

The wine tasting takes place at the  Aparthotel or nearby  – for those tired after travel an easy walk up to your rooms afterwards.

Day 2 –  approx 9km

We will walk from Falset, through the town and up past the hermitages of St Christobel and St Gregory on to a little ridge where we will get lovely views of Falset, and in the other direction to La Molar, a landmark mountain with distinctive features in the area. We will then walk down, in some places quite steeply, through olive groves and vineyards to where our taxis will pick us up and take us to Pradell, a typical Catalan village and we will have a delicious catalan ‘menu’ at the local restaurant, later returning to Falset by taxi.

In the evening we will walk to a bodega at the edge of Falset for a wine tasting

Day 3 – approx 12km

Today we will walk from the apartments in Falset in the opposite direction to the hilltop village of Bellmunt and then on to Prior Terrae, a highly rated vineyard set in the countryside run by a woman who is developing new techniques for her wine. We will hear about these and get a chance to taste her wines along with having a lovely homemade lunch there. The walking is mostly on well-signed tracks and paths with some incline. Return to Falset by taxi.

In the evening we will enjoy some pica pica (tapas) and drinks (not included) in Falset.

 Day 4 – Visit to Tarragona Day 

We will take the train to Tarragona from Falset, the station is about a 25 min walk along the road out of town. We will be met by our English speaking guide who will explain the history of the town and show us some of the roman remains, including the amphitheatre, before giving us a fancinating guided tour of the cathedral, and if we’re lucky, we will be able to climb the bell tower. Altogether this will take about 3 hrs, after which we will have a delicious lunch with wine together near the cathedral.

The afternoon is free time with the possibility of more sightseeing, shopping or a visit to the local beach. We will return together on the train early evening, or if anyone wants to stay on for the evening in Tarragona, you can make your own way back. The evening is also free time, with drinks/tapas options in Falset (not included)

Day 5 – approx 12km 

Today we will travel away from the Priorat region to the medieval town of Miravet, which sits on the River Ebro, an important strategic marker in the Spanish civil war. Our path starts a little further west, near the village of Benefalet, and follows the river, taking us through orange and nectarine groves, past little casas and even through a bamboo forest, before winding up to the castle at Miravet. This was built by the Knights Templar on top of an even older Moorish building, and offers beautiful views back down the river. Finally we will drop down into the village where we can get a cold drink in the square. Today we will take a packed lunch with us and have it along the route.

Returning to Falset in the afternoon, later  we will visit the Cooperative for a tour and tasting, including the town’s well-renowned vermouth. The Cooperative building was built by Cesar Martinell, a disciple of Gaudi.

Evening we will eat out together in Falset.

Day 6 – approx 9km

Today’s walk starts in Pobeleda, another pretty village about 40 mins taxi drive from Falset. After walking down a track to a dry river bed we will walk steadily uphill for about 400m, with an initial short steeper section, along a wide ridge with amazing views on all sides. We then walk through a pretty pine forest and a short distance later reach  Morera de Montsant, a pretty mountain-side village, where we will rest for a while with a cold beer or coffee. After this, we walk downhill through pine and olive groves to reach the remains of the 12th-century monastery of Scala Dei in just over an hour. We will explore the ruins of the monastery, which are being renovated and offer a fascinating glimpse into the monks’ lives.

We will then walk a further 15 minutes into the village of Escaldei to enjoy a menu at a local restaurant and taste some of the wine.

We return to Falset by taxi for a free evening.

Day 7 –  approx 7km

For our final day we will walk from Falset to Porrera, a village about 2.5 hours away, through the Collet de la Sentui on the GR174 route. The village is known for its sundials, as well as its lovely wine! We will take a packed lunch which we can eat while enjoying views over the village, before returning to the village square to sample some of the Priorat wines. Taxis will take us back to Falset in time for us to pack and prepare for our departure on Saturday.

This evening we will enjoy our last meal together in Falset at one of the guides favourite restaurants.

 Day 8 – Saturday May 18th 

Breakfast together and transfer back to airports for those leaving Spain.