The town of Cornudella de Montsant, at 533 meters of altitude, is located in the lap of the Sierra Mayor de Montsant, facing the cliffs of La Gritella and a stone's throw from the Siurana marsh. It is, well, in the middle of an extraordinary natural environment.The urban core of Cornudella has become, in recent years, the second most important population in the Priorat region. Its municipal term includes, in addition to its own municipality, two population centers: Albarca and Siurana, and has an extension of 62.70 km2.Thus, Cornudella de Montsant is located in the northeastern part of the Priorat region, straddling the Sierra de Montsant and the Montañas de Prades.In Cornudella we highlight the Cooperative building, in modernist style, built in 1919, the work of César Martinell, Gaudí's disciple, and the Parish Church of Santa Maria, a Renaissance work by Pere Blai.

Go to Siurana and you will discover a fairytale town that brings with it the memory of endless sieges and impossible conquests. Encinglada in an impregnable place above the river, it took the knights of four counts to subdue it. Her castle defended an insurmountable border that stretched from Coll de Balaguer to Tamarit de Gaià. Conquered in 1153, after the fall of Lleida and Tortosa, it was the last redoubt of the reconquest in Catalonia. If you look at the precipice that surrounds it, you will discover why it was not conquered for three centuries and why the end was so tragic. Abdelazia, the Moorish queen, rather than being subjected to the Christians, preferred to throw herself off the imposing cliff with her horse. The animal, in her useless resistance, left the mark of its horseshoe on the rock forever and ever. With the end of the queen, the last Saracen stronghold of Catalonia disappeared. Today, we can see a charming little town with houses and cobbled streets and the remains of the Saracen fortress, located at the entrance to the town. At its feet, a marsh with clean and calm waters offer the possibility of practicing all kinds of water sports. The most important building in Siurana is the Church, in Romanesque style, which has a doorway with a figured tympanum framed by three semicircular archivolts; These rest on six columns with capitals decorated with various motifs. Siurana is surrounded by interesting places and from the town you can enjoy magnificent views of the Sierra de Montsant, the Gritella and the Prades Mountains. Highlight Siurana as a reference and destination for climbers and hikers. Its legendary cliffs are recognized throughout the world for carrying out these practices.

work by Pere Blai.

The town of Albarca, for the people of the Aubarca area, is located in a privileged corner at the foot of Montsant, at a point where the sunshine and shade of the mountain meet the last stacks of the Sierra de Prades. It is, therefore, a strategic enclave already known since ancient times. The origin of the town is Muslim: an almunia in the surroundings of the castle of Siurana. Near the town there are traces of the population from this period: tombs excavated in the rock of Parada de la Guineu that show the burials of a small medieval community. After the Christian conquest, the inhabited nucleus was developed next to the castle, documented in 1182 and of which very little remains today. Currently, Albarca has become a place of second residence, with very few inhabitants who reside permanently throughout the year. In terms of services, it has a refuge from the Tarragona Excursionist Center and independent rural accommodation.The Festival takes place on August 15 and on the last day the traditional climb up to the Hermitage of the Mare de Déu de Montsant takes place. Despite being practically uninhabited, the town still retains all its charm beforehand and the Romanesque apse of its Church stands out. From Albarca you can make multiple excursions to the Sierra de Montsant, as well as reach the Hermitage of the Mare de Déu de Montsant.

It is located to the northwest of the region, on the right side of the Montsant river valley, which forms an impressive gorge between the Montsant massif and the Sierra de la Llena, a continuation of the Fraguerau gorge. cultural, rest and camping areas, hostel-restaurant, rural house, mountain refuge, bar, pharmacy (reduced hours) and a grocery store. The town is protected under the DO Montsant and produces mainly almonds, peaches and oil. The biscuit, the cocas, the escalivada and the truita en suc (tortilla in sauce) are typical. The hermitage of San Salvador is located 3.5 km from the town, in the Sierra del Montsant. It is a cozy place that also has a picnic area.Other places of interest are the Margalef reservoir, the Mas del Aragonés, the Rincón de los Pèlics (in the direction of Montsant), the Cueva de la Taverna and the Cueva del Miracle.From this town you can go up to various sites in Montsant such as La Cogulla, Cueva del Teix, Clot del Cirer, Piló dels Senyalets...

The Sierra del Montsant is one of the most versatile climbing areas, both for bouldering and sports, with long routes and spectacular views, with initiation and continuity areas as well as more technical ones. This area includes more than 100 climbing routes, spread over various sectors and has a good quality rock, characterized by holes of all kinds and fissures. For all these reasons, the Sierra del Montsant is considered one of the best climbing areas in the country. One of the outstanding areas is the Grallera Sector, with about thirty routes of medium difficulty, from grade IV to grade 7c. The approach is made from the town of La Morera del Montsant. We find long routes with limestone rock and full of fissures, as well as good views. La Falconera is an interesting climbing sector, of medium difficulty. With access of about 20 minutes from La Morera de Montsant. Type of vertical and sport climbing. Finally, the Roca del Xollat Sector arrives on the way to Grado del Carbassal.

The Siurana area is considered a paradise for high difficulty climbing, a place of pilgrimage for climbers from all over the world. The southern orientation and often the lack of shade make climbing very difficult during the summer months. Siuranella Central is one of the main climbing sectors in Siurana, characterized by long routes of up to 35 meters, facing South / Southwest. The vast majority of the routes are grade 7 and 8, although we can find some grade 6. The limestone rock, full of fissures, makes excellent climbing possible. The El Herbolario Sector is one of the most varied areas in terms of difficulty level, with around twenty sport climbing routes with levels from V + to 7c + and a dozen more classic climbing routes. The area has high-quality rock, ideal for climbing, as well as limestone rock and full of fissures. This area is easy to get to, with just over 15 minutes walking.

Arbolí is one of the most versatile climbing areas, with sectors and routes for all levels. At Arbolí we find types of climbing such as bouldering, sport climbing or technique, although there are also for beginners and suitable for children. The area where we will find a greater concentration of easy routes is the Can Mansa Sector. Although depending on the time of year it could be saturated with people, the routes are well equipped and the quality of the rock is good and it is only a 5-minute walk from the nearest car park. If what we are looking for is a more technical and less crowded area, we recommend the La Carbonera Sector, with routes up to grade 7b. Although the quality of the rock is not as good as that of the Can Mansa Sector, it is a good alternative to practice climbing without queues and with extra difficulty. Another of the favorite sectors in Arbolí are El Duque and Placa del Duque. This area is known for its long routes and good quality rock. It has perfect routes for the initiation of IV and IV + degree. It also has some 6th, 7th and 8th grade routes. Finally, the El Quemado sector offers about twenty routes, from IV and V to grade 6 or 7. We find routes up to 20 meters high and good views. Its orientation to the south means that there is not much shade and it becomes difficult in summer. Other areas of Arbolí are El Halcón, El Dardo and the Sector de la Ermita.

In La Mussara there is also an important climbing area, in fact, one of the oldest in Baix Camp, with routes from 20 to 30 meters high. In addition, the quality of the rock is good, with limestone, full of fissures and with a wide variety of levels. One of the areas that we highlight the Mussara is Los Riscos del Mas Nebot. There we find sectors such as El Sótano, an area for mainly technical and sport climbing, but also classical climbing. The Sótano sector offers limestone rock and good views of the Tarragona coast. The approach to the foot of the track is about 15 minutes, although it is not a long journey, this makes it less traveled. The Isabel Sector is characterized by continuity routes, vertical limestone walls with fissures and overhangs. Although it does not have highly difficult routes, up to 7a +, since most are grade V and up to 6b. The main style is sport climbing, although it also offers classical climbing itineraries. Other sectors are El Raval, with routes predominantly grade 7 and facing south, or the La Covallonga Sector, ideal for beginners and practice.

The Brugent River Valley, the area between La Riba and Farena, is characterized by having a limestone rock, full of fissures, strips and blocky areas. This is a historically known climbing area, with a wide variety of routes, where we can find heights from 10 to 70 meters. One of the best-known climbing areas on the blog is the El Clot d'en Goda Sector, with a wide variety of routes, generally long and under a forest, in the shade. The approximation is about 20 minutes from the nearest car park, without much unevenness. The downside to this area is that the rock is a bit worn.