Best Of Catalonia

Itinerary

Day 1: Day 1 : ARRIVAL BARCELONA – TARRAGONA (100 Km – 1 hr)

Stop At: Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, 08820 El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
Arrive at Barcelona airport and meet with a rent-a-car representative to assist you in picking up the rental car. Then, start your route towards Tarragona for your first night in beautiful Catalonia. Tarragona was one of the Roman capitals of Spain when it was known as Tarraco. Today, the city’s Roman ruins have earned it UNESCO World Heritage Site status
Overnight in Tarragona area
Duration: 12 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Superior Hotel Category = Sol Costa Daurada or similar 4*

Day 2: Day 2 : TARRAGONA – POBLET – LA SEU D’URGELL (195 Km – 3 Hrs)

Stop At: Hotel La Seu, Crta Lleida, N-260, Km. 229, 25700 Seo de Urgel, Lérida, Spain
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before exploring Tarragona. We recommend visit the ruins of the old city walls, which date from the third century, and other significant Roman monuments such as the Forum, the circus and the amphitheatre, which is almost on the shores of the Mediterranean. See also the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Mary, a magnificent fusion of Romanesque and Gothic styles and admire the graceful elegance of the Plaça de la Font, where the city hall is located. Continue to the Cistercian monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Don't forget visit this fabulous site. The complex is completely surrounded by defensive walls and to stroll around it is like travelling back in time to the Middle Ages. Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque architectural styles can be appreciated throughout the monastery, which also served as the pantheon of kings of the once mighty Crown of Aragon. Continue to La Seu d’Urgell and check in at the hotel.
Overnight in La Seu d’ Urgell
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Superior Hotel Category = La Seu or similar 3*

Day 3: Day 3 : LA SEU D’URGELL

Stop At: Hotel La Seu, Crta Lleida, N-260, Km. 229, 25700 Seo de Urgel, Lérida, Spain
Begin your day with breakfast at the hotel. Afterwards stroll the beautifully arranged streets and stop whenever something interests you. Explore this town, which is the seat of the Bishop of Urgell. The 12th-century Cathedral of St Mary retains many of its original Romanesque features intended to strike the fear of God into medieval peasants.
Overnight in La Seu d’Urgell
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Superior Hotel Category = La Seu or similar 3*

Day 4: Day 4 : LA SEU D´URGELL – RIPOLL – CASTELLFOLLIT DE LA ROCA – BESALU – LLORET DE MAR (210 Km – 3.5hrs)

Stop At: Hotel Evenia Olympic Garden, Carrer Senyora de Rossell, s/n, Av. del Rieral, 55, 17310 Lloret de Mar, Girona, Spain
Breakfast at the hotel is followed by departure for Ripoll in Catalonia. Drive for a few hours through the majestic mountain landscapes of the Pyrenean foothills and the Cadi-Moixero Natural Park and the Catllaras Range, where dense forests and farmland are dotted with the picture-postcard hamlets and villages of the area, such as La Garrotxa. Arrive at the restored Benedictine monastery of St Mary of Ripoll, which was founded in the ninth century. We recommend to explore the monastery, admiring its magnificent Romanesque portico, which survived the sacking and destruction of much of the monastery by anticlerical forces in the mid-19th century. Then it’s on to the village of Castellfollit de la Roca, which is vertiginously perched on a thousand-metre-long crag with a drop of 50 metres. On one side of the village, the homes look down on the River Fluvia, a scene of breathtaking beauty. A short drive eastward along the river is the equally mesmerising town of Besalu, which was traditionally reached via one of the most romantic medieval bridges in Europe. The eight-arch bridge crosses the river at an angle, with a fortified tower complete with portcullis in the middle. Continue to Lloret the Mar for check-in.
Overnight in Lloret de Mar
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Superior Hotel Category = Evenia Olympic Garden or similar 4*

Day 5: Day 5 : LLORET DE MAR – PALAMOS – PALAFRUGEL – BEGUR – LLORET DE MAR (140 Km – 2 hrs)

Stop At: Hotel Evenia Olympic Garden, Carrer Senyora de Rossell, s/n, Av. del Rieral, 55, 17310 Lloret de Mar, Girona, Spain
Breakfast at the hotel. Today we suggest to explore some of the charming villages on the Costa Brava passing by impressive cliffs, beaches of golden sand and typical Mediterranean landscapes. First stop is Palamos with its fascinating landscape. Stroll around the streets and enjoy the different views. Continue along the coast towards Palafrugell. The cork industry has determined the village’s evolution and present appearance. It preserves the original layout of the streets and its white houses. The harbour is home to brightly coloured traditional boats, contrasting the white buildings and golden sand of the beach. Continue to the village of Begur, which sits at the foot of an austere castle on a hill. The view from the top is stunning, from where you can contemplate the intense blue of the Mediterranean. Return to your hotel in Lloret de Mar.
Overnight in Lloret de Mar
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Superior Hotel Category = Evenia Olympic Garden or similar 4*

Day 6: Day 6 : LLORET DE MAR – BARCELONA (80 Km – 1,5 hrs)

Stop At: Hotel Evenia Rosselló, Carrer del Rosselló, 191, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before leaving towards the lively city of Barcelona. Perhaps explore Barcelona’s historic Gothic Quarter. Stroll through narrow cobbled streets and alleys, which open up to picturesque plazas with café terraces and secluded churches. Admire Santa Eulalia Cathedral and the churches of Santa Maria del Mar and Santa Maria del Pi, three outstanding examples of Catalan Gothic architecture, and behold the medieval majesty of the former royal palace at the Plaça del Rei. Visit the Park Güell in the northwestern suburbs of the city and see what Gaudi’s vision of an ideal ‘garden city’ was. The park remains unfinished but enough was built to captivate the imagination, with a myriad of mosaics made from irregular and broken pieces of tiles. Enjoy the views over Barcelona and the Mediterranean before continuing to the still unfinished Sagrada Familia basilica, with designs that stretched the realms of the imagination and have made it the iconic symbol of the city. The basilica has three fascinating façades, one of which – the surreal Nativity façade – was more or less completed before Gaudi’s passing, and only recently the roof of the nave has been completed.
Overnight in Barcelona
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Superior Hotel Category = Evenia Roselló or similar 4*

Day 7: Day 7 : BARCELONA – SANT SADURNI D’ANOIA – MONTSERRAT – BARCELONA (190 Km – 3 hrs)

Stop At: Hotel Evenia Rosselló, Carrer del Rosselló, 191, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
Indulge in a delicious breakfast at the hotel. Then, perhaps head towards Sant Sadurni d’Anoia, located around 50 kilometres away. This prosperous town is the heartland of the cava-producing Alt Penedes region. Don’t miss visiting one of the bodegas and learning all about this world-famous sparkling wine production. Continue to Montserrat, Catalonia’s holiest mountain and home of the Virgin of La Moreneta. Enjoy a spiritual and cultural journey while admiring the beautiful views of the highlands and their staggering rock formations. Montserrat has been a place of pilgrimage since the ninth century when some shepherd boys found a statue of the Virgin Mary in a cave. Since then, the statue has been venerated and it is believed to have turned black thanks to centuries of smoke from candles. Today, Montserrat is the largest Benedictine monastery in Spain. Wander the courtyards and cloisters before entering the impressive basilica and exploring the museum. Return to your hotel in Barcelona
Overnight in Barcelona
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: Superior Hotel Category = Evenia Roselló or similar 4*

Day 8: Day 8 : DEPART BARCELONA

Stop At: Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, 08820 El Prat de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
Begin your last day in Barcelona with a tasty breakfast. Then, at the appropriate time, head towards the rental company to return the vehicle. You'll be told the return procedure and exact designated area by OK Rent a Car when you pick up the car on arrival day. The rent-a-car shuttle service will transfer you to the terminal to catch your departure flight back home.
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.