Catalonia Tours & Trips

Name: Catalonia
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 4.9 (9 reviews)

Top 5 Foods to Try on Catalonia Holidays

Botifarra

One of the most popular Catalan dishes is botifarra, a tasty sausage often eaten in the mountain regions and Iberian Peninsula. It is generally made from lean pork before being grilled and served alongside mongetes (white beans). Often other ingredients, such as garlic, mushrooms, onions and parsley, are added to the meat.

Pa amb Tomàquet

Pa amb tomàquet is, in simple terms, bread rubbed with tomato and you’ll find it accompanying most meals in Catalonia. Smearing the bread was once a means of utilising leftover or stale bread when food was scarce. In more traditional mountainous areas, bread is served with tomatoes, garlic and olive oil and you rub it yourself.

Escalivada

This traditional dish is the perfect starter to a meal and ideal for vegetarians and vegans. There are just two main ingredients in escalivada, aubergines and red peppers. Typically, they’re both left to char on a barbeque or grill before the insides are cut out and mixed with salt, olive oil and garlic.

Arròs Negre

An old dish with Catalonian origins, arròs negre is made with cuttlefish or squid, green pepper, garlic and white rice, and sometimes with prawns and mussels. Black cuttlefish or squid ink is added to the water the rice is boiled in, providing a more intense seafood flavour. A variation is the noodle dish fideuà negra, which is served with a thick aioli.

Fricandó de Vedella amb Bolets

In autumn, Catalans forage for mushrooms in the woodlands and countryside to create this hearty stew. Put into a cooking pot with veal, red wine and ripe tomatoes, the mushrooms add an earthy flavour. Before the stew is served, breadcrumbs, saffron, oil, parsley and toasted almonds (known as picada) are introduced to add flavour and thicken the juices.

Catalonia Holidays

Home to Pyrenean peaks, a volcanic landscape and a dramatic coastline, Catalonia is a diverse region that feels distinct from the rest of Spain. Its unique culture and traditions span millennia, and the Catalans even have their own language. Catalonia, or Catalunya as it’s known locally, lays claim to historic castles, ancient wine villages and hilltop fortresses, making Catalonia holidays popular with cyclists and walkers who want to learn about the region’s history.

If you want to take a tour of Catalonia by bike, you can enjoy varied cycling tours that snake along hilly roads and smooth coastal paths, and through lush meadows and old cork forests. The contrasting scenery creates a captivating and interesting backdrop for any Catalonia trip. During your adventure, stop at pretty fishing villages and learn about the customs of the Catalans or visit the local churches and castles that date to medieval times.

A walking tour of Catalonia takes a slower pace along the turquoise coast to secluded bays and through ancient Spanish landscapes that inspired the likes of Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso. For art lovers, it’s worth visiting the Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres where Dali lived in the late 19^th century. You can even see the artist’s crypt, which is buried beneath the stage of the theatre.

Walking in the foothills of the Pyrenees introduces you to some of the most awe-inspiring mountain scenery you’ll see on a Catalonia trip. Follow beautiful trails through hidden valleys of orchards and vineyards and climb to the famous Madeloc tower for views across the Spain-France border to Roussillon .

Catalonia Adventure Holidays

8 Days from £ 6455

Guided Group (Excl. Flights)

Culture

7 Days from £ 3299

£ 2639

Guided Group (Excl. Flights)

Cycling

7 Days from £ 2349

£ 2119

Guided Group (Excl. Flights)

Walking & Trekking

9 Days from £ 1309

Self-Guided Holidays (Excl. Flights)

Cycling

7 Days from £ 1129

Self-Guided Holidays (Excl. Flights)

Walking & Trekking

7 Days from £ 1419

Self-Guided Holidays (Excl. Flights)

Cycling

5 Days from £ 969

Self-Guided Holidays (Excl. Flights)

Cycling

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Cycling Girona and the Catalan Coast was the perfect balance of adventure and relaxation it was also my first Cycling trip! The routes were peaceful and well-planned, passing through authentic villages, rolling countryside, and the most beautiful stretches of coast!
Our guide was fantastic – knowledgeable, friendly, and always made the days fun. The E-bikes were a great option for anyone wanting a little extra confidence on the hills. An unforgettable way to experience Northern Spain!

Catryn Scantlebury Cycling Girona and the Catalan Coast

Better than expected. Great group of people (even though I was only USA person). Leaders were awesome and never skipped a beat. Everything went smoothly – even when I got lost for a few minutes. Excellent trip leaders, great itinerary, very nice hotel accommodations (except Barcelona)

James Schnitzer Cycling Girona and the Catalan Coast

This is shown in the brochure as category 2 (easy and moderate). However, having been on four Exodus holidays previously of varying levels we hadn’t anticipated how challenging much of the terrain would be (acknowledging it is coastal). This is because much of the terrain was quite steep, of mostly loose gravel, slate and in places rocky. This is OK for a category higher, but in some instances here concentrating on your footing becomes your world, subsequently missing out on enjoying more of the surroundings. There also turned out to be little free time to explore or chill in Cadeques and Bergur. Despite some unanticipated walking challenges this was a very much enjoyable week that provided a great experience of this part of Spain – lovely hotels, great restaurants, the winery and Dali’s house among others – with a lovely group of fellow travellers. Overall, a great week, but it’s a Cat3!

Caroline Gibbs Coastal Walks of Catalunya

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