Siurana, a Balcony of Red Rock Above the Priorat
Siurana, a Catalan village perched on a red crag in the Priorat: silence, wine and dizzying views far from the Costa Brava.
Foto: Elemaki (CC BY 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons
You don't stumble upon Siurana by chance. Getting there means taking a narrow road that climbs in hairpin bends between terraced vineyards and olive groves, up to a handful of stone houses clinging to a crag that plunges hundreds of metres below. The village has very few permanent residents, and out of season you can wander its lanes without meeting a soul. It's one of those places where silence becomes almost a sound.
The heart of the village
The heart of the village is the small Romanesque church of Santa Maria, plain and austere, and the square that looks out over the void, from where your gaze sweeps across the Siurana reservoir and the ridges of the Muntanyes de Prades. The surrounding rocks are a beloved destination for climbers from all over Europe, but those who don't climb can simply follow the paths that skirt the precipice: just a few steps take you to viewpoints where the landscape opens up with no railings and no ticket booths.
The wine of the Priorat
We're in the Priorat, one of Spain's most renowned wine regions, made of dark slate soil known as llicorella. It's worth stopping at one of the area's small wineries, towards Escaladei or Gratallops, where the producers talk about their wine without the frenzy of the big appellations. You eat well and unhurriedly, and you sleep in a few rural houses that keep the village alive all year round.
How to visit
The right way to visit Siurana is the slow way: arrive early in the morning or in the late afternoon, leave the car outside the village centre and continue on foot, buy from the small local shops. It's a destination that would spoil quickly if overrun, so it's best to go discreetly, respecting the rhythms of those who live there and taking away nothing but photographs and a bottle or two.
Related guides: Spain off the beaten track: villages, islands and nature far from mass tourism · Instead of Barcelona: Mediterranean Spanish towns without the crowds or the chaos.
Getting there
Siurana is a small village suspended on a crag in the Priorat, in Catalonia, and the car is really the most practical way to get there: from Reus you follow the N-420 and then the C-242 to Cornudella de Montsant, from which a narrow mountain road climbs up to the village. The nearest railway station and airport are in Reus, with Tarragona as an alternative. Direct public transport all the way to the village is scarce, so it's best to travel by car or by taxi from Cornudella.
Practical guides for Roma
Practical info
When is the best time to visit Siurana?
The recommended time is March, April, May, October and November, when it is less crowded.
Is Siurana crowded?
Siurana is a very quiet destination compared with the more touristy ones.
Where is Siurana?
Siurana is located in Priorat, Catalonia, Spain.
How to get there
- 🚆 Nearest station: les Borges del Camp ~13 km as the crow flies
- ✈️ Nearest airport: Aeroport de Reus REU ~23 km as the crow flies
Nearest points as the crow flies (source OpenStreetMap): actual times depend on the roads, often mountain ones.
