Morning Hike at Montserrat

September 2022 marks the first intercontinental trip for D and me after more than two years. It was a 2 week vacation, and we were keen in exploring as much nearby places as we could. In reading travel blogs, my interest was piqued by a morning day tour to Montserrat, Spain. I browsed through AirBnB’s travel experiences and found an “off the beaten path” discovery hiking trip and booked it in a heartbeat. Time to give my good old legs a much needed stretch after days of sitting in front of my computer (a.k.a. work).

Originally we were to embark on our day tour on Day 3 in Spain, however due to last minute logistics changes our host contacted us to ask if we could reschedule. Our schedule was pretty packed as we were moving from Barcelona to France and back, so we swapped it with our biking tour meant for Day 3. So as long as we get to re-energize on Day 1 after give or take 14 hours of travel, a mild hike on Day 2 won’t be a fuss.

Waking up at 5AM on Day 2, we searched for a restaurant that was open at the time and found Cafe Caracas on Google Maps. It was one of the few which opened early at 6AM and so we headed on from our hotel to its location at Carrer de l’Hostal d’en Sol. We enjoyed a hearty breakfast there (eggs on toast, coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice). After breakfast and a quick prep at the hotel, D and I walked onto our tour group’s meeting place: in front of El Nacional restaurant at Passeig de Gracia.

Five minutes before 8AM, our tour hosts Ramon and Christian met us and divided the group into 2 as each group size was a maximum of 8 guests. We hopped on the minivan for an hour’s drive, and I couldn’t contain my excitement as soon as I caught sight of the mountains’ white rocky edges.

When we got to the destination our guide gave us a brief overview of Montserrat and the plan for the day. From the parking lot he pointed towards the path we were to take and explained it would take about 3 hours hike. Looking at the “path” I started I gave a heads up I’d probably be the one tagging behind the group.

Before our hike, we visited the Benedictine abbey. I was in awe by the architecture of the abbey as well as its interiors. Just as we headed out towards the trail, a big group of tourists came in.

The next couple of hours we hiked for approximately 5 kilometers, stopping by some hermitages. Our guide shared the historical events around the hermitages and the Benedictine abbey along the way. We also passed by some locations where we had a breathtaking 360 degree view. When we reached the highest point of our hike, we stopped and enjoyed Catalan snacks brought by our guide, and each of us chose a spot to sit and have a quiet contemplation while admiring the landscape. I have no words, and I’m though my camera didn’t give justice to the view, I’m sharing them with you:

After descending through a shady path we found ourselves back at the foot of the abbey. We had time to check out the farmers’ market and then we would meet back with the group near the parking lot. On the drive home, I think I had a couple of quick naps. Day 2 was a good way to kick start our vacation. The morning hike to Montserrat was a feast to the eyes, and our lungs, legs, hearts, minds were pumped. We were definitely ready for more of our 2 week adventure.