Mont-roig-del-Camp-Miami-Platja Travel Guide

If 12 kilometres of long sandy coastline sounds good to you, and if you like little intimate coves, and colours and contrasts between the sea and the mountains – then Mont-roig del Camp-Miami-Platja, in the heart of the Costa Dorada could be a perfect holiday destination for you. The beaches are caressed by the Mediterranean sea, and at the same time it’s sheltered and protected, which is considered to be a fortuitous aspect according to Feng Shui, by the Llaveria mountains.

A little inland from Miami Platja, the coastal part of the municipality, lies the actual village of Mont Roig del Camp, which is around 100 metres above sea level, and has plenty of character. For the art lovers amongst you, this village is where the artist Joan Miró (1893-1983), painted some of the most important pieces from his youth. Not only that but the countryside inspired him in a similar way as did the surroundings of Horta de Sant Joan for Picasso. More about that in a while.

A route has been organised, which can be done on foot, bike or horseback, which takes you through 10 points of interest, which feature buildings or landscapes that can be seen in the artist’s paintings. This is part of the Route of the Four Geniuses.

This inspirational landscape is also perfect for lots of great outdoor activities, such as playing golf, hiking, cycling, or just enjoying nature and strolling around. You’ll also be happy to hear that it has a good reputation when it comes to its gastronomic offerings.

If it’s a theme park you’re looking for of course you’re very close by to Salou and the famous Port Aventura. It approximately 20 km away, so depending on traffic around 15 to 20 minute drive. If you don’t have younger people with you and that’s not your thing, you are also very close to the amazing city of Tarragona, which has often been overlooked by tourists who flock naturally to Barcelona. Tarragona is 30 km away so around a 20 to 25 minute drive.

Casa de Cultura d’Agustí Sarda

This is an old school building, which today serves as a cultural centre. It is notable for its Renaissance symmetry, neoclassical design and ochre tones. These days its first floor is home to a public library named after the town’s adopted son – Joan Miró.

Public Laundry

Have you ever heard about a public laundry? I remember the first one I saw, and I just loved it. This was a common culture back in the day. We first hear about it in documentation in the 18th century . The water was sourced from the Horta spring.

Public washing was a common task back in those days. Although you can’t wash yours, and probably wouldn’t want to these days, you can obviously enjoy soaking up some sun, history and culture in a lovely setting.

Dry Stone Huts

It’s a wonderful to see how the natural materials of an area can be put to use, and how our own reaction today is no different to the people from many centuries ago. On the wild piece of land that we own, there are also these type of structures, but in this instance they are lower, and were made for hunting purposes. However the methodology is the exact same. It is quite impressive to see this dry stone construction method, that we see also in other parts of the world. Many people would admit that it is a dying art today.

Around the area of Mont-roig, there’s an itinerary that you can follow so you can see some of the best examples of these dry stone huts. Set in nice locations, also you can enjoy the countryside, while seeing these little constructions of various shapes and styles, that were obviously built by very skilled peasants. In fact in some of them there are small cavities, some of which served to preserve wine and water, and others which would been spaces to preserve animal foods most likely.

The authorities have managed to catalogue 134 of these best be considered to be in quite good condition, and interestingly enough, the door is often South facing to avail of the sun, and to avoid the fierce Mistral wind.

On a holiday to sunnier climes, it would be hard to go wrong with 12 km of sandy coastline, especially when it has a lovely balance between beaches and coves. In total there are 4 beaches and 9 coves. Two of the beaches have the blue flag status and to discover more in Catalonia, you can check out the Best Beaches Catalonia feature, which focuses on the blue flag beaches.

Platja De La Pixerota

The length of this beach is around 1800 metres long with a width of 20 metres. There are boat lanes in this beach, giving you another way to enjoy the sea. It’s a calm beach, so perfect for a family holiday, and it has blue flag status. All you need to do is to take some sun, a dip in the water, enjoy the lovely views and perhaps refresh yourself with a cool drink in one of the beach bars. It also has access for those who have reduced mobility. Lifesaving operates from mid June til mid September.

Platja De La Porquerola

This beach has a length of 2460 metres and a width of 35 metres. If you prefer a beach that tends to have less people, then this one is a good option. There’s a playground for children, beach bars and some sports activities. It also has access for those who have reduced mobility. Lifesaving operates from mid June til mid September.

Platja Llarga

For those who like natural settings that aren’t overrun with other tourists, this beach is ideal. Set in a protected area, the length of this beach is just under 1700 metres and under 50 metres wide. It also has access for those who have reduced mobility. Lifesaving operates from mid June til mid September.

Platja Cristall

The second of the area’s blue flag beaches, Cristall Beach can be found if you take the deviation from the N340 road, that is by the railway bridge. It’s a lovely golden sandy beach that gets busy enough, that meanders on for 1300 metres. The facilities include a children’s playground, boat lanes, sports activities, and beach bars. It also has access for those who have reduced mobility. Lifesaving operates from mid June til mid September.

Don’t forget about the 9 coves, go out and explore, see the different size coves, and their contrasting surroundings and colours.

Old Church of Saint Michael

Dedicated to Michael the Archangel, the old Parish Church of the town was built around the end of the 12th century, after the Moors re-conquest of the region. As we like to say in Ireland, over the centuries this church “has been through the wars”…. Therefore it’s been damaged on numerous occasions, including the Spanish Civil War. In fact there are still some of the older townsfolk who remembered when the altars were burnt, back in 1936. These days it’s a cultural centre and a parish hall.

Hermitage of La Mare de Deu De La Roca

On the same spectacular site that entranced Miró, imagine that our prehistoric ancestors used to worship Isis, the Egyptian Goddess. The Mare de Deu de la Roca hermitage is seductively set in La Roca mountain; the red rocky mountain from which the town gets its name. Mont-roig translates into red rock.

Built in 1230, it has fragmented white and red walls. The chapel that you can see today was actually built on the site of a medieval castle’s ruins. Each year a festival here takes place here on 8th September. This is known as the festival of La Mare de Deu. Then there’s a second Hermitage which is higher than the first one, that was built in 1586. This is the Sant Ramon de Penyafort Hermitage, which is white with a rectangular form.

The location itself is steeped in nature, spirituality and legends, and it seems as if the two hermitages are somehow suspended on top of the mountain.

Impressive from a distance, I would also highly recommend taking the trip up to the hermitage for amazing views.

Hermitage of El Peiro

This hermitage has a similar appearance to a few of the others that I’ve seen both in Catalonia and in the Comunidad Valenciana. Architecturally it is simple yet pleasing and is surrounded by nature. There are lots of trees and birds around the chapel. Smell the pine trees, and enjoy a picnic in the recreational area. This type of setup can be found in a number of the hermitages here.

The Solé Olive Oil Museum

This is a small olive oil Museum where you can learn about the traditions and customs that are part and parcel of olive oil cultivation here on the Mediterranean. This is a family set up, and therefore you can see the tools and machines that have been used by the family ancestors. This family have been making olive oil ever since 1824. They make extra virgin olive oil, and these days even have an ecological product.

Website: http://www.olissole.com/english/index.htm

Centre Miro.

Located in the town’s old church, which Miró painted in – “Mont-roig, Town and Church”, the Miró Centre is your opportunity to sense and understand how the area affected the artist.

In 1911 he came to Mont-roig to recuperate from a long illness, which was exactly what brought Pablo Picasso to Horta de Sant Joan, at the age of 16, in 1898. Both had been living and working or studying in cities, in Miró’s case Barcelona, and Picasso had been to both Madrid and Barcelona. Where the similarity in circumstances stops, is that Picasso’s parents were no longer willing to fund his studies, so he felt kind of cut off and unsupported by them. However Miró’s father had bought his son a farm from the Marquis of Mont-roig, the previous year, called Mas d’en Ferratges. A farm that was later to host occasions that included the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Josep Luis Sert and Alexander Calder.

There are quite a number of accounts of Miró’s life that have him so closely associated with Mont-roig, that they say he was born there, however he was actually born in Barcelona, on 20th April 1893.

Even though he moved there when he was 18 to get over a long illness, it was no time at all before he had recovered sufficiently to start roaming around the Mont-roig plains, and walk the 2km from his farmhouse down to the seaside. All of the time he was walking, he was also observing nature. He used also walk inland to the village and past the Mare de Deu de la Roca hermitage, and he had a special affection for the red outcrop after which the town is named. He also walked the 5km down to Miami-Platja. He painted in all of these locations.

He stayed most of the year, and during the 1920s and 1930s he alternated his life between Paris and Mont-roig. By the 1940s he was back in the village each summer from the Feast of St. John until the Feast of St. Peter, so from the 24th June until the 29th September. He went to live in Majorca in 1956, but still returned for that summer period to Mont-roig.

Similiar to the Dalinian Triangle, from these three places here in Spain & Catalonia, we have the Mironian Magic Triangle – Barcelona, Majorca and Mont-roig.

Joan Miró said: “All my work is conceived in Mont-roig.”

Website: http://www.centremiro.com/

Mont-roig del Camp Golf

Only a golfer truly understands the value of a well-designed golf course and if you are one of them, you can play a round at the 18 hole-72 par course, at the Bonmont Golf Club in Mont-roig. This course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.

Website: www.bonmont.es

The hiking routes are organised logically according to the difficulty level, and also their length. From family walks around the beach area, to discovering the fruits of the land, there should be a route to suit you. It goes without saying that in a hot country, make sure you have plenty of water for your hike.

From cruise to jet skiing, from fishing to sailing, everything is available in this great resort. You can find details including the booking information and services in the site listed below

Website: www.estacionautica.info

Mountain Biking

Head off to the Mont-roig Del Camp-Miami Platja Mountain Biking Centre. There are ten routes that you can choose from, which have around 137 km of roads in total. The roads are divided from R1 to R10 depending on the difficulty level. The easier difficulty levels are at the routes from R1 to R4.
If you are someone who wants to try something a bit more adventurous, choose one Of the routes from R8 to R10. The bike rental service will allow you to choose bikes of all sizes, including bikes for children with child seats. The centre has showers, bike cleaning, as well as general information for tourists

Cycling

Cycling is huge over here, which isn’t a big surprise with the great weather. There are seven routes for you to choose from with a huge 656 km of roads. The routes range in length from 33 km up to 157 km. They take in lots of fabulous places, and maps are supplied.