Map
8 ideas, picked for these days
A weekend in the medieval Empordà, based in Peratallada
From May the Colomers balloon flies every day at 6:30, not just at weekends, so the holiday is also good for flying. Book the flight before the room in Peratallada: if the wind blows, the company moves it to the next day.
A weekend in Carcassonne: the Cité, the Canal du Midi and a Cathar castle
1 May is also a holiday in France, and the Cité fills by day; sleeping inside you have it empty at dusk. The Canal du Midi boat is already sailing, as its season runs from April to October, and the lists can be walked free first thing.
Two nights at Terra Dominicata, the winery hotel beside the Escaladei charterhouse, with tastings across the Priorat
The Priorat vines have just sprouted and the heat is not yet oppressive, the best time to walk to the Escaladei charterhouse. From 1 May it opens until 19:00 on working days; on the holiday, only from 10:00 to 15:00.
A night in the Montsec from Barcelona: the Parc Astronòmic, a Starlight masia and the Congost de Mont-rebei
La Masieta, the entrance to the Mont-rebei Gorge from Lleida, is open at weekends and on public holidays with a booked parking space, and in spring the path does not have July's heat. The space can be booked until 23:59 the night before.
A getaway to Rupit and the Collsacabra cliffs
After the spring rains the Salt de Sallent carries more water than at any other time, and the Sant Miquel bell tower opens on holidays from 11:00 to 15:00. On a long weekend the only car park fills by mid-morning: arrive before eleven.
Pals: rice fields, Gothic quarter and beach
In spring the Pals rice fields are newly planted and green, and the El Xiulet little train goes down to the mill with a 10:00 departure on the days in its calendar. From the viewpoint in the old town you see the fields with the Montgrí behind.
Garraf: coves and rice by the sea
In May lifeguarding begins on les Casetes beach, with short hours, and the water is still cold for most people: it is a day of coastal path and rice. With the R2 Sud you arrive in half an hour without looking for parking.
Montseny: easy beech forest and grill
In May the Santa Fe beech wood is light green and almost empty, unlike in autumn, when access is regulated. The loop around the reservoir is flat, works with a pushchair and at 1,080 metres it is cool if the coast is already stifling.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is 1 May a holiday in Catalonia every year?
Yes. Labour Day is a holiday across Spain and Catalonia does not move it. Barcelona also has Whit Monday (Segunda Pascua) as a local holiday, which falls between the end of May and June.
Which May getaway can be done by train from Barcelona?
Garraf, on the R2 Sud; the Santa Fe beech wood, with the R2 Nord and the Bus Parc at weekends; and Carcassonne, by train with a change at Narbonne.
Can you swim in May?
At les Casetes in Garraf lifeguarding starts in May, with short hours, but the water is usually cold. The good months for swimming are June and September.
Does the balloon fly on the holiday?
In May, the Empordà balloon goes up every day at 6:30. It depends on the wind: if it cannot fly, the company changes the date.