Small hotel
Hotel Restaurant La Botiga
Why we like it: Hotel with its own restaurant on Prades's main square, opposite the Renaissance fountain; downstairs, the house pizzeria too.
Duration1 night
Best timeApril – June and September – November
Budget€110–190 pp
Getting thereBy car
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for arriving mid-morning on Saturday and heading home on Sunday after lunch. Book the astronomical park session first, since it sets the time of the evening, and check the Moon on its calendar.
Saturday
- 110:30A walk round the red town
Route 1 of the council's fountain trails: 1.1 km and 16 m of ascent through the gateway, the arcaded square with the Renaissance globe fountain, Santa Maria and the wall. Leave the car outside the old town.
- 212:00The Roca Foradada
A natural arch of red rock 1.5 km from the village, along a short, almost flat path. Next to the arch, a picnic area and a small pond. An hour there and back.
- 314:00Lunch at the Fonda Espasa
The village inn, on Plaça de Sant Roc. At the weekend it is best to book by phone.
- 416:30Tree circuits at Prades Aventura
The forest circuit, with 12 games and a zip line of nearly 100 m, from age 8; the sky circuit, with a 6 m climbing wall and a zip line of over 100 m, from age 6. €19 to €21 each, €35 for both. The website doesn't publish opening times: confirm when you book.
- 519:00Session at the Parc Astronòmic
The indoor part first and, after the break, the telescopes. The time is set by the calendar: the session is scheduled so that it is dark when you come out.
- 620:15Dinner during the break
Pizza on the main square, at Pizzeria La Botiga, or wine and small plates on the terrace of DPrades Gastroteca, on the same square.
Sunday
- 109:30Tossal de la Baltasana by the Roure Reboll
The highest summit in the Muntanyes de Prades, at about 1,200 m, through the only Pyrenean oak forest in Catalonia. The Roure Reboll route has a detour to the summit at the Coll del Bosc. Download the track first: the council website doesn't publish distance or ascent.
- 214:00Grill at La Taverna
Grilled meat on Carrer del Centre, inside the old town. Call ahead to book and confirm opening hours. Home in mid-afternoon.
Prades is the vila vermella, the red town: a village at 950 metres, high in the mountains of the same name, built from the reddish sandstone of the area. It is far from the lights of the coast and its sky has Starlight recognition, so the getaway has two halves. By day, the old town, the rock arch of the Roca Foradada, the only Pyrenean oak forest in Catalonia and, if you go with children, tree bridges and zip lines. By night, a telescope session in the middle of the village. You are an hour from Lleida and Tarragona, and under two from Barcelona.
Which stargazing session to choose?
The Parc Astronòmic Muntanyes de Prades has its visitor centre at Carrer Muralla 5, inside the old town. Each session starts indoors, with a projection and explanation, continues with a break for a snack or dinner in the village and ends outside, in front of the telescopes, when it is fully dark.
| Session | For whom | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Selene | Families with children under 8: a trip to the Moon | €15 ages 2 to 5, €17 ages 6 to 12, €20 from 13 |
| Gaia | Adults and children over 8: the formation of the Earth | €17 ages 2 to 12, €25 ages 13 to 64, €23 from 65 |
| Kosmic | Adults and teenagers from 12: a tribute to Carl Sagan | Same as Gaia |
| Outdoor only | Those who have already done the indoor part | €20 for all ages |
What changes the night most is the Moon. To see the Moon in detail, a waxing crescent; for galaxies and nebulae, new or waning moon. If it clouds over, the indoor part goes ahead anyway and you can come back another day for the outdoor part.
Where to sleep?
On the main square, the Hotel Restaurant La Botiga, with its pizzeria downstairs. On Plaça de Sant Roc, the Fonda Espasa, with its own restaurant and next to the coach stop. For groups and families, the five apartments of Can Llorenç, a minute from the square, or the country house Cal Crispí, with a kitchen, garden and fireplace, which accepts dogs. With children, El Xalet de Prades has igloos with glass roofs, tree houses and a farm; Càmping Prades Park, 200 metres from the village, has bungalows, a summer pool and a spa. Both accept dogs.
In summer, a canyon
From spring to early autumn, Gorg Aventura runs a half-day introductory canyoning trip with a qualified guide in the Muntanyes de Prades: €49 per person in groups of 3 to 8 and €60 if there are two of you. Swap it for the Baltasana on Sunday morning. Ask when booking for the meeting point and the minimum age, which the company doesn't publish.
With children and with a dog
It is a very family-friendly getaway: the Roca Foradada at a child's pace, the zip lines from age 6 and the Selene session, designed for under-8s. The Baltasana is for keen teenagers. Dogs can do the red town, the Roca Foradada and the Baltasana, and they sleep at Cal Crispí, El Xalet or the campsite.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Prades, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Prades
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Drive up, then walk
The car takes you up and the rest is done on foot: the square, the Roca Foradada and l'Abellera all start from the same old town.
70–110 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotels with restaurants on the…
- Getting aroundPark outside the wall and…
- Where to eatGrill, inn and pizzeria in…
- ServicesOnly one petrol station, on…
Where to sleep
- Hotels with restaurants on the plaça Major and plaça de Sant Roc
- Apartments and rural houses inside the old town
- Igloos and tree houses at El Xalet de Prades
Getting around
- Park outside the wall and walk in
- You can drive up to l'Abellera, to an open area beside the hermitage
Where to eat
- Grill, inn and pizzeria in the old town
- Supermarket on avenida de la Verge de l'Abellera for the picnic
Services
- Only one petrol station, on the T-700
- Tourist office open every morning
Mountain bends an hour from Tarragona
Prades can only be reached by mountain roads climbing from the Camp de Tarragona, the Conca de Barberà and the Priorat. It is a classic stop for lunch on the square before riding on.
70–110 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to sleepHotels with restaurants on the…
- Where to rideT-701 and T-704, the roads…
- Where to eatTerraces on the arcaded square
- ServicesAgrícola Montsant petrol station, on…
Where to sleep
- Hotels with restaurants on the plaça Major and at Sant Roc
- Cal Crispí farmhouse, in the old town
Where to ride
- T-701 and T-704, the roads leaving the town towards the Camp and towards La Febró
- T-700, where the petrol station is
- In winter, cold shaded stretches and possible ice first thing
Where to eat
- Terraces on the arcaded square
- Grill on carrer del Centre
Services
- Agrícola Montsant petrol station, on the T-700
- Parking beside l'Abellera
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights1
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingif you're on a motorbike
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Restaurant Fonda Espasa
Why we like it: A village inn with its own restaurant on Plaça de Sant Roc in Prades, next to the coach stop and two minutes from the Plaça Major.
Can Llorenç Rural Tourist Apartments
Why we like it: Five rural apartments in the Can Llorenç family house, in the centre of Prades, less than a minute from the Plaça Major.
Cal Crispí
Why we like it: A rural guesthouse on Carrer Nou del Pont in Prades, with five rooms, a kitchen for guests, a courtyard with a garden and a lounge with a fireplace.
El Xalet de Prades
Why we like it: Rural resort in Prades with glass-roofed igloos, tree houses and wooden cabins, a children's farm, a summer swimming pool and a restaurant.
Càmping Prades Park
Why we like it: A campsite 200 metres from Prades with 80 pitches, wooden bungalows and mobile homes, summer swimming pools, the Roca Vermella spa and a restaurant.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Prades
Hotel Restaurant Fonda Espasa
What to order: the *fonda* menu of the day; ask when you book.
Plaça de Sant Roc, 1 · book at weekends: 977 868 023
Grill
On the square
DPrades Gastroteca
What to order: something to nibble on the terrace of the arcaded square.
Plaça Major, 25 · 654 363 997
With children
Pizzeria La Botiga
What to order: pizza, the easy option with children.
Plaça Major, 13 · from the same group as the La Botiga hotel
Takeaway and markets
El Súper de Prades, Prades
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Wrap up for the night even if it is hot by day: at 950 metres, the telescope part is held in the open air and it gets very cold once the sun sets.
We'd skip it
The autumn festival weekends, the Festa de la Pagesia in October and Prades Bosc at the end of the month, if you are after calm: the village fills from first thing and the tables go fast. If you like festivals, that is your weekend.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Lleida or Tarragona?
An hour from either, on mountain roads. From Barcelona, a little under two hours.
Do I need to book the astronomical park?
Yes. Sessions run to a calendar and have limited places; book on their website and choose the day according to the Moon.
What if it is cloudy?
The indoor part goes ahead anyway. The telescope part you can make up another day.
From what age can you do Prades Aventura?
The sky circuit, from age 6; the forest one, from 8 and with a recommended height of 1.35 m.
Can I bring a dog?
Yes, in the village and on the routes, on a lead. Cal Crispí, El Xalet de Prades and Càmping Prades Park accept dogs.