# A getaway to Prades: the red town, the forest and a night of stars

The red-stone village, the Roca Foradada, zip lines between the trees, a telescope session and the summit of the Baltasana. An hour from Lleida and Tarragona.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/spain/catalonia/prades/itineraries/prades-night-of-stars-from-tarragona · Revisado: 2026-11-12

Dónde: Prades

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.

SessionFor whomPrice

SeleneFamilies with children under 8: a trip to the Moon€15 ages 2 to 5, €17 ages 6 to 12, €20 from 13

GaiaAdults and children over 8: the formation of the Earth€17 ages 2 to 12, €25 ages 13 to 64, €23 from 65

KosmicAdults and teenagers from 12: a tribute to Carl SaganSame as Gaia

Outdoor onlyThose 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.

## El plan

### Saturday · 10:30 · A 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.

### Saturday · 12:00 · The 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.

### Saturday · 14:00 · Lunch at the Fonda Espasa
The village inn, on Plaça de Sant Roc. At the weekend it is best to book by phone.

### Saturday · 16:30 · Tree 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.

### Saturday · 19:00 · Session 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.

### Saturday · 20:15 · Dinner 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 · 09:30 · Tossal 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.

### Sunday · 14:00 · Grill 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.

## Un consejo más

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.

## Cuándo no ir

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.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### 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.

## Dónde dormir if you're driving
- **Hotel Restaurant La Botiga**: Sleeping on the square
Hotel Restaurant La Botiga stands on the main square, the arcaded plaza with the globe-shaped fountain that is the symbol of the town, with the church of Santa Maria beside it. You sleep right on the square, with dinner downstairs and no need to get back in the car. It is registered in the Catalan tourism register as a hotel, and in the house next door, at number 13, is Pizzeria La Botiga, run by the same group.
Rooms and meals
Ask when you book what type of room you will be given and whether breakfast is included. For dinner you have two options in the same building, the hotel restaurant and the pizzeria, which is the easiest choice if you are travelling with children.
Getting there and parking
Prades is at 950 metres, an hour by car from Tarragona or from Lleida along winding roads, and about two from Barcelona. The old town, inside the wall, has narrow, steep streets: leave the car in the streets outside and walk in through the gate that leads to the square. The coach stops at plaça de Sant Roc, two minutes away, but with few departures. Book on 977 868 321 or 629 138 002.
What to do nearby
The square is the centre of the walk around the red town. On foot you can reach the Roca Foradada, 1.5 km away, and the Abellera hermitage. At night, the Parc Astronòmic, in the old town. In autumn come the Festa de la Pagesia and Prades Bosc.
- **Hotel Restaurant Fonda Espasa**: A village inn
The Fonda Espasa is a hotel and restaurant in the same house, on Plaça de Sant Roc, where the coach stops, a two-minute walk from the Plaça Major. It is registered in the Catalan tourism register as a hotel and appears in the town council’s list of accommodation. It is the option for anyone who wants to sleep in the village, have dinner downstairs and not depend on their own kitchen.
Rooms and meals
It has no website of its own describing the rooms: ask when you book what type of room you will be given and whether breakfast is included. What is certain is that the house has a restaurant, with a fonda menu that changes by the day, and that at weekends it is best to book the table as well.
Getting there and parking
Prades is at 950 metres, an hour by car from Tarragona or Lleida along winding roads. The centre, inside the wall, has narrow, steep streets: leave your car on the streets outside and walk in. Without a car, the coach stops at Plaça de Sant Roc itself, although with few timetables; there is a taxi in the village. You book on 977 868 023 or 654 367 915, or by email.
What to do nearby
From the door you have the one-hour walk around the vila vermella, and the Roca Foradada and the l’Abellera hermitage start on foot. At night, the Parc Astronòmic, in the same centre. For a day in the mountains, the Pla de la Guàrdia circular or the Tossal de la Baltasana.
- **Can Llorenç Rural Tourist Apartments**: The family home, in the heart of the centre
Can Llorenç is the family’s house, where they have lived for generations, on Passatge de la Muralla, in the heart of Prades’ centre. Since 2005 it has had five tourist apartments that the family itself designed, built and runs. The walls and the Gothic arch that faces the little square are medieval, and according to village lore the house stands where the old Jewish dye works once was: that is why the little square of the apartments is called the plaça del tint (dye square). You are less than a minute from the Plaça Major and a few metres from the tourist office: with children, your own kitchen and everything on foot.
The apartments
Each one is named after a figure from Prades. Margarida de Prades, Mateu Fletxa, Melcior Font and El Nen de Prades are for four to six people; Fra Boïl, for two to four. The Margarida de Prades and the Fra Boïl, for example, are on two floors: downstairs, a fitted kitchen, dining-lounge and bathroom, and upstairs the bedrooms. The first has a bedroom with a double bed and another with bunk beds, and the sofa in the lounge opens out as a double bed; the second, a double bedroom and the same sofa bed. Bed linen and towels are included.
There is no restaurant: you shop in the village and cook at home, or go down to the square for dinner, a minute away.
Getting there
Prades is at 950 metres, an hour by car from Tarragona or Lleida along winding roads. The centre has narrow, steep streets: leave your car outside the wall and walk in. You book on its website, on 607 38 10 04 or on 607 38 10 05.
What to do nearby
Without taking the car you have the walk around the vila vermella, the Roca Foradada, 1.5 km away, and the l’Abellera hermitage. With children, the adventure park and, at night, the Parc Astronòmic.
- **Cal Crispí**: A village house for walking and stargazing
A casa de pagès (farmhouse guesthouse) on Carrer Nou del Pont, inside the village, which the house presents as a refuge in the heart of the Muntanyes de Prades: traditional architecture with today’s comforts. It has five rooms and a courtyard with a garden and trees, and is designed for those who come to walk, cycle or look at the night sky.
The rooms
Each room has its own bathroom. The largest is the Estudi, of 37 m², with a double bed and two singles for four people; it faces the courtyard garden, as does the Triple Matrimonio, with a double bed and a single. The Doble Campanar, of 35 m², and the Doble are for two, and the Triple Individuals has three single beds.
Eating in the house
There is a buffet breakfast, paid separately. Guests can use a fully equipped kitchen free of charge, from 11:00 to 22:00, to make their own lunch or dinner, and have dinner in the dining-lounge with a fireplace. There is wifi throughout the house.
Getting there and parking
Prades is at 950 metres, at the end of winding roads: by car, an hour from Tarragona or Lleida. The centre has narrow streets; the house lets you leave your luggage in front of the door and has outdoor parking. There is a coach to Plaça de Sant Roc, with few timetables. You book on its website or on 689 02 24 10.
What to do nearby
You can set out on foot towards the Roca Foradada or the l’Abellera hermitage, and the walk around the vila vermella is at the door. At night, the Parc Astronòmic star session. If you want a long day, the Pla de la Guàrdia circular or the Tossal de la Baltasana.
- **El Xalet de Prades**: A rural resort for sleeping under the sky
On Riu Brugent street, on the edge of the town, El Xalet brings together more than forty places to stay of very different kinds: wooden igloos with glass roofs, tree houses, wooden cabins, rural rooms and two large houses, El Xalet and La Casa Gran. It is designed above all for couples and families, and for anyone who comes up to Prades to see the stars.
The accommodation
The star igloos are wooden domes with a 360-degree transparent vault: an open-plan space with the double bed right underneath, a slate bathroom with shower and bath, heating and air conditioning; a cot is available, and there are family and premium versions. The tree houses are wooden cabins high up in the trees, set apart from each other, with a double bed, an extra bed for up to three children, a cot if you ask for one, heating and a bathroom with a hydromassage bath. The wooden cabins are the roomiest for families, sleeping four to ten people.
Eating and what the resort offers
The restaurant, La Llosa, works with local produce and recipes from the area. It serves a buffet breakfast and dinners every day, and lunches at weekends and on public holidays; it has a children's menu for under-8s, an à la carte menu and pizzas. It is small: book a table. It also opens to people who are not staying there.
For children there is a farm with hens, lambs and horses, a henhouse where they collect eggs, pony rides for under-25 kg on Saturday mornings, a playground and a play area. There is a swimming pool in summer, barbecues, a free bike workshop and a spa with jacuzzis and sauna, for over-12s only.
Getting there
Prades is at 950 metres, an hour by car from Tarragona or from Lleida along winding roads. Check-in at the wooden cabins and the large houses is from 15:00 in winter and from 17:00 in summer; reception closes at 20:00, and at 21:00 on Fridays. If you arrive later, call 661 718 093 beforehand.
What to do nearby
The Parc Astronòmic completes a night of stargazing. By day, the Roca Foradada, the walk around the red town, the adventure park or mountain biking on the tracks of the Muntanyes de Prades.
- **Càmping Prades Park**: A mountain campsite beside the village
On the way out of the village along the T-701, about 200 metres from Prades, on the right-hand side. It has 80 pitches for tents, caravans, motorhomes and campervans, and a good number of bungalows and mobile homes. It is run by Josep Sans, and as well as accommodation it organises entertainment, astronomy outings, wine tourism and bike and MTB routes, and sports stays for groups.
The accommodation
The wooden bungalows for families are almost all for four, with two bedrooms, a full kitchen, bathroom, heating and a barbecue, private or shared. Some are named after the surroundings, such as the Siurana, the Baltasana Sky or the Bosc; the Casa Màgica is themed, for two adults and two children, with bunk beds, and the Casa de la Pagesa has a fireplace. The Vila Vermella e-bike keeps the bike in a shed with a socket for charging it. The mobile homes and family villas, for four to six, accept pets. For two there are suites, a wooden igloo and the Niu, the smallest. Two bungalows of the Tossal type are adapted for wheelchairs, and others have only a single step at the entrance.
Eating and services
At the entrance is the Comtes de Prades restaurant, also open to non-guests: traditional mountain cooking with Mediterranean touches, hearty breakfasts such as butifarra sausage with beans and eggs, and a terrace in good weather. The Sport & Lounge Bar serves cold tapas, drinks and ice cream. The mini-market sells the basics, barbecue supplies and bread and pastries to order.
There are two swimming pools, one for the little ones, heated with solar panels and open from Sant Joan (24 June) to 11 September, with a lifeguard. A playground, a games room that becomes a mini-disco or cinema at night, padel, football, beach volleyball and basketball courts, and washing machines. The facilities block, renovated in 2015, has an accessible bathroom and a baby-changing area. The Roca Vermella spa offers a thermal circuit, which is booked online.
Getting there
From the AP-2, exit 9, Montblanc, along the N-240 towards L’Espluga de Francolí and then Vimbodí, Vallclara and Vilanova de Prades. Tarragona is 51 km away and the nearest railway station, Vimbodí, 20 km.
What to do nearby
From the campsite you walk to the village: walk around the vila vermella, Roca Foradada, adventure park and, at night, the Parc Astronòmic. For a long day, mountain biking or the Tossal de la Baltasana.

## Dónde dormir if you're on a motorbike
- **Hotel Restaurant La Botiga**: Sleeping on the square
Hotel Restaurant La Botiga stands on the main square, the arcaded plaza with the globe-shaped fountain that is the symbol of the town, with the church of Santa Maria beside it. You sleep right on the square, with dinner downstairs and no need to get back in the car. It is registered in the Catalan tourism register as a hotel, and in the house next door, at number 13, is Pizzeria La Botiga, run by the same group.
Rooms and meals
Ask when you book what type of room you will be given and whether breakfast is included. For dinner you have two options in the same building, the hotel restaurant and the pizzeria, which is the easiest choice if you are travelling with children.
Getting there and parking
Prades is at 950 metres, an hour by car from Tarragona or from Lleida along winding roads, and about two from Barcelona. The old town, inside the wall, has narrow, steep streets: leave the car in the streets outside and walk in through the gate that leads to the square. The coach stops at plaça de Sant Roc, two minutes away, but with few departures. Book on 977 868 321 or 629 138 002.
What to do nearby
The square is the centre of the walk around the red town. On foot you can reach the Roca Foradada, 1.5 km away, and the Abellera hermitage. At night, the Parc Astronòmic, in the old town. In autumn come the Festa de la Pagesia and Prades Bosc.
- **Hotel Restaurant Fonda Espasa**: A village inn
The Fonda Espasa is a hotel and restaurant in the same house, on Plaça de Sant Roc, where the coach stops, a two-minute walk from the Plaça Major. It is registered in the Catalan tourism register as a hotel and appears in the town council’s list of accommodation. It is the option for anyone who wants to sleep in the village, have dinner downstairs and not depend on their own kitchen.
Rooms and meals
It has no website of its own describing the rooms: ask when you book what type of room you will be given and whether breakfast is included. What is certain is that the house has a restaurant, with a fonda menu that changes by the day, and that at weekends it is best to book the table as well.
Getting there and parking
Prades is at 950 metres, an hour by car from Tarragona or Lleida along winding roads. The centre, inside the wall, has narrow, steep streets: leave your car on the streets outside and walk in. Without a car, the coach stops at Plaça de Sant Roc itself, although with few timetables; there is a taxi in the village. You book on 977 868 023 or 654 367 915, or by email.
What to do nearby
From the door you have the one-hour walk around the vila vermella, and the Roca Foradada and the l’Abellera hermitage start on foot. At night, the Parc Astronòmic, in the same centre. For a day in the mountains, the Pla de la Guàrdia circular or the Tossal de la Baltasana.
- **Cal Crispí**: A village house for walking and stargazing
A casa de pagès (farmhouse guesthouse) on Carrer Nou del Pont, inside the village, which the house presents as a refuge in the heart of the Muntanyes de Prades: traditional architecture with today’s comforts. It has five rooms and a courtyard with a garden and trees, and is designed for those who come to walk, cycle or look at the night sky.
The rooms
Each room has its own bathroom. The largest is the Estudi, of 37 m², with a double bed and two singles for four people; it faces the courtyard garden, as does the Triple Matrimonio, with a double bed and a single. The Doble Campanar, of 35 m², and the Doble are for two, and the Triple Individuals has three single beds.
Eating in the house
There is a buffet breakfast, paid separately. Guests can use a fully equipped kitchen free of charge, from 11:00 to 22:00, to make their own lunch or dinner, and have dinner in the dining-lounge with a fireplace. There is wifi throughout the house.
Getting there and parking
Prades is at 950 metres, at the end of winding roads: by car, an hour from Tarragona or Lleida. The centre has narrow streets; the house lets you leave your luggage in front of the door and has outdoor parking. There is a coach to Plaça de Sant Roc, with few timetables. You book on its website or on 689 02 24 10.
What to do nearby
You can set out on foot towards the Roca Foradada or the l’Abellera hermitage, and the walk around the vila vermella is at the door. At night, the Parc Astronòmic star session. If you want a long day, the Pla de la Guàrdia circular or the Tossal de la Baltasana.