Siurana

Siurana sits on a limestone crag with vertical drops on three sides, and it was the last Muslim position in Catalonia, holding out until 1153, decades after the rest of the region had fallen. Legend has it that the queen, Abdelazia, rode her horse off the cliff rather than surrender, leaving a hoofprint in the rock that is pointed out. The village today has around thirty residents, a Romanesque church of Santa Maria with a carved portal, castle remains on the point, and a view over the Siurana reservoir and the Montsant range. The cliffs below have made it one of the most important sport climbing areas in the world, with over a thousand routes and several of the hardest ever graded.

What you actually see

• The cliff village - stone houses on a crag with drops on three sides.
• Santa Maria - a Romanesque church with a carved doorway.
• The reservoir view - turquoise water below with Montsant behind.
• The climbing crags - world-class sport routes on the cliffs beneath.

When to go

March to June and September to November, which is also the climbing season; summer is too hot for the rock and the village has no shade. Weekends bring day visitors and climbers, and parking is very limited.

Honest expectations

The access road is narrow and steep with almost no parking at the top; overflow means walking up. The village is tiny and seen in an hour. Facilities are one or two places to eat.

Nearby

The Priorat wine villages lie south; the Montsant range rises directly behind.