NEW ROUTE! Catalonia: The Southern Hills

Discover quiet Catalonia with our newest walking route

We invite you to leave behind the sun-swept beaches and tourist throngs of Barcelona, and instead turn your face to The Southern Hills, to the meadering riverside paths and dramatic mountain ridges. This is quiet Catalonia, where each day’s walk brings an ever higher view point over the stunning scenery.

On Foot Holidays’ newest self-guided walking holiday begins in the wine town of Falset, among the vineyards and the melodic hum of Catalan, a language deeply woven into the region’s identity. As quiet paths lead to Guiamets and medieval Tivissa, broad views of the plains give way to mountain vistas. Up and over the ridges you’ll encounter the Ebro river for the first time, crossing on a traditional ferry boat to enchanting Miravet with its Templar castle, Arabic architecture and plenteous bird life.

Ahead beckon the silhouettes of the Els Ports mountains, whose wild valleys and rippling ridges you’ll discover on the final two walking days. Along the way you’ll stay at a wonderfully isolated off-grid B&B, dip your tired feet into the healing thermal springs at Fontcalda sanctuary, and explore the narrow streets of hilltop Horta de Sant Joan. If you’re lucky you may spot ibex picking their way along the hillsides.

Finally, return to the Ebro river at Xerta, where a welcoming boutique hotel and a well-earned dinner await. Raise a glass to an extraordinary adventure – one that reveals the beating heart of Catalonia, far beyond the familiar.

The Essentials – Catalonia: The Southern Hills
9 nights / 8 walking days (8, 7 and 6 night versions also available)
Graded Medium, with 10-19 km / 4-6½ hrs walking per day
Book now to walk from mid-September 2026 onwards
Price: from £1410 per person for 9 nights, based on two sharing

Take a closer look here

Eagle-eyed walkers will have spotted that this new route begins at Falset, which is also the final destination of our holiday to the north – Catalonia: El Priorat. This makes it very easy to combine the two routes, for a really deep dive into the beautiful and varied landscapes of rural Catalonia.

Looking for more walking holidays in Spain?

So, how well do you really know Spain? Unless you’ve spent years exploring its seventeen regions, you may be surprised at how multifaceted this intriguing country can be.

Each of our nine Spanish walking routes will take you on a journey to discover the distinct identity of a region. In the north you’ll find a Celtic- or Iberian-influenced culture, where the older languages are alive and well. Galician has a close relationship with Portuguese, while the Basque Country has a unique language, Euskera, that is unrelated to any other. You’ll hear Catalan in fiercely independent Catalonia, and a near relative of Catalan in the Valencia region.

Further south in Andalucia, the historical influences were shaped by centuries of Moorish rule, as can be seen in the beautiful architecture of its towns and grand palaces. And crossing the waters to Mallorca or La Gomera, you’ll find distinctive cultures that have been preserved by their remoteness.

Of course each region is rightly proud of its own food and drink too, often celebrated at local festivals. Look out for tapas in the south, Valencian paella, Cantabrian cocido lebaniego, pintxos in San Sebastian, orange juice straight from the trees in Mallorca, fresh Galician seafood, and some remarkable wines in Catalonia and Ribeira Sacra.

Our local contact, Aznar, will be familiar to anyone who has walked in northern Spain. He says: “The Atlantic on one side (mild and green), the Mediterranean on the other (warm and aromatic), and the fact of it being one of the European countries with more mountains and hills, are the key elements that make Spain such an amazing hiking paradise. It has probably the most varied range of scenery, flora, local culture and food in the continent. I feel so blessed to work designing routes here for On Foot Holidays. Come and see!”

Call and speak to our friendly bookings team to find your perfect Spanish holiday. You’ll usually be able to talk to someone who has walked the route that intrigues you most of all.

Your Spanish walking holiday is waiting for you here!

Or keep exploring here…

There’s surely no better place than Greece to feel the history of millennia under your feet as you walk through ancient landscapes. Redolent of myth and legend, it is considered to be the birthplace of Western civilisation, and of course influenced the development of democracy, philosophy, science, art and sport.

On Foot’s four self-guided walking holidays in Greece explore different facets of the country’s landscapes, from islands to mountains. Whether you know this land well or have not yet visited it, there is so much to discover.

Arcadia, in the centre of the Peloponnese region, was home to Pan, the God of the Wild, one of the oldest and most colourful of the Greek Gods. Described by the poet Milton as ‘the bounteous Pan, the god of rural scenery, shepherds, and huntsmen’, he’s a character that is easy to imagine as you walk through woodland glades and mountain pastures along the Menalon Trail.

The peaceful island of Andros was not always so – in fact it has been invaded or pillaged by its Mediterranean neighbours from all directions over the centuries. Modern day visitors can still recognise Venetian and Byzantine architecture in the charming old town of Chora that is the heart of the island.

Beneath the surface of Naxos lies the unblemished white marble that has been beloved by sculptors since Neolithic times, and which adorned Classical Greece’s most holy places. One of the delights of this route is the discovery of ruined temples and half-finished statues along the way. On neighbouring Amorgos a highlight is the remarkable thousand-year-old Chozoviotiza monastery, clinging doggedly to cliffs above the sea.

The mountainous Zagori region is most remarkable for its recent history. The remote, stone-built villages around the Vikos Gorge were wealthy in the 18th and 19th centuries, but suffered from depopulation and poverty in the 20th until a spirited regeneration in recent years. Zagori families hold their heritage close, and are determined to maintain their traditions while quietly and sustainably opening up to visitors. The area is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognised for its unique cultural landscape.

Choose your Greek walking holiday here

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