For one of our Thursday walk options of GOC goes to Sitges 2025, a repeat of last year, we will climb up into the Garraf Natural Park to the Hermitage of the Trinity, then around along the ridge and back down into the town from behind.

We will start by walking north east along the coast away from the old town, past San Sebastian and Balmins beaches, and then turn inland just before the port. We then begin the steep climb for an hour or so that makes this walk a more challenging one.

The first half of the climb takes us up flights of steps and along winding streets through the upscale suburb of Levantina, past some spectacular hillside villas, until we reach the turning circle at the end of the road where we will stop to catch our breath and regroup while enjoying our reward of stupendous views over Sitges and along the coast.

The second half of the climb starts with a steep scramble up a rough and rocky slope, in fact still part of the GR92 national coastal trail which will eventually extend all the way from the French border to Spain's southern-most point. We then continue up, with some downs too, along equally rough and rocky, narrow forest walking trails, until we reach a wider and flatter, unsurfaced forest road winding along the top of the ridge within the Natural Park.

After a short break here, having reached an altitude of around 800 feet, we turn right and follow this forest road for about half an hour or so to the Hermitage - enjoying some much easier walking with (mostly) less ups and downs.

We will take a lunch break of around 45 minutes at the Hermitage, where there are picnic tables and numerous other benches to sit on, but sadly the chapel itself (and the toilets and barbeques) are usually closed and locked.  There are fabulous views from here out to sea, and north along the coast towards Barcelona, and down over the cement works at Garraf and the coastal highway and its toll booths.

Our return begins by the route we came, until we pass the junction where our upward trail joined the road.  A little beyond that we take a short detour to the left, up to the Cross of St Isidre at a summit of about 870 feet, where we will take a short break.

We then continue the relatively easy walking along the forest road for another half an hour or so until we see a few cultivated fields, where we turn left onto a narrower trail again.  This takes us past an old ruin with a fire pit and picnic benches, and fairly flat along the contour line of a fairly open, steep slope with lovely views down to Sitges from behind.  When we reach the car park at the entrance to the Garraf Natural park from Sitges, we will take another short break to regroup.

From here it is about 45 minutes of reasonably gradual decline down narrow forest trails to a little industrial park at on the outskirts of Sitges or, for those that wish, a shorter and easier 30 minutes or so down the surfaced road.

In that little industrial park we pass the Sitgetana Brewery craft beer tap room, but unfortunately it doesn't open until 5pm on Thursdays.

We then cross under the highway and down into Sitges through the district of Poble Sec, where we end the walk at Plaza de Catalunya - just above the railway line and about 5 minutes walk from the old town.

Bookings are now open - please book as early as possible and by Friday 17 October at the latest.  Free tickets will be limited to 20, for a manageable number in a single group.