For the first walk of our mid-week walking "weekend" in Sitges, 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.  Additional photos of the route, taken in March, can be seen here.

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 to climb steeply for an hour or so.

The first half of the climb takes us up flights of steps and along winding streets through the 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 stupendous views over Sitges and along the coast.

The second half of the climb starts with an even steeper scramble up a rough and rocky slope, in fact 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 an hour or so all the way to the Hermitage - enjoying some easier walking and (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 views from here north along the coast towards Barcelona, and down over the cement works at Garraf and the coastal highway and its toll booths.

We return 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 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 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.  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.

After the walk there will be an option to go for a drink together, and to meet up again later for dinner and drinks in the evening.

Before leaving from the church we may divide into two groups for those preferring a faster or slower paced walk.

If you'd like to join a third group for a shorter & easier walk of just 6 miles on wider & flatter paths, by having a lift or a shared taxi instead of the long steep uphill at the start and perhaps the long steep downhill at the end too, please let me know in advance. Please let me know also if you may be able & willing to drive, speak Spanish with a taxi driver and/or navigate the walking route.  With luck all three groups could overlap at the hermitage over lunch.

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