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Take this all-included transportation pass to rediscover Montserrat like ever before.
Small-group tour of Montserrat. Round-trip transfers included.
This ticket has the following options that you can choose from:
Nestled in the mountains and visited by the sea, Montserrat is an island that is perfect for a day trip from Barcelona. You have to take a drive up the mountain and then you will arrive at the main grounds of the city. Benedictine Abbey is the most famous attraction of Montserrat. The museum is also a breathtaking sight as after marveling at the bold Gaudi in Barcelona, you can see Caravaggio, Picasso, and Dali in the museum. Montserrat is famous for being an active volcano site and it still has remains of the explosion. The jagged mountain offers a view of the Catalan Country which is beyond magical.
Montserrat is located around 60 kilometers from Barcelona.
4 hours 30 minutes
December to April
Address: 08199 Montserrat, Barcelona, Spain
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Montserrat is a conservative region. Add to this the chilly weather, full-length clothing are your best bet.
Resort to simple dresses or skirts or wear comfortable pants and cotton blouses. In winters, dress warm.
Montserrat is liberal, but only to a certain extent. There is religious importance to the place that brings in some rules and regulations.
March to May
Springtime is the best to visit Barcelona. Montserrat is just a mere 60 km from Barcelona so naturally, spring would be an ideal time to visit Montserrat. If you visit in March, you could witness the St. Patrick’s Day event which is held on the island where everybody comes on to the main street and celebrates Montserrat’s African-Irish Heritage.
June to August
In Summer, Montserrat is bright and colorful, as is all of Spain. You can witness the Calabash event which promotes the use of this fruit and a fair where all the utensils are made up of calabash. Montserrat showcases its African ancestry during Cudjoe Head celebrations that are held at the end of July or beginning of August.
September to November
If you go to Montserrat in autumn, you can get a spectacular view from the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. You can also take a trip to the Jack Boy Hills and the center Hills. Autumn also calls for helicopter expeditions.
December to February
Winter is the time to take a culinary tour in Montserrat. The produce is good and you can buy it from any local shops and have the best dishes in the restaurants. The Alliouagana Festival of the Word in November brings together acclaimed writers and readers for readings, conversations, lectures, panel discussions, and workshops.
Benedictine Abbey has significant religious importance. It plays host for the famous Catalonian virgin of Montserrat. It is called “La Moreneta” because of its dark color and there are only a few of these peppered across Europe. It is believed that this Abbey was once home to the Holy Grail. The Abbey is also a center of musical culture. There still live monks here who are visited by tourists after over a thousand years of its founding.
The Montserrat Art Museum stands proof of the thousand-year-old history and heritage of the Abbey. The greatest of the greats have their canvases here. From Salvador Dali to Pablo Picasso. Several exhibitions are on for the entire year and there are also some traveling exhibitions which are done by art critics. The structure of the museum is perfect and reflective of the kind of art it is home to.
From the monastery, it would take you a short walk to reach the Santa Cova. The road is pretty with nature putting on its best display just for you. Santa Cova is believed to be the first place where the Montserrat Virgin Statue was found. The Sant Joan funicular provides a bird’s eye view of the Montserrat mountain and all that surrounds it. All nature enthusiasts can get lost in the ‘Aula de la Natur’ and on the walk that leads to Sant Jeroni.
From the Plaza Espana metro station, all you have to do is take the FGC train. It is either that or the Aeri de Montserrat cable car. A good thing about the train is that it allows you to fully enjoy the natural environment since it connects the FGC Station in Monistrol de Montserrat with the monastery.
As you walk to the Monastery of Montserrat you will encounter the local market on your way where you ought to stop for the typical local produce. The market is run by the farmers and the people who themselves have grown the produce so it is as organic as it gets and you get stuff that has not been tampered with at all. Among its variety of products, we will find typical products such as oil, liquor, honey, cheese, and cottage cheese.
Your childhood dream of being an archaeologist might seem to come true when you visit Plymouth. The Molyneaux Building and the Flora Fountain hotel are some of the few sites that were submerged by the lava and ash from the volcano. You can go and look at their remains on a guided tour of the region. (Image Credits)
If you are looking for fusion foods with the local food, look no further than the Attic. A quaint restaurant that is known best for its shrimp quesadillas and chicken and vegetable rotis. You can tantalize your taste buds at the Good Eats restaurant. Located at Ryan’s complex, it offers refreshing local drinks, local cuisine along with a relaxed atmosphere. To experience the traditional British palette, you can take a trip to Olveston Guesthouse or Watermelon Cottage. (Image Credits)
The Montserrat Volcano Observatory provides a great adventure. For students who look to study in the observatory or get an internship there, a field trip to the MVO is the best way to get their shot at it. A trip may include measuring the volcano’s dome and gas activity, examining shifts in gravity, hiking to research plants, and learning about the reptiles and birds that are susceptible to volcanic emissions.
The Soca Cabana is just a small walk away from the Little Bay and has Saturday nights reserved for Karaoke. It also plays host to the Montserrat Idol talent singing competition. Reggae, meringue, soca, and calypso are played until the wee hours at Salem’s Club Legend. Uncle’s Bar and Mystique, Sweeneys are the places to be if you want to dance all night and party like there is no tomorrow.
The Caves of Salnitre are the place to be if you are interested in caving and a little bit of an Indiana Jones-like adventure. You can view the formation of the stalactites that have formed over so many years in the caverns. Visitors are only shown the area about to only 500 meters. (Image Credits)
You could tour Montserrat in so many ways according to what interests you the most. The best way to explore Montserrat is to go with a Catalan tourist guide, a person who knows the rich history of the place and its religious importance to Spain. If you want a quick trip around the island, you could take the Half-Day Tour to Montserrat from Barcelona. This tour takes you to all the main attractions in Montserrat and is a good experience for someone who has to be quick on their feet.
There are tours where you get to enjoy the entire ride to Montserrat. One of them is the Montserrat day Trip from Barcelona with the Cogwheel train ride and the other is Montserrat from Barcelona by the Rack Railway. You get to enjoy the train ride and the beautiful hillsides as you ride up to Montserrat. For all the Gaudi admirers, there is the Montserrat Artistic Full day Trip. On this trip, you would be left spellbound as the architecture of Gaudi enthralls you completely.
Ideally, you should take a trip to Montserrat from Barcelona because that would ensure that you see the stark contrast that lies between the two. While Barcelona is thumping with energy and color, Montserrat is a treasure trove for nature. It is raw and fierce and you can experience it all. For some, Montserrat is a pilgrimage site where they visit the Basilica and the Benedictine Abbey and take a quick tour of the Museum. For others, it is a hiking adventure. Hiking up the mountain to see the view of Catalonia is a grand experience and that would include enjoying the mountainside in all its glory. Hiking in Montserrat is also a great experience as one can take a trek to the MVO and also walk around Plymouth. The guided tours are much better there.