I climbed Montserrat in ordinary trainers, the kind for running on tarmac. Halfway up the escaleras dels pobres I was clinging to the rocks like a cat, while men in their seventies overtook me with boots and poles.
That is when I learned that here the enemy is not the rain, it is the rock. Montserrat and the Garraf are conglomerate and limestone massifs that get slippery. Since then I choose the trail by how I feel that day, not by which photo I have seen, and I give you first the table I use, with distances, elevation and how to get there.
Important notice about Collserola
During 2026 Collserola Park has faced restrictions and even a complete closure of its natural areas due to an African swine fever outbreak in wild boar. This affects the Carretera de les Aigües and the rest of the park’s trails. Check the park’s official site on the day before going, because the situation is evolving and there are partial reopenings.
With that clear, this is what you need before deciding. First, each trail’s effort at a glance.
And the full details, in case you want them.
| Trail | Difficulty | Km | Elevation | Time | How to get there |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carretera de les Aigües | Easy | 7-10 | Minimal | 2-3 h | FGC and funicular |
| Garraf, short circuits | Easy | from 3 | Low | 1-2 h | R2 to Sitges or Garraf |
| Salt de Sallent, Rupit | Easy | 6.5 | Low | 2-3 h | Car, 1 h 30 |
| Sant Benet-Montserrat | Moderate | 10.8 | 620 m | 4 h | R5 and car |
| Montserrat-Sant Jeroni | Moderate | 10-11 | 600 m | 4-5 h | R5 and rack railway |
| La Mola | Moderate | 9-11 | 500 m | 4 h | Car |
| Font de Passavets | Mid-high | 9 | 600 m | 4 h | Car |
| Turó de l’Home / Matagalls | Hard | 15-17 | 900 m | 5-6 h | R3 and bus |
The easiest and most accessible, the Carretera de les Aigües
In the Collserola Natural Park. It is a practically flat path along the hillside with all of Barcelona and the Mediterranean at your feet.
What makes it unbeatable in normal conditions is that you reach it by public transport, with FGC to Baixador de Vallvidrera, and it is linear, so you walk as far as you like, from half an hour to two hours. It is 7 to 10 km with minimal elevation, in a park of over 8,000 hectares that begins where the city ends. It is where we people from Barcelona go to walk, run or cycle at the weekend.
The 2026 caveat: since it is in Collserola, right now it may be restricted by the swine fever outbreak. While the closure lasts, the easy car-free alternative is the Garraf. Check the park notice on the day before lacing up.
The easy trails with kids or people who do not walk
Besides les Aigües, when it is open, I have two that suit anyone.
The Salt de Sallent from the village of Rupit, about 6.5 km of easy walking to the highest waterfall in Catalonia, at 115 metres, which is seasonal and runs strongest in spring and with the thaw. As a bonus, the visit to Rupit, a picture with its suspension bridge. An hour and a half by car, and it pairs with the most beautiful villages in Catalonia.
The Garraf Natural Park has short circuits from 3 km among limestone hills with Mediterranean views, with far less elevation than the mountains. R2 train to Sitges or Garraf station. There is even a route that leads to a curious Buddhist monastery, the one at Plana Novella. Good weather almost all year, and on the way down Sitges eats wonderfully, as in where to eat well and cheap.
Since each massif is at its best in a different season, it is worth checking the calendar before choosing.
Autumn is the gem for the Montseny, with the red beech woods, and high summer the worst, with harsh heat and barely any shade on many stretches.
The first real mountain, Montserrat
Montserrat and its route to Sant Jeroni, the massif’s summit at 1,236 metres. It is the most iconic hike near Barcelona, and rightly so, because from the top the views reach the Pyrenees, the coast and even Mallorca on very clear days.
The circular from the Monastery to Sant Jeroni is 10 to 11 km of moderate difficulty, about 4 or 5 hours, up the escaleras dels pobres, with funiculars that cut it short if you tire. R5 FGC train from Plaça Espanya to Monistrol, an hour, then rack railway or cable car. Set off early, especially at weekends.
A lovely variant with a car is the circular between the monasteries of Sant Benet and Montserrat, 10.8 km and 620 metres of elevation, about 4 hours. Another alternative is La Mola, at 1,104 metres, in Sant Llorenç del Munt i l’Obac, with a signposted path through woods and a unique reward: at the top there is an 11th-century monastery turned mountain restaurant. The detail I love is that cars cannot reach some areas, so the supplies are carried up by donkeys, as in the old days.
Montserrat is not just a trail: it is a symbol with over a thousand years of history underfoot.
Climbing to Sant Jeroni is treading the same massif that pilgrims and mountaineers have walked for a thousand years.
The real challenge, the Montseny
The Montseny Natural Park, a Unesco Biosphere Reserve, is any hiker’s dream, with beech and chestnut woods and the area’s highest summits, above 1,700 metres.
The climb to the Turó de l’Home, at 1,706 metres the highest peak, or to Matagalls, are routes of 15 to 17 km and up to 900 metres of elevation, about 5 or 6 hours. In autumn the beech woods turn spectacular shades of red and orange, in the spirit of Catalonia’s autumn forests.
Without a car, R3 to Sant Celoni, about 55 minutes, and a bus to Santa Fe for the Turó de l’Home or to Collformic for Matagalls, with reduced timetables off season. A good starting point is the Font de Passavets, at the roadside, from where you reach the Turó de l’Home and les Agudes on a 9 km circular with 600 metres of elevation, wrapped in beeches.
Before setting off, the backpack decides more than the legs, so it is worth checking it.
What I always carry
- Trekking shoes with a good sole
- Plenty of water, nowhere to refill
- Windproof even in summer
- GPX track downloaded on the phone
- Someone told of my itinerary
Mistakes I see every weekend
- Tarmac trainers on the rock
- Half a bottle of water for the day
- Setting off late and night falling
- Choosing the trail by the Instagram photo
- Not checking the forecast or notices
The left column is a well-rounded day. The right is how I ended up clinging to the rocks of Montserrat.
Which I skip, and why
Montserrat right after rain. Some areas get waterlogged and the conglomerate gets even more slippery. And never mid-morning at the weekend, because it is hugely popular. Start early.
The Montseny in winter without checking. There can be ice on high ground, and if the forecast demands it you need light crampons. Check Meteocat before climbing, especially for wind and fog.
Any trail chosen by the Instagram photo. That is the mistake that took me up Montserrat in tarmac trainers. Choose by your real fitness, not by how pretty the place looks.
Collserola without checking the notice. With the swine fever outbreak, in 2026 it has been fully closed at times. A glance at the park’s site saves a wasted trip.
How to nail the outing
Footwear. Trekking shoes with a good sole. Here it is the rock that is slippery, not the mud.
Water, plenty. There is little shade on many stretches and almost nowhere to refill on the long routes.
Windproof, even in summer. The wind blows up top and you come down frozen.
The track and the heads-up. Download the GPX, because there are stretches where the path fades, tell someone your itinerary and set off in daylight. And if you combine Montserrat with the Moreneta and the Escolania, the boys’ choir, you have a well-rounded day of nature and history, which pairs with a wander through the city’s stranger facts another day.
The greatest luck of living here is that in half an hour you are deep in nature. Hardly anyone makes the most of it.
Have a favourite trail missing from this list? There are thousands of catalogued paths around here, so I am bound to miss some gems. Message me on Instagram @barcelonainspira and I will note it for the next weekend.
Keep exploring Barcelona with me
More corners and plans I write about here: villages near Barcelona for a day trip, the most beautiful villages in Girona, the secret gardens of Catalonia and the best sunset viewpoints.
Which hiking trail near Barcelona is the easiest
The Carretera de les Aigües, in the Collserola Natural Park, is the easiest and most accessible. It is 7 to 10 km of flat track with constant views over the city, about 2 or 3 hours and minimal elevation. You reach it by public transport and it is linear, so you walk as far as you like. In 2026, though, check the park notices first, because there have been access restrictions.
How do you get to Montserrat from Barcelona without a car
By R5 FGC train from Plaça Espanya to Monistrol de Montserrat, and from there the rack railway or the cable car up to the monastery. The trip takes about an hour. The circular route from the Monastery to Sant Jeroni is around 10 to 11 km of moderate difficulty, with the summit at 1,236 metres and about 4 or 5 hours of walking.
Which is the most demanding trail near Barcelona
The trails of the Montseny Natural Park, a Unesco Biosphere Reserve. The climb to the Turó de l’Home, at 1,706 metres the park’s highest peak, or to Matagalls, are routes of 15 to 17 km with up to 900 metres of elevation and 5 or 6 hours. To get there, R3 to Sant Celoni and a bus to Santa Fe or Collformic.
What should you take for hiking near Barcelona
Trekking shoes with a good sole are essential because Montserrat and the Garraf are conglomerate and limestone massifs that get slippery. Also plenty of water, since there is little shade and few places to refill, a windproof layer for the summits even in summer, and the GPX track downloaded on your phone in case the path fades.
Can you currently hike in Collserola
You need to check before going. During 2026 there have been restrictions and even a complete closure of access to the natural areas of Collserola Park due to an African swine fever outbreak in wild boar. The affected areas and updated notices are published on the park’s official site, and it is worth checking them on the day of the outing.
