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The annual Barcelona Walking Event (known as CAMINATA INTERNACIONAL DE BARCELONA in Spanish) usually takes place in the 2nd weekend of October since its inception in 2003. Since then, tens of thousands of hikers have taken part in this wonderful event.
This year (2016), John and I took part in the International Walk of Barcelona on the weekend of 15th and 16th October. This was my fifth and John’s sixth. Barcelona has one of most attractive landscape and coastline in Europe (if not the world). It’s coastline combines the beauty of nature of the Mediterranean sea and the magnificent Collserola mountain range as well as the historical architecture dated back to 11th Century.
It goes without saying the warm and sunny climate during summer time and its relatively mild winter and its mouth watering cuisine are like a magnet to visitors not just from other parts of Spain but also Europe and all over the world.
The International Walk of Barcelona event takes advantage of the very spacious natural landscape and the immaculate urban planning. There are various options to cater different abilities of hikers. Hikers can choose to cover 30 or 20 or 10kms for both Saturday or Sunday. They can also take part on either day. We both chose to walk the 30km route for both days.
On Day 1, our route was a loop started from Trinitat Vella which is an urban area just north of the Barcelona downtown and ended at the same place. Within about an hour of urban hiking, we entered the mountainous area. After some hard climbing, our effort had all paid off when we looked down the hill, the gorgeous Barcelona coast is right in front of us. It is so so beautiful that I almost thought the scenery in front of my eyes is CGI or photo-shopped :-). Since it is a loop, we had the opportunities to view the Barcelona coast from different angles. All the famous landmarks such as the Olympic Games Stadium, Facana Maritima (the man made beach which was constructed for the 1992 Summer Olympic Games), La Rambla, Sagrada Familia Catherdral, Gothic Quarter, Case Mila, Case Batllo, Montjuic are all captured within our view. It is such a great way to explore Barcelona.
On Day 2, the organiser arranged coaches to take the hikers to the Coll de Parpers Mountain which is about 30 minutes bus journey. Then we walked back to Trinitat Vella via several mountains. Since we already started from a mountain, our hike was not as tough as day 1. Thank God for that 🙂
The organisation of the event is fantastic. There are 3 main check points with rest stops on each day where hikers were provided with snacks (nuts, energy bars, chocolate, cake, fruits) and plenty of water. Emergency services were also in place to treat hikers for blisters, fatigues and other medical issues. We also walked pass some beautiful villages where hikers could visit the local bars and cafe. At the end of our walk, we were rewarded with a completion certificate and well deserved refreshments and cold drinks.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.euro-senders.com/internacional/
I’ll be back next year !!
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