The 5 most breathtaking experiences in Catalonia

Home to some of Spain’s most outstanding shellfish farms, Delta de l’Ebre is a must for delicious ocean delicacies and urbanites craving that sea air. Every year, Catalonia’s largest wetland produces 4,000 tons of mussels, 800 tons of oysters and 30 tons of clams, so pay tribute to the harvesting process by visiting a farm, before getting stuck into one of the Tarragona wetlands’ al fresco dining spots. Juicy delta oysters, a glass of cava and the chance to spot flamingoes in the wild: it doesn’t get better.

Literally translated as “serrated mountain,” iconic Montserrat is a combination of ancient craggy peaks, a breathtaking natural park and the Benedictine monastery that houses the famous Black Madonna statue. A popular day trip, it’s worth staying overnight for true hiking paradise. Don your boots to climb the Sant Jeroni peak, where on clear days you can see as far as the mountains of Mallorca, before catching the ethereal Montserrat Choirboys’ 1pm recital.

A red castle studded with plastic loaves of bread and topped by giant eggs: the Teatre-Museu Dalí couldn’t be more Dalí if it tried. Which makes sense, because it was the artist himself who converted his birthplace Figueres’ former theatre into an illusory surrealist palace. It’s also where he was buried; he modestly described his (uncharacteristically plain) crypt as the spiritual centre of Europe. From the Mae West Room to Palau Vent, a reimagining of the Sistine Chapel, this is an epic trip through the imagination of one of the 20th century’s greatest figures.

What was then known as Tarraco was one of the most important Roman cities in the Iberian Peninsula and 2,000 years later, there’s still an eye popping selection of remains from that time. The seaside city of Tarragona’s standout UNESCO-listed sites are the amphitheatre and the Roman circus and, a little farther out from the centre, a section of the ancient aqueduct. Make sure you call in at the city’s museums and head to the old fishing village El Serrallo for a seafood feast. Hungry for more history? Take the two hour train to Lleida and tour the former military citadel, La Seu Vella.

If you loved the cava bars of Barcelona, take the hour’s drive to Penedès to discover the source of stuff, responsible for 95 percent of the world’s cava production, this wine region is slowly gathering speed as Catalonia’s enotourism epicentre. The village of Sadumí d’Anoia, sometimes known as the Capital of Cava, is home to 60 producers, including the brand Codorníu. Here, you can ride the underground train to the maturing caves, learn about the making process and taste this effervescent elixir. ¡Salut!