Ruta de los Colls-Miralpeix

We start the Colls-Miralpeix route behind the Sant Cristòfol church at Playa del Faro. You'll need to leave your car in one of the city's public car parks or in the blue zone of the promenade, then head up on a walk along c/Pujada del Far de St. Cristòfol. At some point, you'll reach a narrow dirt path. This is where the route begins.

The route runs between Vilanova and Sitges and hugs the entire coastline. You can't get lost because the trail is well marked and in good weather it's usually well-trodden. It's one of those routes you'll want to come back to, and if your dog behaves well, you'll only need a leash on the sections that run near the railway line — remember that it's only suitable for walking.

Along the way you'll find numerous coves, the most famous being Playa del Hombre Muerto, between Punta de la Desenrocada and Punta de las Cuevas, where you'll find a small beach bar when you arrive. We should warn you that in summer it becomes a very crowded nudist beach. You can stop at other equally beautiful and much quieter spots, like Mala Chica, Cala de los Gigantes, Patio Azul or Colls.

It's a dry, rocky area inhabited by extensive pine forests, shrubs and the native "Margalló" or dwarf palm. The sea views and coves you'll encounter along the route offer scenery that's every bit as stunning as the Costa Brava or Ses Illes.

The route can be circular if you take into account that in addition to the coastal path there's another main route connecting Vilanova and Sitges — a forest track that crosses through the forest, wide and suitable for mountain biking. In both cases they're authentic roller coasters, with small but constant elevation changes. The journey in both cases is about 4 kilometres.

This natural area has been declared a Site of Community Importance and a Bird Protection Zone, and curiously is excluded from the Garraf Natural Park.

In addition to the natural interest, you can take the opportunity to climb the Miralpeix hill, next to Sitges. The climb is quite steep, but the reward is the views, the hermitage of the Virgen de Gracia and an old telegraph tower. You access it from the same GR92, on the way back.

It's suitable for the whole family. The accumulated elevation gain doesn't exceed 150 metres and the round trip is around 4 km — no more than 3 hours if you do it straight through.

Wear good shoes, a hat, a jacket and bring water for yourself and your companion. And if you're a sea person, a towel wouldn't go amiss either.