Prat de Comte lies at the foot of the Els Ports mountains. The town can be explored through two themes: trails through the landscape and local history, brought to life through its church, communal oven and festive traditions. This lets you decide how to balance nature, local history and special events throughout the year on your trip.
La Jepa and the trails in Els Ports
La Jepa is an interpretive area between the former Prat de Comte railway station and the Fontcalda sanctuary. It lies by the Canaletes River and the Via Verda.
The Via Verda through La Jepa follows a former railway line. Today, it is used as a tourist trail for non-motorised vehicles. Those interested in the line’s former use will find a landscape where the railway track has become part of a tourist route.
El Molà is another of the places described in Prat de Comte: the old mill has been equipped by the municipality as a recreational area. El Molà and La Refoia are connected by the GR-171 long-distance trail. La Refoia, Tossal d’Engrilló and the Montsagres form one of the most significant landscape areas in Els Ports Natural Park.
A hiking route description updated on 5 August 2022 gives the GR-171 a distance of 7.3 kilometres, an approximate duration of two hours and an elevation gain of 520 metres. The distance, approximate time and elevation gain offer different points of reference for assessing this hike; the time is an estimate.
Church, communal oven and festive traditions
The parish church of Sant Bartomeu was built in the 17th century in the Renaissance and Baroque styles. It was rebuilt after the Civil War. The church contains an altar dedicated to Our Lady of Fontcalda. Its construction period, architectural styles and later rebuilding offer different insights into the townscape and its history.
The Forn Morruno is a restored communal oven built in 1860. It is fired up for some annual festivals, when people come to bake food there. This use sets the oven apart from a mere historic building: it is part of a shared festive tradition. The festivals that include the oven may vary.
The Festa de l’Aiguardent brings together different aspects of local life. Visitors can sample different aguardientes and traditional sweets, including coquetes d’aiguardent and casquetes. During the festival, residents open their homes to visitors, with the houses serving as special market stalls. Distilling equipment, as well as associations, traders and exhibitors, are also part of the event. Dates and programme details may vary from year to year, so it is worth checking them before your trip.
Another tradition is the Cursa del Cresol: participants carry a burning oil lamp during this race. Joan Amades described the race in his book on Catalan customs as unique in Catalonia. The Cursa is therefore a tradition in its own right; it is not described as part of a Sant Bartomeu festival.
Planning your trip
There is also a permanent interpretive exhibition about the protected natural area of Els Ports. It introduces characteristic landscapes, biodiversity and important natural processes. The exhibition is available in four languages, admission is free and a visit takes about 40 minutes. Along with the trails, it offers a compact thematic overview and an approximate visit duration to help you plan.
The themes offer distinct options for choosing your focus: La Jepa and the Via Verda are about the landscape and former railway line; the GR-171 comes with a specific hiking distance and elevation figure. The church, oven and Festa de l’Aiguardent, by contrast, tell the story of local architecture and shared traditions. If you are travelling for a festival, check the dates; if you plan to hike, bear the elevation gain in mind as well as the distance.
Discover more destinations: La Galera, Ferran, Mas de Barberans, Riudecanyes, Falset, Rasquera, Altafulla, Almoster.
For the broader travel overview: Tarragona.
