GR 5 Viewpoints Trail

Understand

The GR 5 Viewpoints Trail (Sender dels miradors) is a long-distance trail of about 234 km that runs through Alt Penedès, Anoia, Baix Llobregat, Garraf, Maresme, and the two Vallesos, between Sitges and Canet de Mar. It forms a large arc between the coasts of Garraf and Maresme, encircling the city of Barcelona at a distance of between 40 and 50 km.

Prepare

No permits are required to walk the GR 5. The trail passes through five natural parks, but access is free and unrestricted except during wildfire alerts (see Stay safe). The route is entirely unsuitable for wheelchairs, baby carriages, or luggage carts; all stages involve significant ascent and descent on uneven forest paths and dirt tracks, and there are no baggage transfer services available. Plan to carry everything you need in a backpack. Sturdy hiking boots with ankle support and trekking poles are strongly recommended. Download an offline map before setting out, as mobile signal is unreliable in the more remote sections. The total accumulated gain is over 11,000 m (36,000 ft), that is an average of around 900 m (3,000 ft) a day.

Eat Each stage ends in a village or town where bars and small shops are generally available, so it is not necessary to carry a camping stove or large food supplies. However, opening hours in smaller villages such as Rellinars or Sant Martí de Montnegre can be limited, and some may have only a single bar. Stock up on food at the larger towns — Montserrat Monastery has a cafeteria and small shop, and Sant Celoni has full supermarket facilities — and carry enough snacks and lunch for each day's walking.

Drink The GR 5 passes through populated villages at each stage end, where bars and fountains are available. During stages, particularly through the Garraf massif and the longer mountain sections, there are few reliable water sources en route. Carry at least 1.5–2 litres from each stage start, more in summer. Natural streams exist in the Montseny and Sant Llorenç sections but should be treated or filtered before drinking.

Sleep The route is designed around village-to-village stages, and accommodation — ranging from small rural hotels and casas rurals to hostels — is available at each stage end. There are no mountain refuges on this route, and wild camping is prohibited within the natural parks. A sleeping bag is not necessary if you book indoor accommodation. Advance reservations are advisable on weekends and during peak season (Easter, July–August), particularly at Montserrat, where the monastery's hostal books up quickly.

Get in

See Sitges for getting to starting point. See Canet de Mar for returning. Both places have train connection with Barcelona.

Walk

The GR 5 Viewpoints Trail is commonly walked in 12 stages, listed below. Strong hikers may combine some of the shorter stages, while others may prefer to split the longer mountain stages.

The trail begins at 1MISSING WIKILINK Sitges, a scenic coastal town linked to Catalan modernism, where it crosses 1MISSING WIKILINK Parc del Garraf via the 'La Fita' hill. This stage also crosses with the GR 92 Mediterranean trail. Hikers can enjoy views of the Mediterranean and experience the karst limestone landscape of the Garraf massif. The stage includes the solar system hike (see Parc del Garraf#Do). The stage ends at 2 Olesa de Bonesvalls.

From Olesa de Bonesvalls, the route continues through the forests and mountains of Alt Penedès, gently ascending the Ordal mountain range. The path runs north through pine forests and Mediterranean scrub along stony dirt tracks, with the Penedès wine country visible below. The stage ends at 3 Gelida, a village set among vineyards.

From Gelida, this shorter stage descends and crosses the agricultural plains of the Penedès, with views over the pre-coastal ranges. The landscape transitions from vineyards and cultivated terraces to forested hills as the route approaches the Montserrat massif. The stage ends at 4 Can Parellada, marking entry into 2MISSING WIKILINK Montserrat Natural Park.

The longest and most demanding stage, beginning at Can Parellada, takes hikers deep into the spectacular Montserrat Natural Park, with its iconic serrated rock formations. The route climbs steeply through pine forest and Mediterranean scrub before reaching the famous Benedictine abbey. The stage ends at 5 Montserrat, where the monastery, cable car, and rack railway offer connections down to Monistrol de Montserrat.

From Montserrat, the trail descends from the heights of the massif, with lingering views of the jagged peaks, through pine trees and Mediterranean scrub to the valley below at Monistrol de Montserrat, before climbing again into the hills toward Rellinars. The stage ends at 6 Rellinars, a small village marking the gateway to the Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac Natural Park.

The trail enters 3MISSING WIKILINK Sant Llorenç del Munt i l'Obac Na

Stay safe

The GR 5 presents no particular technical difficulties, but several stages are long and strenuous, and hikers should have a reasonable level of fitness before attempting the full route. Carry sufficient water, particularly on the exposed sections through the Garraf massif and on the longer stages in summer, when temperatures can be intense. Set off early on hot days to avoid the midday heat. Wildfire risk is significant in summer across all five natural parks on the route. The Generalitat de Catalunya can impose restrictions or outright bans on hiking in affected areas during heatwaves; check current alerts before setting out via the Bombers de la Generalitat website. Open fires are prohibited throughout. The trail is well waymarked with the standard red-and-white GR markings, but some sections — particularly in the Cingles de Bertí and the upper Montseny — can be remote, with limited mobile signal. Download offline maps before departure. Check the weather forecast each day, as afternoon thunderstorms are possible in the mountains, especially in summer.