Els Ports and the mountains of Tarragona are situated about 110 miles to the south west of Barcelona. The area is of outstanding natural beauty, containing three national parks and consists of mountainous limestone landscape to the north and coastal lagoons to the south. This is an ideal place for winter walking due to its mild climate and freedom from crowds. The area however should not be underrated as the highest point is over 1400m and some walks can be remote. The routes described range from an easy 3km walk with 80m of ascent to a 17km walk that includes scrambling and 1000m of ascent.

The guide begins with an introduction that gives information on accommodation and travel along with details of the wildlife, geology and history found in this area. Thirty walks are described and each begins with a summary showing difficulty (which comprises the grading of route finding, scrambling and exposure), total ascent, time, distance and the start with a map recommendation. This is followed by a brief summary of the walk. The detailed descriptions of the walks are comprehensive and easy to follow. The descriptions are accompanied by coloured diagrams and photographs. A summary of the walks, detailed instructions for locating the start of the walks, a Catalan-English glossary and contacts can be found in the appendices.

I found this guide easy to read and the concise route descriptions easy to follow. My only criticism, which is not exclusive to this guide, is that GPS coordinates are not used. Southern Catalunya cannot be recommended highly enough for a winter walking destination and this excellent guide should help make this area accessible to walkers from the UK. This guide with its fine selection of walks and excellent diagrams should inspire many to explore this unique and wonderful area.

Jeremy Gould