Matilda on Tour — Coast to Mountains, Bellvei to Arnes

Wednesday 29 January — Bellvei
Day 11 — Our final day in Bellvei, swapping vineyards for the Mediterranean
Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain

Another sunny day, this time with a cool breeze — but no complaints from us. After a few van chores, we set off on the bikes, which really is the best way to explore this area.

I’d plotted the route myself today, so no off-road surprises. Just quiet roads all the way, with one small diversion to avoid a walking path through a wooded park. Easy riding, open views, and that lovely feeling of having the road mostly to ourselves.

Before long, we reached the Med and stopped for lunch in Santino, right by the sea — perfect timing. Avocado, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, mushrooms, hollandaise and sourdough, all for €12. Delicious food, friendly service, and surprisingly good value.

This is our last night here, as we head to Arnes tomorrow for the next leg of our journey south. While the site itself isn’t the most picturesque, it’s been a really comfortable place to stop — and one we’ve genuinely enjoyed.

Thursday 30 January — Arnes
Day 12 — Time to move on again, this time with the mountains in our sights
Terra Alta, Catalonia, Spain

Today was moving day. We were heading inland towards the mountains, to a site my friend Doris had recommended. It was very tempting to stay put — the sun was shining, and the forecast for Arnes didn’t look promising. But we decided to go for it and set off.

I was feeling rather pleased with myself, having organised the route with a planned stop at Aldi to restock provisions (and beer). We usually aim to have food for about three days — there’s not much room in the fridge, and overbuying only leads to mild chaos, with things falling out every time the door is opened.

Anyway, off we went, except… we didn’t find Aldi. Which wasn’t a problem — there’s always another one, then I started to wonder why the sea was on our right when we were supposed to be heading south. Yep. I’d started the wrong route on the sat nav. Slightly ridiculous, especially as for the first time I'd given it a name, Richard, bless him, just laughed. We eventually got off the motorway, did a u-turn, and tried again.

About 50 miles from the site, the rain started. Low cloud rolled in too, which meant we couldn’t fully appreciate what were clearly some stunning mountain views as we climbed inland. We arrived, found the site, and got ourselves settled, ready for the next day.

The site itself is quite large, with a bar and free showers, and the area is known for excellent walking and cycling. It was extremely quiet — though that may have had something to do with the very cold temperatures.

Friday 31 January — Arnes
Day 13 — Our first full day in Arnes, easing in with a walk and seeing what we discovered along the way
Terra Alta, Catalonia, Spain

We woke this morning to the promise of a lovely day. Blue-streaked skies and fabulous views greeted us — a very good start.

It was a real treat to have warm showers in heated rooms, with mirrors, plug sockets for hairdryers and proper lighting (though I’m not sure I want to see myself too clearly). Real luxuries. There’s a washing machine here too, so the laundry is all done — although the van currently resembles a Chinese laundry. It’ll all be dry by the end of the day.

We took it easy in the morning, waiting for the temperature to creep up, and after lunch set off for a walk into the local village.

What a great afternoon it turned out to be. Sunshine, clear blue skies, and we were dressed perfectly for the chilly air.

The walk into Arnes took us through olive groves and almond trees, with stunning mountain views all around. When we first arrived, the village felt almost deserted, but as we wandered further in, we found the main square — benches, parked cars, and suddenly people appeared.

We strolled through the narrow streets, admiring the church and old buildings, and then spotted a sign that looked very much like it belonged to a pub. Our first pub visit of the trip. English isn’t spoken here, but we managed to order some good beer. The pub was warm and welcoming, and we happily stayed for an hour. Apart from us, there were just three older gentlemen who arrived and settled into the back for a game of dominoes.

On the walk back, we were sheltered from the cold wind and enjoyed the warmth of the afternoon sun. We passed an old building where we stopped to chat with a group of women working there. They were making building blocks from rice waste, creating eco-friendly materials for housing — fascinating to hear about.

We’ve definitely found a hidden gem here (thanks Doris). It may not be warm, but the beauty of this place is captivating. With sunshine forecast for the next few days, we think we’ll stay until the food runs out

Saturday 1 February — Arnes
Day 14 — A very soggy start, with plans adjusted accordingly
Terra Alta, Catalonia, Spain

Saturday brought steady rain ☔️ and temperatures that felt more like the UK than Spain 🥶🥶 — not ideal, especially as I’d planned to do the bedding and towel laundry 😬😬😬.

The upside was a relaxed morning, with time to fit in some yoga in the warm, underfloor-heated shower room. There was no one else around and plenty of space — a very relaxing hour 🧘‍♀️.

The rain was supposed to stop by mid-afternoon, but by 3pm it was still pouring. By 4pm we were climbing the walls, so on went the boots 🥾🥾 and wet-weather gear and off down the road to the pub. We were ridiculously lucky — just as we set off, the clouds cleared, the rain stopped, and we never got wet at all.

They had Mamma Mia! (in Spanish) playing on the TV, and being a Saturday afternoon the pub was quite busy. While we were there, we took the chance to decide where we’re heading next — and also discovered there’s a shop in the village, which means we won’t starve 🛒.

We’re hoping to stay a few more days. The forecast is improving, and this really is a lovely area for walking and cycling 🚶‍♀️🚴‍♀️.

Sunday 2 February — Arnes
Day 15 — We set off on the bikes with a loose plan and plenty of time
Terra Alta, Catalonia, Spain

Sunday morning and the sun is shining ☀️. It’s very cold first thing, and now our fifth day in Arnes, but we’re looking forward to getting out on the bikes 🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️.

The main roads here are in excellent shape — wide, smooth tarmac with very little traffic — and even the smaller side roads are good. I planned today’s route to take us through a few places along the way, with the idea of finding somewhere for lunch

After a slow morning catching up on van admin, we set off. The breeze made it feel cold, but it was good to be out and moving.

We’d only cycled about five miles when we spotted a great-looking place for lunch 🍽️. It was busy, but they found us a table and pointed us to the QR code on the table — the menu. After connecting to the Wi-Fi, I managed to recognise pollo(chicken), salad and frites, so we ordered two different dishes and hoped for the best. Luckily, it was really tasty. A typical Spanish bar, but with a modern, fast-food feel — affordable and satisfying.

Back on the bikes, I followed the purple line on my Garmin, and we somehow missed half of the route. We had cycled only 12 miles instead of the planned 22 but the stunning scenery, empty smooth roads, and deep blue skies made it a good trip out, I’ll hopefully get it right tomorrow

Monday 3 February — Arnes
Day 16 — Out on the bikes again, soaking up the landscape and letting the day unfold naturally
Terra Alta, Catalonia, Spai

Today has been a lovely day, with clear blue skies and a light breeze ☀️. It was very chilly first thing, so we decided to wait until later before hopping on the bikes 🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️.

Our first stop was Horta de Sant Joan, after following a section of a Via Verde — one of the many in Spain that run along old railway lines — which led us straight into town.

We explored the old town on our bikes. It was mostly deserted but full of beautiful buildings and character. While we were wandering around, Richard spotted a delivery driver who kindly pointed us out of the old town and in the direction of a nice restaurant for lunch.

There was no internet in the restaurant and no English spoken, so translating the menu wasn’t an option. It was pot luck again. We ordered fish and chips and ribs and chips — and then discovered we’d also been served lasagne and pasta as first courses. The portions were huge, with olives and bread already on the table. We waited nervously for the bill…
Blimey — €30 in total, including four drinks! 😲🍷

After lunch, we still had quite a distance to cover. Following a few false starts, we eventually got back on track. The ride turned out to be far hillier than I’d expected, with a particularly long climb as we approached the village of Creta. By this point, Richard’s battery was running very low — I was already wondering if I’d need to fetch the van. Thankfully, it made it to the top, and from there it was mostly downhill all the way back to camp 🙌.

Garmin had mapped out an excellent route, although Richard may have a different definition of what counts as an “easy climb” 😅. The roads were mostly quiet, apart from a short stretch on the main road, and the scenery kept changing with every turn — making it a really enjoyable day out.

We might move on tomorrow, but it will be hard to find anywhere as beautiful as this. A top cycling destination 🚴‍♀️💙..

Arnes was meant to be a brief stop, but we stayed six days. It worked for us in all the simple ways — great cycling, beautiful scenery, quiet roads, and a calm, easy feel to everyday life. One of those places that just suits you

That’s it for now from this stretch of the journey. We’ve left the coast behind and headed back into the mountains — a change of pace that suited us perfectly. Matilda’s packed up and we’re on the move again. I’ll share where we end up next.