4. Roda de Berà, a triumphal stroll

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A beer at Roc de Sant Gaietà
Among the streets of Roc de Sant Gaietà you can find marvels in Romanesque, Arab and Gothic styles and from other parts of Spain, which give it the air of a typical Mediterranean village. An excellent place to have a beer and recover your energy!

A special ice cream

The restaurant Cal Sisquet in Roda de Berà serves some of the best ice cream in the world. The chef has won awards in several international competitions. We recommend trying the bonbons and Magnum®, Calippo® and sandwich-style ice creams on the privileged terrace with sea views.

Route description

We start at Plaça de la Sardana and head to Carrer Nou, one of the town's streets that still has sea views. It is pleasant to walk it with the open, ever-changing horizon of the sea in view. We reach the first roundabout on Avinguda de Sant Jordi, the gateway into the town centre. We walk parallel to the motorway, with a well-kept carob grove on our right, with majestic and beautiful trees. Without leaving the paved road, we reach the Mas Roig housing estate and head for the gardens of Roc de Sant Gaietà with their characteristic leaning pines, where we find the La Roca Foradada cultural centre. From there, we take the recently renovated Camí de Ronda to the Hermitage of Berà. From the path we see the small Platja dels Capellans and La Roca Plana until we reach the steps that lead up to the Hermitage, which was the subject of a passionate popular defence when the managers of the residence wanted to turn it into a private place of worship. The hermitage, given its location and surroundings, is a place that on its own deserves a visit. After passing under the railway tracks, we turn right and walk alongside the tracks up a sloping street, lined with oleanders and dotted with eucalyptus trees. From the centuries-old holm oak, along Carrer Bèlgica and the new Avinguda d'Europa, we reach the Arc de Berà, built on the Via Augusta in the 1st century BC. In recent years it has been restored, dismantled stone by stone. Since 2001 it has been a World Heritage Site. Beside the Arch stands the old farmhouse of "Can Piles", now in ruins, from which one can still guess the splendour it once had. The cypress-lined entrance is still impressive. Behind the house there is still a centuries-old holm oak, the washing basins and a millstone. Then we turn left onto the Camí de Berà. Following the paved road, we return to the motorway bridge at the entrance to Roda and, from there, along the same road, to the starting point.

Points of interest

Undoubtedly one of the attractions of this route is the Arc de Berà, built on the Via Augusta in the 1st century BC and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In recent years it has been restored, with the Arch dismantled stone by stone. It was built by Lucio Licinio Sura to mark territorial boundaries and put an end to the disputes between the Ilergetes and Cossetani tribes. As a curiosity, it was dynamited in 1936 by attaching an explosive charge to one of its legs, which caused great damage to the monument although it did not manage to destroy it. But beyond the famous Roman arch, we also highlight the gardens of Roc de Sant Gaietà, a typical Mediterranean village where you can find the imprint of many civilisations. There you will find El Cupot, a picturesque holed rock through which water pours in, especially on days when the sea is rougher. At the La Roca Foradada cultural centre we can visit a permanent exhibition of gold sculptures by Salvador Dalí, the Writer's Museum, and a permanent exhibition hall that promotes both local and visiting artists.

Among the streets of Roc de Sant Gaietà you can find marvels in Romanesque, Arab and Gothic styles and from other parts of Spain, which give it the air of a typical Mediterranean village. An excellent place to have a beer and recover your energy!

The restaurant Cal Sisquet in Roda de Berà serves some of the best ice cream in the world. The chef has won awards in several international competitions. We recommend trying the bonbons and Magnum®, Calippo® and sandwich-style ice creams on the privileged terrace with sea views.

Watching the sunset from the Hermitage of Berà will connect you with a spiritual dimension. At this Renaissance-style building you will often come across hikers and various celebrations.

Night and spirituality

Watching the sunset from the Hermitage of Berà will connect you with a spiritual dimension. At this Renaissance-style building you will often come across hikers and various celebrations.