In Catalonia we have historical pique between localities, such as Costa Bravaversus Costa Daurada. The Costa Brava, they say in Tarragona, is overrated and overcrowded. In the counties of Girona they do not agree at all and, if you ask them, they will always tell you that l’Empordà is much nicer or that there is nothing like Cadaqués.
But who remembers the inland villages? Is it necessary to have a beach to be beautiful? According to Picasso, no. The famous painter fell in love with a small village in inland Catalonia, of medieval origin and unknown to many of us.
It is Horta de Sant Joan, and not only conquered the heart of the painter from Malaga, but National Geographic, the prestigious travel magazine, also considers it the most beautiful rural village in Catalonia and the fifth in Spain.
A jewel that preserves vestiges of the past.
The village is located on top of a small hill in Terra Alta, in Tarragona, surrounded by vineyards, almond and olive trees. That is why, whichever way you look at it, its natural charm catches you from the first minute.
Among its narrow streets, cobbled and steep slopes, we will find stairs, squares surrounded by porches and a Gothic style church built between the s. XIII and XIV.
In 1997, the old town of Horta de Sant Joan was declared a cultural asset of national interest, and walking around there allows us to immerse ourselves in the past, as its interior also has some Renaissance buildings, such as the Casa de la Comanda, an old palace from the 16th century.
Another point of interest, which shows us that in this corner of Tarragona we can live in different centuries at the same time, is the Picasso Center, located in a former hospital of the sixteenth century, which collects 200 works of the artist and shows the close relationship between him and Horta de Sant Joan.
Undoubtedly, a secret place worth visiting.