Siurana

6 Best Day Trips from Barcelona, and the Itinerary to Know for Each | Condé Nast Traveler

"The body-flinging hairpin bends here are worth it: if there was a list of all the pretty hamlets in Spain, Siurana would surely be in the top 10. Its location is dramatic—teetering high on limestone cliffs, above a reservoir of the same name that’s popular with water-sports fans when the water level allows. As for sights: you’ll find the remains of a Moorish castle, an impressively preserved Romanesque church, as well as prolific views (notably beautiful at sunset) over the mountain ranges of Montsant. The village of Siurana may have less than 50 inhabitants, but the charm of its quaint medieval streets is plentiful. It also has its own denomination of extra virgin olive oil, DOP Siurana, if you’re looking for a unique souvenir. Siurana’s most famous feature is a lookout point called Salt de la Reina Mora. Translated, it means “the jump of the Moorish queen” for Queen Abdelazia who, rather than be captured during the fall of the Moorish stronghold, decided to leap from the summit on her spooked horse—and it’s rumored that an imprint of the horse’s shoe can still be found in the rock here—which adds to the fantastical nature of this fairy-tale-like village" - Gemma Askham,Jessica Benavides Canepa