San Pedro and the Matamatxos Coast

We will leave the Can Valls side through the ravine, now GR 172, towards Montserrat. We will go down and up small valleys formed by many of the streams and streams of the term, including the Claret stream where, downstream past the town, important paleontological findings have been made of the Miocene sediments (12 million years) on its sides, both at Catalan and European level, among them that of a pre-hominid Pierolapithecus named Paz.

Up the ridges and on the softer coasts we will find rainfed crops, basically cereal and vine; and the steepest and most hollow terrain, the white pine forest enriched with holm oaks in the darkest and deepest parts.

After crossing the B-231 road that goes down in Esparreguera, we will also go down to find the old town of Pierola in Can Ponç Viejo, next to the Pierola stream, the nerve center of the term and origin of the current town of Hostalets de Pierola. This is evidenced by the increase in scattered farmhouses along the stream: the Torre de Pierola, Can Térmens or Can Pujol del Monte. Above the Sierra de la Vicaría, the rubble of San Pedro de Pierola appears.

We follow the line of the stream, axis of the term, upstream towards the Mas de Can Pujol del Monte and we realize the beautiful relief with cuts and red cliffs that the erosive and erosive action of the torrents has caused on the slopes of these small saws.

After resting for a bit at the Can Pujol spring, we set out to climb the strong coast of Matamatxos between holm oaks first and Aleppo pine and stone pine forests then up to the crest of the Sierra de la Rectoría.

The descent is more comfortable and open with south views towards the coastal mountain range in the background and the town of Hostalets before us. The geography of the term Hostalets and the differences between the more mountainous and forested northern part (the Sierra de Roques Blanques physically separates Anoia from Barcelona) and the more agricultural and flat south as it descends towards the Alto Penedès becomes evident.

After crossing the road again, now below, we headed up the Camino de la Sierra, to enjoy generous 360º views. Surrounded by almond trees, olive trees, vineyards and cereals, we discover all the possible variety of rainfed crops and at the same time it is easy to see the kestrel and also the hawk flying over the fields. In spring, the flowers and the songs of the birds make this trip between fields very pleasant.

We still have to go back down to the bed of the Claret stream and continue walking along the side of its regrowth holm oak grove, with asparagus, ivy and brushes, even some poplar and some poplar, to end up going up to the important Mas de Can Valls and learn about the importance of mines to supply water in times of drought.

Source: Hostalets de Pierola Town Hall