Out and about in Catalonia over the bank holiday weekend

There are no shortage of options in Catalonia for people eager to make the most of the upcoming long bank holiday  weekend, between December 6 and 9.

Mountain destinations are turning out to be the most popular, with places in the Catalan Pyrenees expecting occupancy rates as high as 90%.

With Catalonia's ski resorts now open for business, many people will be filling the slopes, with other mountain activities, from hiking to adventure sports, providing an alternative.

Coastal destinations

Yet, despite the arrival of winter, coastal destinations are also looking forward to a bumper weekend, with moderate temperatures and plenty of sun forecast over the weekend.

The Costa Daurada, for example, south of Barcelona, is expecting hotel occupancy rates to be as high as 80%, which could well go up due to last-minute bookings.

Rural guest houses almost full

The same is true of many areas in the countryside, where reservations for rural guest houses over the next couple of days are expected to raise occupancy rates to 90%.

Also attracting thousands of people to country areas will be such events as the Medieval Market in Vic, in central Catalonia, or the iconic Christmas Tree Fair in Espinelves, in the Girona region.

Barcelona is also expecting a better bank holiday weekend than last year, when occupancy rates in the city dropped to 45% following the events surrounding the independence bid. This year, the Catalan capital's hotel association has forecast rates of 60%.

Meanwhile, the Puríssima bank holiday, as it is known locally, is also a popular time for Catalans to make a short trip abroad, especially to relatively easy-to-reach cities like Berlin, London, Prague, Venice and Vienna.