Excursion through the Sierra del Pozo in the Albiol

We start the long route from the junction of the Mas Vidal path and Mas de Tinet, with the Mussara path. From here we can admire a good panoramic view of the Sierra del Pozo. At the starting point we can see a sign for the Camino de Santiago, which would take us to Mequinenza, and on the other side of the road the magnificent oak of Mas de Noguers.

We will continue along the asphalt road of La Mussara, until we find a water reservoir and a raft. From this point we go up, leaving another deposit on the left. We will follow the road signs (red and white).

We will continue up the road through sections of artificial paving until we find a balcony on the left, with good views of the Camp de Tarragona and the Mediterranean. At this point the path is built with artificial steps that appear to be carved in stone. Throughout this stretch of road and most of the Sierra del Pozo we will walk surrounded by boxwood, holm oaks and red pine. In this section we also find juniper and gorse.

We finish the ascent of the Grauet and leave the GR on the left to continue along the path that we find on the right, it is a wide path of 3 or 4 meters. We come to the crossroads of two roads and continue along what is ahead, leaving the one on the right. On the way we can see holly and the road continues down.

We arrive at a quite sunken esplanade, called the Llonga Cave ravine and we find a new crossroads. We will continue along the wide path that goes up to the left. If we took the alternative of the short route, we would go down to the right parallel to the ravine of the Cueva Llonga. We would reach a point where it ends and the ravine begins to fall with a steep slope surrounded by large calcareous rocks. From this point to the left we will arrive halfway down the Grau de la Estelada descent. We would find a spectacular view from above of the Sierra del Pozo.

Continuing our journey immediately we arrive at the path of the Sierra del Pozo, a wide path, on the left we would arrive at the TV-7045 road from La Mussara to Mont-ral, but we will continue to the right until we find the Grau de la Estelada with marks blue and yellow that indicate that it takes us to the Route of the Refuges that joins the Mussara, Siurana, Albarca and Mont-ral.

Continuing along the path of the Sierra del Pozo we will see a crossroads and we will continue straight on, immediately we will find a fork and we will continue to the right. We will take again the cornice of the Sierra del Pozo, we will arrive at some rocks where the descent of the Grau de Malpas begins. From here you can see the Mont-ral mountain range to the left (north). We will follow the path down made of stone slabs. Going down we will see a large white rock from where the views over Mont-ral are impressive.

At the end of the Malpas grade, continuing to the right we will find different signs with information about the area: the first on the holm oak grove and the coal. Immediately we will find an old stone raft and another sign that indicates the "Fuente del Mas de Masseter". From this point we will immediately be at Mas de Tinet, of which only part of the walls are preserved.

Continuing the itinerary we will find another sign for the pine forest and the Alzon. From here we can continue towards the hermitage of Virtues, which was formerly part of the Albiol district. To get to the hermitage, we descend around the almond plantation, the descent continues along a dirt track and flagstones until we reach the hermitage.

We will go back the way to reach the Mas de Tinet track and we will continue upwards, away from the mas until we reach the starting point.

Source: City Council of L'Albiol