La Senia between history and olive groves
Accommodation in La Senia
For a stay in La Senia, cultural history, the old town and a landscape shaped by olive trees take centre stage. The town’s history can be explored from different perspectives: from traces of prehistoric settlements and a medieval charter to the aviation museum and annual festivals. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you want to focus mainly on historical themes, local traditions or the landscape.
Aviation history and early settlement traces
The Centre d’Aviació Històrica de la Sénia is an aviation museum displaying various objects from that era. The Camp d’Aviació de la Sénia is also part of the town’s history: during the Spanish Civil War, the government of the Second Spanish Republic planned the airfield as one of several military airfields in Catalonia. Together, the museum and airfield highlight different aspects of aviation history: objects on display and the historical planning of an airfield.
La Senia’s medieval settlement charter dates from 1232; archaeological evidence also attests to prehistoric settlement at this site. Molà la Vella is a building with a history spanning more than 900 years. The town’s history therefore offers several points of reference: prehistoric settlement, a medieval document and a building with a long history. If you are interested in the town’s past, you can consider these topics as different perspectives on La Senia.
The old town, paths and views
La Senia’s oldest settlement area is connected to paths that converged near the Sénia River before leading into the Els Ports area. The location of the old town also reflects its former function: it occupies a defensive position beside a rock face on the banks of the Sénia River, which is almost 60 metres deep. A walk through the old town offers views of the surrounding natural landscape. Here, the historic settlement layout meets views across the landscape.
The MontsiĂ visitor centre and the tourist information office are also located in La Senia. If you are planning how to find your way around, you can take their locations into account.
Olive groves and riverside woodland
The characteristic landscape of the La Senia plain is shaped by an immense expanse of olive trees, like a sea. Marked paths also lead to olive trees thousands of years old. This offers two different ways to take in the landscape: the far-reaching influence of olive trees across the plain and the chance to visit very old trees along marked paths. If you are interested in this, both aspects are part of the landscape around La Senia.
The SĂ©nia River offers a different kind of landscape: along the stretch that runs through the municipality of La Senia, it is bordered by dense riverside woodland. Olive groves define the plain, while riverside woodland stands out along the river. This comparison can help you decide whether you would rather focus on the extensive olive groves or the wooded stretch of river.
Festivals and local cuisine throughout the year
The Diada del Recapte takes place on the Monday closest to 9 May. The celebration includes a communal meal featuring olla de recapte and pastisset, dishes typical of La Senia. This meal has been part of local tradition for more than thirty years. The Fira Gastronòmica de la Sénia is also tied to this period: it takes place on the weekend associated with the Festa de Sant Gregori. This Festa is also celebrated on the Monday closest to 9 May.
The Festes Majors de la SĂ©nia last ten days and take place in the second half of August. They honour Sant Bartomeu and Sant Roc. The programme includes horse races at the Pla de Roquillo racecourse. The cultural highlights therefore vary throughout the year: in May, the communal meal and gastronomic fair are on the calendar, while the Festes Majors and horse races mark August. Check the dates for the relevant year before your trip; if you specifically want to see the races, you should also check their exact dates each year.
Discover more destinations: El Montmell, Vandellòs, Sant Carles de la Rà pita, Renau, L'ametlla De Mar, Camp-Redó, La Riviera, Botarell.
For the main travel overview: Tarragona.
