Mare de Déu de l'Erola

Mare de Déu de l'Erola is a small chapel in the municipality of Tordera, tucked into the Montnegre massif near the hamlet of Hortsavinyà in Catalonia, Spain. It is a modest building, but one wrapped in local legend and firmly part of the hiking landscape of the Maresme hills — worth knowing about before you set off to find it.

Where exactly is the chapel located?

The chapel sits in the hilly inland part of Tordera, close to the church of Hortsavinyà and surrounded by the woods of the Montnegre massif. The signposted SL-C 78 trail passes through the area, and the location also lies near the long-distance GR-92 route. In practice, this means the chapel is usually visited as a stop along a longer walk rather than as a drive-up destination — there is no direct road access built around it as a standalone attraction.

What does it look like, and when was it built?

The building is deliberately simple: a rectangular floor plan, a semicircular vault, and whitewashed walls. Inside, a small niche holds the image of the Virgin Mary from which the chapel takes its name. Available sources place its construction most likely in the 18th century, with some accounts pointing to the late 18th or early 19th century. That plainness is not incidental — chapels like this one were built as local prayer spots for nearby farmhouses, not as showcase churches.

What legends surround the site?

Two local stories are still told about the chapel. The first holds that fishermen out at sea, looking toward the mountains, used the chapel's whitewashed walls as a landmark — a small white spot visible from a distance that helped them get their bearings. The second recalls a smallpox outbreak that struck the farmhouses of Hortsavinyà; after residents came to pray at the chapel, the illness is said to have subsided, an event local tradition remembers as a miracle. Whatever the historical accuracy, these two tales are what give the chapel its particular local color.

Are there any festivities held here?

Yes — the chapel hosts an annual "aplec," a traditional Catalan gathering that blends a religious observance with a communal outdoor get-together, held in spring. It draws people from the surrounding villages to the chapel grounds for a shared day that combines devotion with a picnic-style social occasion, in keeping with the wider Catalan aplec tradition.

Who is this stop best suited for?

Given its setting, the chapel works best as a stop during a hike through the Montnegre hills rather than a standalone destination. Pairing a visit with a walk along the SL-C 78 trail or a stretch of the GR-92 lets you take in the surrounding forest and the small hamlet of Hortsavinyà along the way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is Mare de Déu de l'Erola located? In the municipality of Tordera, within the Montnegre massif, near the hamlet of Hortsavinyà in Catalonia, Spain.

Can you drive to the chapel? It sits along hiking routes (SL-C 78, near the GR-92) — the usual way in is on foot, starting from Hortsavinyà or nearby trailheads.

When was the chapel built? Most likely in the 18th century, though some sources place it at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.

What legends are tied to this place? A story of fishermen using the chapel's white walls as a navigation landmark, and a tale of the residents of Hortsavinyà being cured of a smallpox outbreak after praying there.