Cycling getaway in Catalonia
A stay between sea and mountains around Girona, the European capital of cycling
© Joaquin Aranoa
© Manuel Torres Garcia
© David Monje
Highlights
The Costa Brava, its secret coves and its long golden sand beaches
The Pyrenees and its mountainous roads
Girona, the new European cycling capital
The training routes of professional cyclists
The scenic route from Tossa de Mar to Sant Feliu de Guíxols
Safety and respect on the roads thanks to the passion for cycling
Warm evenings accompanied by local beer and tapas
The story behind the trip
Girona and its region has become in about ten years an open-air cycling training center. It attracted professional cyclists and later amateurs from all over the world. Retirees from the peloton have opened trendy bike cafés and beautiful cycling clothing brands.
At Abicyclette Voyages, our passion for cycling drove us to travel these hilly roads, to meet the cycling players who contribute to renewing the image of cycling and its new practices. Last June, we took advantage of a few days in Girona to immerse ourselves in this cycling culture visible everywhere in the city: breakfast at Eat, Sleep & Cycle, café and bike shop, before a Gravel outing around the city for about fifty kilometers. On the way back, lunch at La Fabrica, the first cycling restaurant created by former pro Christian Meier. In the afternoon, pleasant stroll in this city which marries historic districts and modern districts like a great capital. It’s hard to imagine that it has just over 100,000 inhabitants! At the bend of a small semi-pedestrian street, we stop for a bit of shopping at The Service Course, one of the chic cycling shops in the city. We end the day in the midst of cyclists from all over the world, returning from their outings and having a coffee or a beer on the terrace of the Expresso Mafia. Here bibs are almost the norm.
Girona and Catalonia, an exceptional land of cycling
600 km of breathtaking roads! Cycling between the sea and the Catalan mountains, this road trip offers you a great sporting challenge in a remarkable renowned setting, where many cycling teams have taken up residence for these exceptional training conditions.
Girona is a land of cycling. Its region offers a pleasant climate for most of the year and a wide geographical diversity: from the famous Costa Brava to the Pyrenees, the landscapes are multiple, rich in history and culture. This week-long itinerary takes you on exclusive and stunning scenic routes.
You will thus discover an exceptional cycling destination, where many cyclists and professional teams have taken up residence and train all year round. It is an ideal territory for road cycling, due to the remarkable quantity of secondary roads, sheltered from traffic, and offering a very wide range of profiles, between memorable climbs and rolling portions.
From north to south, the Costa Brava offers you its many faces. Its coastline oscillates between golden sand beaches and jagged coasts, while the interior of the land offers many nature reserves, real paradises for migratory birds from Europe and Africa.
To the north, along the French border, the magnificent Cap-Creus and its unique geological park have managed to protect the small village of Cadaqués from major tourist developments, like other fishing villages such as Tossa de Mar or Calella de Palafrugell which are still preserved today.
In the background stands the magnificent range of the Pyrenees and its peaks perched at an altitude of more than 2000m. It’s halfway through your roaming that the serious business begins. You are confronted with the delight of its passes, thus spicing up your trip by adding a few meters of additional elevation gain.
Finally, turning towards the east, further inland, you enter the Garrotxa and its forty volcanoes offering the region a mystical atmosphere, from another time.
In the end, nearly 600 km of extraordinary mountain routes by bike await you and which will allow you to taste the great variety of landscapes and culture of this beautiful region that is Catalonia. You will then understand why Girona and its magnificent region have quickly become a paradise for cyclists!
Expert Girona, Sant-Hilari loop 102km 1560m 
Today, a 30 km ascent awaits you to take you over 1000 meters above sea level to the town of Sant Hilari. Then enjoy a thrilling 18km descent to the town of Santa Coloma, another well-known training route used by hundreds of local riders. Finally, the return towards Girona takes you through the beautiful landscapes of the region.
From GIRONA to CALELLA DE PALAFRUGELL 108km 1500m
You go west, across the plains, to Llagostera. It is from here that the ascent to the Col de Sant Grau (465 m) begins. After crossing the pass, you begin a magnificent descent offering fantastic views of the Mediterranean. This route was also taken by the Tour de France peloton in 2009. Heading north this time, you are approaching one of the most famous coastal routes for cyclists in the region due to the sumptuous landscapes of the edge of the sea it offers. After passing Palamós, your route ends at the fishing village of Calella, considered one of the most beautiful on the Costa Brava.
From CALELLA DE PALAFRUGELL to CASTELLO D’EMPURIES 67km 480m
Starting from Calella, you face a short climb, up to the lighthouse of Sant Sebastià (2 km, +150 m).
You then continue towards Begur before reaching the Gulf of Pals and its long fine sandy beach. From there, the route heads inland to Pals, a famous medieval village that is well worth a visit. After passing through several medieval villages, you arrive at Torroella de Montgrí, at the foot of its castle, located at the top of the mountain. Then the hilly terrain gives way to the plain. You ride calmly towards the beaches of Empúries and Escala. The route finally takes you to Castelló d’Empúries and its magnificent cathedrals.
From CASTELLO D’EMPURIES to FIGUERES 109km 1500m
Your route today takes a northerly direction, passing through the magnificent nature reserve of Cap de Creus and the Col de Perafita. From the pass, you have the option of descending to Cadaqués (11 km), where Dalí, the contemporary painter, lived, before returning by climbing to Perafita.
The route then runs along the Mediterranean coast before crossing the French border to Banyuls. Then it is via the famous Col de Banyuls and its long slopes that you return to Spain to end the day and spend the night in the town of Figueres.
From FIGUERES to MOLLO 101km 2672m
It’s a real mountain stage that awaits you today with more than 2500m of elevation gain. Crossing the French border again, you pass through the Pyrenean passes of Coustouges (810 m) and Coll d’Ares (1524 m), before descending to Molló, next to the ski resort of Camprodon, to get a well deserved good night’s rest.
From MOLLO to GIRONA 110km 798m
The day begins going through the Capsacosta pass. You then reach the town of Olot, in the heart of the volcanic park of La Garrotxa. With 20 dormant volcanoes, Olot offers one of the most volcanic landscapes on the Iberian Peninsula. Your stage for the day will finally take you to Girona.
GIRONA
End of your stay after breakfast.
Comfort Range
Our quality standard at Abicyclette. This type of accommodation includes 2 and 3 stars hotels. Depending on the itinerary, you might spend some nights in approved guesthouses. You enjoy a double bedroom with private bathroom and toilet and adapted welcome for you and your bikes.
Starting from 1005€/participant in Self Guided option | See detailed prices
Privilege Range
Opt for total comfort in charming 3 and 4 star hotels which offer all the services you need and a special welcome for you and your bikes.
Starting from 1190€/participant in Self Guided option | See detailed prices
Essential Range
You want to enjoy your itinerary without anything fancy. Our ”essential” range offers a simple accommodation for a good night’s rest in a simple hotel, guesthouse, rest house or hostel.
Quote on request | Contact us
Price includes
- Accommodation: 7 nights in a Double room
- 7 breakfasts
- Luggage transfer
- Phone assistance 24/7
- Application fee
- The routes described on the following media:
- An application to follow the routes step by step
- A practical and descriptive road book in English including all our recommended addresses.
- Day 1 : A personalized greeting with our team at the beginning of the trip to do a bikefitting and receive your travel documents.
Price does not include
- bike rental (see option)
- Breakfast on day 1
- Lunches
- Dinners not included in "Price includes"
- Drinks during dinners (unless otherwise stated), visits not listed in “The price includes” and other personal expenses
A “homemade” stay made by a local partner, specialist in Catalonia:
- Routes selected with the Abicyclette team for their tourist & cycling interests, fully marked, removed from traffic
- Accommodation offered for the quality of their welcome, atmosphere, services and gastronomy
- A great flexibility of organization which adapts to your needs and desires: you leave on the date of your choice! We check accommodation availability to ensure your departure.
Local support :
- A personalized reception on the first day of your trip by a local guide giving you the travel documents (reception in your choice of English or German)
- Telephone assistance 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from the ABICYCLETTE VOYAGES team
- Local telephone assistance 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m
- Luggage transfer service
A simplified route tracking:
- A road book to find all the useful addresses and tourist information, maps and a description of the circuit km by km.
- A mobile app to follow the routes step by step ( smartphone not provided)
- GPS tracks available for your device (optional option to rent a GPS device)
And also:
- The option of renting a high-end road bike.
- The option of taking out a cancellation & multi-risk insurance covering you in the event of a problem or unforeseen event
We offer a high-end bike rental service. Our bikes are suited for road and gravel road long-distance cycling. Fully equipped and highly reliable, they are faithful travel companions.
Road BikeFull carbon frame, disc brakes. Shimano 105 – 11 speed (50/34 – 11/32). Supplied equipment per bike
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Performance Road BikeFull carbon frame. Disc brakes. Sram Force or Shimano Ultegra Di2. Supplied equipment per bike
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Performance Road BikeFull carbon frame. Disc brakes. Sram Force or Shimano Ultegra Di2. Supplied equipment per bike
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Getting here
Departure city : GIRONA
Coming by car
- at 9h from PARIS
- at 15h from AMSTERDAM
- at 10h from MILAN
Coming by train
- Girona train station - 6h from Paris
Coming by plane
- Girona Airport
- Barcelone Airport
Arrival city : GIRONA
Coming by car
- at 9h from PARIS
- at 15h from AMSTERDAM
- at 10h from MILAN
Coming by train
- Girona train station - 6h from Paris
Coming by plane
- Girona Airport
- Barcelone Airport
*Parking: Since many of our clients travel by train or plane, we do not include parking in our packages. In addition, many accommodations don’t have the capacity to park a vehicle for the duration of your cycling vacation. So if you’re planning to arrive by car, we suggest you check parking options when you make your reservation. If you reserve a parking space at the first or last accommodation of your stay, you must pay the accommodation provider on site.
* Abicyclette Voyages accompanies you on demand, including transportation solutions.
Recommended equipment
Bike
- Hybrid Bike or Touring Bike or Gravel Bike
- 18 to 30-speed transmission
- 26- to 29-inch wheels
- Tires: 35 to 42 section, reinforced against punctures
- Disc brakes recommended
- 2 bottle cages
- Bell
- Front and rear lighting
Clothing and equipment
- Helmet (supplied with bike rental unless otherwise specified locally)
- 1 bike mount for smartphone to use the mobile route planner application
- Suitable cycling clothing:
- bib, shorts or tights: elastic and breathable, to facilitate movement and wick away perspiration
- Breathable T-shirts, synthetic or merino wool
- Breathable windbreaker
- Thermal or fleece jacket
- Waterproof jacket
- 1 pair of sunglasses
- 1 pair of cycling shoes
- 1 backpack or 1 or 2 carrier bags
- 1 or 2 water bottles (supplied with bike rental in France)
- 1 lock (supplied with bike rental)
- Technical details, recommended by the team for optimum comfort:
- 1 pair of gloves or mittens, depending on season and destination
- Padded bib (chamois)
- High-visibility vest or fluorescent belt
- Neck warmer and cap
Bike maintenance
- Emergency repair kit: 2 or 3 inner tubes, patches, pump, tire levers, multi-tools
- Maintenance kit: rag, oil, brake pads
Other
- A suitcase for your belongings carried in the vehicle (limited to one per person)
- Street clothes
- 1 pair of evening shoes
- Fleece jacket for the evening
- Toiletry bag
- Telephone and charger
Duration 8 days and 7 nights
Level Expert
Departure date From March 1st to October 31st
Destination Spain
Themes Sea & Ocean
Road
See detailed prices
Personalized service 
Leisure
Easy , 
Fit
GIRONA
Arrival on your own to Girona.
In Girona there is plenty to see and to do. The city is famous for having one of the best preserved Jewish old towns and the Cathedral boasts one of the largest stone vaulted spaces in Gothic architecture. A walk along the city walls is highly recommended, or following the Onyar River, which gives you a nice picturesque view of the colored houses of Onyar River.
Meeting with our local guide
Before your first ride, we invite you to meet one of our guides, at your place of departure. A time of exchange, a privileged moment to give you our last practical tips, must-see places and experiences, to answer all your questions, take care of your bike fitting to begin your trip.