Great Tour of the Empordà Self-Guided

Enjoy some time at leisure in the beautiful city of Girona. The city is famous for having one of the best-preserved Jewish Quarters in the world, and the Cathedral boasts one of the widest vaulted naves in Gothic architecture. We highly recommend that you climb up to the ancient city walls to enjoy the spectacular views all the way to the snowy peaks of the Pyrenees. Make sure that you take a walk along the Onyar river, where you can enjoy a picturesque view of the brightly-coloured houses that line the riverbanks.

After cycling around the base of the small volcano of Adri, you’ll follow the course of the river Canet, admiring the grottos and waterfalls that the river and the volcanic eruptions have sculpted into the landscape over the millennia.

OPTIONAL: Those looking for a challenge can head up into the forested mountains of Les Guilleries and visit the mountaintop town of Sant Hilari Sacalm, a very popular training climb with local professional cyclists.

In the morning, you’ll follow a cycle path out of the city, heading south across a plain to Llagostera. From there, you will start to climb Sant Grau (465m). After passing the summit, you will be rewarded with a wonderful descent with fantastic views over the Mediterranean Sea – one of those rides which you’ll never forget! This coastal road was made famous in the cycling world in 2009, when it was used for that year’s Tour de France. The day’s ride ends in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, where you will stay near the charming Sant Pol beach.

You’ll pass through the important port town of Palamós, before following the historic “Ruta del Tren Petit” greenway towards the pristine cove of Platja de Castell.

Leaving Castell behind, you’ll head back to the sea and the picturesque fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell, considered to be one of the pearls of Costa Brava. As you leave Calella, you’ll tackle a short but steep climb up to the light house of Sant Sebastià, where you can enjoy spectacular views over the Mediterranean Sea.

Continuing along the inland road, passing by natural wetlands with extensive rice fields, you’ll reach Pals, a beautifully well-preserved medieval town. We also highly recommend a visit to the spectacular medieval town of Peretallada.  From here, you’ll continue on to Torroella de Montgrí, finishing at the foot of Montgrí castle.

We highly recommend that you stop to visit the well-preserved archeological settlement of Empúries, once the gateway of the classical Greek and Roman cultures into Spain, and the only site on the Iberian Peninsula where the remains of a Greek city coexist with those of a Roman city.

The route then continues north, finishing in the village of Castelló d’Empúries, which boasts a rich architectural heritage; a gothic church, a palace, an old market building and a well-preserved Jewish quarter.

Optionally, you can extend today’s cycling route and visit Cadaques, a charming fishing port made famous for its association with Catalan painter Dalí. The route also passes through the picturesque Natural Park of Cap de Creus, a windswept peninsula at the foothills of the Pyrenees.

Once back inland, you’ll cycle through the vineyards of the Alt Empordà, passing through Vilamaniscle and Rabos, where you can find some of the region’s oldest groves, and the medieval town of Peralada, famous for cava and wine production.

From Peralada, the route takes you on a downhill ride into your final destination, the city of Figueres, known as the home of Catalan genius Salvador Dalí.

Your final major climb of the tour will take you up to the Sanctuary of Els Àngels, from where you can enjoy spectacular views. Your route will finish back in Girona, where you can finish your Costa Brava bike tour with a wonderful dinner at one of the city’s many fabulous restaurants.

Arrival/departure airport: Aeropuerto Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat (BCN) or Aeropuerto de Girona-Costa Brava (GRO)

Direct flights to Barcelona are widely available from many international destinations, and direct flights to Girona are available from a number of destinations within Europe.

From Barcelona Airport, you can take a taxi or the local Rodalies urban train to Barcelona Sants train station (approx. 20 minutes). From here, you can travel by high-speed train to Girona. You can purchase your train tickets online. By booking online, you can ensure that you are booking the direct train (40 minutes) rather than the local train (up to 2 hours!) which can only be booked locally at the train station.

At the end of your tour, you can take a high-speed train from Girona back to Barcelona (approx. 40 minutes).

Please consult with your Bike Spain Tours travel coordinator if you wish to book extra nights in Barcelona before or after your tour. Some of our favourite hotels are:

• Casa Bonay****: Boutique design hotel and cultural centre located in the upmarket Eixample district.
• Ofelias Hotel****+: Boutique art hotel conveniently located clost to Plaça de Espanya and Montjuic.