Empordà: Food and Wine 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.

This section follows a greenway called “El Carrilet” , passing through the towns of Quart, Cassà de la Selva, Llagostera and Santa Cristina d’Aro, with the chance to visit local markets.

Along the way, you’ll enjoy views of the Gavarres Massif, a mountainous forest area consisting mainly of cork oaks, making it an important area for cork production. The day’s ride ends in San Feliu de Guíxols, where you will stay near the charming Sant Pol beach.

You’ll pass through the important port town of Palamós, where you can make a stop at the Museo de la Pesca, a unique museum which explores the past, present and future of fishing on the Costa Brava.

Heading out of Palamós, you’ll follow the historic “Ruta del Tren Petit” greenway towards the pristine cove of Platja de Castell, where you can explore the ancient Iberian settlement of Puig de Sant Andreu de Ullastret, which dates back over two millennia and is the largest of its kind on the peninsula. This is the perfect spot to have a picnic and take a swim in the Mediterranean sea.

Leaving Castell behind, continue along the inland road to the picturesque fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell, considered to be one of the pearls of Costa Brava.

You’ll pass by Palafrugell, a lovely town with a fresh food market where you can try locally-sourced fish, meat, fruit and vegetables. It’s a great place to discover local produce. You can also visit the town’s very own Cork Museum, formerly one of the largest cork factories in the world and the source of much of the region’s wealth.

Continuing along the inland road, passing by natural wetlands with extensive rice fields, you will reach Pals, a beautifully well-preserved medieval town, the perfect place to take a break and explore the narrow cobbled streets flanked by elegant aristocratic houses. From here, you will cycle to San Julián de Boada, where we highly recommend a diversion to the spectacular medieval town of Peretallada before continuing on to Torroella de Montgrí, finishing at the foot of Montgrí castle.

You’ll cycle along the long Bay of Roses, enjoying views over sandy beaches.

At L’Escala, 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.

Continuing along the coastline, you’ll pass by the pretty medieval settlement of Sant Martí de Empúries, which retians its original medieval city walls, and is situated right in front of a superb beach.

The route then continues north, where you will pass through the protected marshlands of Aiguamolls de l’Empordà, situated within L’Empordá Nature Reserve, the most important of its kind in the region. The route ends 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.

Today, you will have the opportunity to visit some of the region’s most interesting wineries, which are mainly located in the towns of Vilajuïga and Pau. You’ll also discover Empuriabrava, Catalonia’s very own “Venice”, and the beautiful seaside town of Roses.

Optionally, you can extend today’s cycling route and visit Cadaques, a charming fishing port made famous for its association with Catalan painter Dalí. Here, you can visit the Salvador Dalí House in Portlligat, and admire the seafront modernist buildings, built by local residents who made their fortune in Cuba, and inspired by Cuban architectural styles. The route also passes through the picturesque Natural Park of Cap de Creus, a windswept peninsula at the foothills of the Pyrenees.

Your first stop is Peralada, known for its cava-making heritage, historic castle museum, and charming medieval centre. Continue through vineyard country to Garriguella to discover its longstanding wine cooperative, then climb toward the hilltop village of Espolla, famed for its modernist cooperative cellar.

Cycle on to La Vinyeta, one of Empordà’s most innovative wineries, for a tasting and vineyard picnic. From here, you’ll enjoy a gentle descent into Figueres, capital of the Alt Empordà and birthplace of surrealist artist Salvador Dalí.

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 Figueres-Vilafant back to Barcelona (approx. 1 hour).

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.