Cycling in & around the Girona/Gerona area of Spain-anyg

snakeeater
snakeeater Posts: 113
edited October 2007 in Tour & expedition
Hi,

I've searched this forum for cycling in girona but no luck so thought I'd post my query. I'm thinking of taking a week off soon to go cycling and I know I can get a fairly cheap flight to girona.

Has anyone got any experience of cycling around that area? I'm thinking of going to a b&b in the countryside, about 1 hour from the coastal area.

Would appreciate recommendations on good cycling roads to tackle, and sights to visit on the bike that are well worth the effort. I see from maps (general, not detailed maps) that the area is mountainous so I expect it to be a tough week of cycling.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

TIA, S~

Comments

  • megilleland
    megilleland Posts: 786
    I was in this area during September this year, although not cycling. I have cycled through Catalunya, entering from the Pyrenees in the west at Ripoll through Olot and Figueres onto the French border at Portbou and down the Costa Brava to Barcelona - very easy cycling.

    The area north of Girona and east to the coast is relatively flat. The area north of Girona and to the west; south of Girona and to the east is much hillier and mountainous. If you want to be an hour from the coast you need to be about 13 miles (20km) to 15 miles (25km) away, so you will need to be based to the east of Girona. Places such as Llagostera, Bisbal d'Emporda fit the bill. Girona could also be a useful base as there would be more to do in the evening. There is good access to the station with lifts to the platform and you would see a lot more by travelling to places of interest further away ie Figueres (30mins) and Barcelona (1hr 15mins).

    Regarding accommodation, cheap hostals can be found in most towns and resorts on the coast. In the country try the casa rurals full of character - examples here near Bisbal d'Emporda for 48 euros (£34) a night:
    http://en.toprural.com/ficha/es.cfm/idp/17/ids/9124.htm
    http://en.toprural.com/ficha/es.cfm/idp/17/ids/1090.htm

    Things to see in these areas:
    Medieval villages, Pottery & Terracotta Museum in Bisbal, Cork museum at Palafrugell, Fishing museum at Palamos, the coastal road between Sant Feliu de Guixols and Tossa de Mar.

    There are also two Via Verdes (Green ways used for cycling) one to Olot, famous for modernist architectecture, north east of Girona.
    http://www.viasverdes.com/fichas_htm/ca ... rrilet.htm
    http://www.viasverdes.com/fichas_htm/ca ... escrip.htm

    and another between Girona and Sant Feliu de Guíxols on the Costa Brava:
    http://www.viasverdes.com/fichas_htm/co ... abrava.htm
    http://www.viasverdes.com/fichas_htm/co ... escrip.htm

    Local Tourist websites for Girona:
    Girona & Costa Brava
    Tourist Attractions
    Mountain bike routes
    The more you spend - the faster you go - the less you see.
  • snakeeater
    snakeeater Posts: 113
    Thanks for this. It looks like it one of the areas where some of the pro teams base themselves so I assume there are good roads there with little traffic.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,104
    I did a training camp in that part of the world in the early 1990s. The roads around Girona are pretty good although some of them had terrible surfaces. There is a good choice of routes, i.e. in the small mountains, hilly rides and flat rides, and traffic levels were pretty low (although that may have changed now).

    The coast road between Sant Feliu and Tossa del Mar is one of the finest roads I've ever ridden so if you do go there make sure you add that to your itinerary.

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