Cycling in Girona
Come to Girona and discover why Girona is called the cycling heart of Europe!
Road cycling
Girona is the place where more than a hundred professional cyclists, cyclists, triathletes, mountain bikers and gravel bikers live and that is not without reason. The easily accessible city has all types of terrain within a small radius of the city. From the city of Girona you can go in all directions, each direction has a completely different nature/type of terrain. You can do flat rides, hilly rides but also into the mountains. And also in the mountains you can choose between “friendly climbs” of around 5% for example in Les Gavarres to very steep climbs of 10+% such as Rocacorba and Mare de Deu del Mont. All roads are very well maintained asphalt roads with little traffic. The traffic that is there takes the cyclists into account. The province is completely full of (small) roads so that you can cycle new routes every time.
What is perhaps the most beautiful thing about Girona is the combination of a cozy authentic city with a very beautiful historic center, still completely in the Roman style with cycling routes that start from the center. At the end of your bike ride or training, the cozy center full of nice terraces awaits you. There is always a very quiet / relaxed atmosphere in the center which is also full of bike restaurants and cafes such as La Fabrica, Hors Categorie, Espresso Mafia, Federal, La Comuna, … and so on. The town is also full of cycling shops such as Castelli, Velodrome, The Service Course, Rocacorba clothing, etc. Many of them also organize a weekly group ride.
And then of course you have the ideal cycling climate here in Girona, the North of Spain. Sunny all year round with not too extreme temperatures. In the winter when the sun comes out from 11:00 it is wonderful cycling weather. And even in the summer it does not get too hot like in the South of Spain: if you start early in the morning you can ride nicely.
In 2001 Lance Armstrong came to live in Girona with his team. Since then more and more professional cyclists have come to Girona to live and train here and travel to their competitions from Girona. Since then, Girona has become known worldwide among cyclists. In the meantime, three protour teams (Israel – premier tech, EF Education First and Jayco-AlUla) and several continental cycling teams have established their base in Girona.
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is one of the biggest sports among the locals in Girona. And that is not without reason. Girona is a true MTB paradise, a maze of countless single tracks and trails. Directly from the city of Girona you will find all types of routes: from very technical single tracks to beautiful wide gravel paths. Thanks to the many mountain bike clubs in and around Girona, new beautiful trails are constantly being created and maintained. Professional mountain bikers also know how to find Girona for their training camps, they call the course World Cup worthy. We also regularly receive the Dutch MTB selection with the best mountain bikers in the Netherlands.
We advise you to book an MTB guide with us, because going out alone is difficult. There are so many paths that it is difficult to see which path you should take on your navigation. In addition, a nice path can no longer be prepared properly a month later, because the locals no longer go over it and it is not maintained. There are no MTB routes set out in Girona. We also know where to find the hidden coffee shops in the woods or nice villages. And if you want to receive tips for MTB skills, we are happy to help you with that too.
From the historic center you can cycle – without having seen a highway – onto the trails. For example, behind the city wall you have the mountains Les Gavarres, which is a maze of single tracks in the area of Sant Miguel and Els Angels. Here the surface is mostly dry and rocky.
You can also go south in the area of Vilablareix where you have shorter climbs and descents than in Les Gavarres and also slightly less technical. If you go west you have somewhat wetter ground and dense forests with rivers. To the east you go to the mountain bike area Sarria de Ter which is full of single tracks up and down and many bends through the woods and where the climbs are less steep.
You also have an Enduro park 20 km south of Girona where we can take you with our guide.
If you want us to organize a great MTB holiday for you, we will discuss with you the perfect custom-made cycling program.
Gravel biking
Gravel biking is the fastest growing branch of cycling in Girona. Girona was among the first to discover gravel cycling. And that’s not without reason, because in Girona you have more gravel paths than paved roads. And in recent years the municipality of Girona has started helping to maintain gravel paths. Every direction you cycle is a completely different landscape. The most popular gravel scene in Girona is Emporda – the North East. Tight and flat gravel paths through nice villages. Then to the East you have the mountain area Les Gavarres, where you have steep and technical climbs and descents. If you go to the West you have rolling landscape through the forests and rivers. In the South you have the volcanic area Crosa Volcano. And in the North long climbs, with beautiful routes around the mountain lake Banyoles.
In Girona quite a few gravel Gran Fondos are now organized. With the most famous The Traka, for which we also organize a connecting week. And there are also many group rides that you can join. Many bike cafes or bike shops have their own weekly group ride. You can also ask us for routes and we also have gravel guides in our team that you can book. With a guide you know for sure that you will take the most beautiful paths, with the perfect coffee/lunch stops.
We also have route packages for sale for stage rides, from hotel to hotel. Here you can choose between 3 stages, 5 stages and 7 stages.
Bike touring
Girona has a lot of nice paths to cycle on. From small asphalt roads with very little traffic to flat gravel paths through the woods and fields. You can make day trips from Girona city or in stages through the entire province. We sell route packages for the whole family and for all levels where you cycle from hotel to hotel. Our Bianchi touring bikes are specially adjusted for the course in Girona. Here you have no paved cycle paths like in the Netherlands or France. But mostly gravel paths where it can also be bumpy. We have converted mountain bikes into touring bikes ourselves where you have a comfortable, upright position. but at the same time the quality of a mountain bike with sturdy tires and good front suspension.
We also organize the train route “Olot – Girona” bike tour. This is the best known and perhaps most beautiful bike tour in Girona: 58 km & 180 meters of altitude. For €95,- we will take you by car to the start of the route in Olot, a beautiful village at the foot of the Pyrenees at 440 meters altitude. The tour ends in Girona (altitude: 70m).
Another option is that you follow the same train route from Girona to the coastal village of Sant Feliu de Guíxols. When you arrive at the beach you can message us, have lunch on the promenade and then we will pick you up for €65.
Guide or coach service
Campo Bicicleta specializes in guiding and coaching. We have been doing this for more than 10 years and we know all the roads, gravel paths, single tracks, nice bars on the route, the details of the climbs and descents. We welcome all levels of cyclists; from beginners to professional cycling teams. We adapt completely to the group. We make a plan in advance with the details for the routes. We can focus on cycling through beautiful landscapes and nice stops. We can also turn rides into training with possibly improving cycling techniques.
Our main guide/coach is Paul Kneppers. But we also have Annemiek and Alex as guides in our team.
The price for groups of up to 6 people is €150 per day and for larger groups €200 per day.