A solo gravel escape through Girona's pro-cycling hills
Four days solo in Girona, riding the same Gavarres gravel used by the WorldTour peloton based here, from a bike-friendly boutique hotel with its own bike room.
Arrival, bike fitting, and a first taste of the old town
Where you're staying
Hotel Nord 1901: a four-star boutique hotel in a fully restored early-1900s building, a 7-minute walk from the Cathedral.
- The only hotel in the old town with a garden and pool, and it runs a dedicated bike room with a cleaning area and basic tools, the reason it tops the list over the half-dozen other old-town boutique options
Photos: nord1901.com
Getting there
No car needed for this trip.
- Arrive via Girona–Costa Brava Airport (about 20 minutes by taxi) or by train into Girona station (12–15 minutes' walk or a short taxi to the old town)
Afternoon
Walk to Eat Sleep Cycle to collect and size the gravel bike, and sign off on tomorrow's route.
- Coffee at La Fábrica, Girona's landmark cycling café, or a short easy shakeout spin along the river paths to check the fit
- Then an old-town walk: the Cathedral steps, the Jewish Quarter, the city walls, the colourful houses along the Onyar river
Dinner
Txalaka, a well-loved Basque-Catalan pintxo bar near the Devesa park: seafood, meat and vegetable pintxos priced individually, a full meal with drinks landing around €20–30.
Photos: txalakagirona.com
Flagship day
Girona & Els Àngels Gravel Loop
The ride
Breakfast first at La Fábrica (waffles, bircher muesli, own-roasted coffee), then roll out from the hotel through the Gavarres to the Santuari dels Àngels and loop back into town.
- Budget 2.5–3.5 hours riding plus stops; a favourite training loop of the pro peloton based in Girona, ridden here at a solo, self-paced tempo
Photos: lafabricagirona.com
33.7km · +859m
A genuine loop starting and finishing in Girona old town, so no return transfer to arrange. Mixed paved lanes and gravel through the Gavarres natural park, climbing to the hilltop Santuari dels Àngels, where Salvador Dalí got married.
Wet-weather backup
If it's raining, skip the unpaved Gavarres sections (they turn slick quickly) and ride the fully paved version of the same Els Àngels climb instead, same ascent, same café at the summit, tarmac throughout.
Dinner
Cal Ros (Fonda Cal Ros): rustic-chic Catalan cooking in a stone-walled dining room in the Barri Vell.
- Reservation recommended, especially on a Friday
Photos: fondacalros.com
An easier spin, then an optional wine detour
Recovery-pace ride
A deliberately lighter day after yesterday's climbing: the Carrilet Greenway & Les Gavarres Loop, roughly 39.8km / +420m, mostly a converted former railway greenway, flat and wide, with a gentler pass back through the Gavarres.
Optional: wine tasting at Eccocivi Celler
The closest winery to Girona, inside the Gavarres natural park, roughly 10km out by bike or a short taxi.
- A small family-run estate with guided tastings by appointment, from €28/person for a vineyard walk and a four-wine tasting
Dinner
La Taverna d'El Foment, an unpretentious Catalan tavern in a historic Girona social club: anchovies on tomato bread, croquettes, a strong list of Catalan and Balearic wines.
- Table reservations are restricted to club members, so this is walk-in only, arrive by around 8pm to avoid a wait
A last coffee, then departure
This morning
Return the gravel bike to Eat Sleep Cycle (before 5pm to avoid a late-return fee, though an earlier return works fine on a departure day).
- Last coffee and pastry at La Fábrica before checking out
Logistics
Train back to Barcelona, or a taxi to Girona–Costa Brava Airport (around 20 minutes).
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