Let me introduce you all to a great cycling trip in the Catalan Pyrenees. The idea comes from a local club in a little french village near the coast named Bompas. It includes the eastern part of the Pyrenees, getting to the Mediterranean sea. In fact, the trip includes an amazing coastal road in the Spanish-french border, and then a stunning climb to the Sant Pere de Rodes Monastery overviewing the coast. It is 676 km long and includes all 3 Catalan-speaking countries: Spain, France, and Andorra. The route includes many important climbs in the area such as Coll d'Ares, La Quillane, Puymorens, Envalira, Collada de Toses, or Monestir de Sant Pere de Rodes. The highest point is Coll d'Envalira, at 2407 mts height, in fact, the highest pass in the whole Pyrenees range of mountains. The total elevation of the trip is over 9700 mts. Possible start at Ripoll, we climb Coll d’Ares then to Prats de Mollo, towards Pertús, La Jonquera to Roses and then heading north to France until Collioure and Bompàs (home of the club who suggested the tour). Then to Rivesaltes, Sournia, Prades, Sant Miquel de Cuixa, Sant Marti del Canigo, Vilafranca de Conflent. Climb to Coll de la Quillane. Mont Louis, Llac de las Bouillouses. then you have to climb to Puymorens and Port d’Envalira. Descent to Andorra and back to Catalonia then Collada de Toses and back to Ripoll. Nevertheless, there is also some additional climb that should be mentioned and included if you have time enough on a trip like this. Let me suggest one of my favorite climbs in the whole Pyrenees, which is Port de Pailheres. When to do the trip This trip is possible in summer, and also late spring or early autumn. It is also possible to do
Let me introduce you all to a great cycling trip in the Catalan Pyrenees. The idea comes from a local club in a little french village near the coast named Bompas. It includes the eastern part of the Pyrenees, getting to the Mediterranean sea. In fact, the trip includes an amazing coastal road in the
Barcelona is a great place for cycling, there is no doubt. In a former post, we introduced 10 of the most popular climbs around Barcelona, but today let me introduce some short and steep hidden climbs close to Barcelona, not very known (or maybe not known at all) for most of the local cyclists. Some of them are dead-end climbs, leading to some remote urbanization with fantastic views. No need for many words in this article, I just join the names, short description, and the link to the Strava segment, so you can find them, get there and challenge yourself to get to the top. Carrer Llobregos (Barcelona), 1,4 km at 8% average, with some parts over 17%. Inside Barcelona city, in the Carmel mountain. By the way, near the top, there is a great viewpoint from the Bunkers del Carmel. Mas Ram. 257 m. 1,8 km at 9%. Starting at Tiana in a crossroad very close to the highway. Dead end road at the top of the urbanization. Supermaresme. 3km at 9% average gradient. This luxury urbanization has some magnificent luxury houses with stunning views. Some VIPs are said to be staying around here when they come to Barcelona and they don't want want to stay at the city center. It is one of the few climbs listed here which has 2 sides (except the last common stretch). It can be included in a loop ride. Sant Carles. Starting at Santa Agnes de Malanyanes. The interesting side is starting at C-35 road and the steepest part is a 500 mts long 12% straight part. It is properly a road, not a street in the urbanization. It hurts. Can Massuet-El Far. They are 2,9 km at 9% average gradient and includes some very steep short stretches. From the little village
Barcelona is a great place for cycling, there is no doubt. In a former post, we introduced 10 of the most popular climbs around Barcelona, but today let me introduce some short and steep hidden climbs close to Barcelona, not very known (or maybe not known at all) for most of the local cyclists. Some
Montserrat is the magical mountain close to Barcelona, and a bike tour is the best way to discover it. The meaning of Verge de Montserrat for Catalan people goes beyond the religious feeling. Visiting the virgin in pilgrimage is the usual thing to do to thank for anything that happened. This is also the reason why visiting the Monastery and the Basilica is better on working days rather than at the weekend. Saturdays and Sundays local people are also visiting, on top of the usual foreign visitors. Then, much better avoiding the weekend. The usual thing to do in Montserrat is touching the virgin (for that you will have to wait in the long queue at right on the Basilica) and also lighting a candle. Sports in Montserrat are a great experience. No need to say that rock climbing is king in these steep walls. Lots of rock climbers around! Also hiking is a great experience in Montserrat. Our recommendation is to get the highest point of the mountain (Miranda de Sant Jeroni, at 1200 mts), from the monastery (at 700 mts). You can do that in just a couple hours (way and back) and the views from the top are stunning! Click here for the detail of the route. In our cycling tours we will lead you to the best roads around Montserrat. We will take you to tiny roads without any traffic, and will surround the whole mountain. This way you will see the massif walls from all prospectives. This is an amazing trip with great views, do not miss it! The end of our cycling tours is, obviously, the monastery. The steep final climb is, in words of one of our customers, a mistic experience, fighting the road and the slopes! Once at the Monastery, the classical
Montserrat is the magical mountain close to Barcelona, and a bike tour is the best way to discover it. The meaning of Verge de Montserrat for Catalan people goes beyond the religious feeling. Visiting the virgin in pilgrimage is the usual thing to do to thank for anything that happened. This is also the reason
Barcelona is a great cycling destination, that's for sure. And cycling the hills around Barcelona is a must for any keen cyclist. Even if it is a big city, cycling is great in Barcelona, with nice climbs, smooth road surface, very good weather, and polite drivers. Very close to Barcelona there are several hills very interesting for us cyclists. Not big first category mountains, as they are a bit further, but from the same Barcelona there some very nice ones, really worth cycling up there. The average range would be about 350-400 mts height with 5-6 km of climbing. As said before, very interesting to put together some of them to do some nice workout! 10 hills around Barcelona Tibidabo is the main hill around Barcelona. The church on top overlooks the whole city and is the main destination of every keen cyclist arriving in Barcelona. 500 mts height. Forat del Vent (literally "Hole of the wind" in the Catalan language). Very interesting loop including this climb and Tibidabo, a classic for the after-work local rides. The road to Forat del Vent is very nice especially on the Cerdanyola del Valles side, with scarce traffic and nice views of Montserrat from the top. La Vallensana. In the north of Barcelona, belonging to Serralada del Prelitoral. Especially recommended from Montcada i Reixach, no traffic. Very interesting (and steep) add-on the climb to Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol (Can Ruti), on top of the hill, on the seaside of the climb. La Conreria. Vallensana and La Conreria is another perfect loop, very similar climbs. Nice views over the sea from the top. Coll de Parpers. Very much recommended. About 30 km from Barcelona, it is the road from La Roca del Valles to Argentona. A classical loop would be climbing Parpers from
Barcelona is a great cycling destination, that’s for sure. And cycling the hills around Barcelona is a must for any keen cyclist. Even if it is a big city, cycling is great in Barcelona, with nice climbs, smooth road surface, very good weather, and polite drivers. Very close to Barcelona there are several hills very
One of the best road cycling tours you can do from Barcelona is the tour around Montseny mountains. Especially at this time of the year, autumn, Montseny looks really nice, the color of the leaves, the blue sky, the tiny roads, it all makes a very special break away from a big city like Barcelona. Just a few tips: do this trip on working days (on weekends roads can be a bit busy), bring the appropriate gear (we recommend compact crank 34-50, and 11-32 cassette) and have a look at the weather forecast in advanced. You don't want to get a storm in Montseny, especially on a cold day. In our guided road cycling tours we take you to the best climbs in Montseny mountains. Our favorite loop includes Coll Formic climb (at 1145 mts heigh) and also Santa Fe del Montseny (1300 mts height). In 90 km you will have a close look at these mountains, through pretty villages as El Brull, Seva or Viladrau. Roads are in perfect conditions, with a very smooth asphalt, and the final stretch of the trip is a 25 km long descent that you will never forget. Last time we did it we crossed 3 cars during the whole descent, amazing. On the other side, the hardest part is probably 2 km at 10% to reach Coll de Borderiol, on the way to Santa Fe del Montseny. Challenging part of the ride! Turó de l'Home, the highest. For those "die-hard" cyclists, the highest point of Montseny mountains is Turó de l'Home. It is reachable by road bike, even the last 5 km are in quite poor shape (cyclable though). At 1700 mts height, from Sant Celoni you get to the top in 25 km. The steepest and most direct side is the road
One of the best road cycling tours you can do from Barcelona is the tour around Montseny mountains. Especially at this time of the year, autumn, Montseny looks really nice, the color of the leaves, the blue sky, the tiny roads, it all makes a very special break away from a big city like Barcelona.
Today we did one of the best cycling routes in all of Catalonia: Montseny mountains loop. Road cycling in Montseny mountains is amazing, especially on a working day, when there is no traffic at all. Our trip starts usually at Palautordera train station, which you can get easily from Barcelona in about 45 minutes. From Palautordera we ride 90 km with 2 first category climbs: Coll Formic and Santa Fe del Montseny. The total elevation of this tour is about 1600 mts. On this trip we will get some nice villages like El Brull (nice church) or Viladrau. There are several highlights of this trip. A very challenging part of the trip is the climb (2 km at 10% gradient) from Viladrau to Santa Fe (this part is called Coll de Bordoriol). This is serious stuff!! But possibly the most enjoyable part is the final 25 km long descent from the top of Santa Fe del Montseny to Sant Celoni, close to the end. Simply unbelievable to have such a descent in a perfect road and without any traffic!! I have to say that I love cycling in Montseny mountains and that Coll Formic (1145 mts height) is my favorite climb, I love it!!!
Today we did one of the best cycling routes in all of Catalonia: Montseny mountains loop. Road cycling in Montseny mountains is amazing, especially on a working day, when there is no traffic at all. Our trip starts usually at Palautordera train station, which you can get easily from Barcelona in about 45 minutes. From Palautordera
Today we had Alfredo, from the Philipinnes, doing our demanding guided tour around Montserrat. In our bike tour we not only climbed to the Montserrat Monastery, but also cycled beside other nice Monastries nearby, as Sant Benet and Santa Cecilia. In addition, we climbed to Coll de l'Obac with amazing views of the Montserrat mountains. During the trip we were surrounding the whole range of mountains with incredible views of the steep walls. Montserrat is an amazing spot, no wonder it is one of the most popular day trips for tourists from Barcelona. They arrive in big buses to visit the Monastery and also to do some hiking in the mountains. The Monastery is at 700 mts height, but the highest point is at 1200 mts (Sant Jeroni), then there is a classical height from the Monastry to Sant Jeroni and back. Once in Montserrat, the classical thing to do is visiting the small black virgin (that was found here centuries ago), and lighting a candle if you would like to pray for someone or something. Montserrat is a pilgrimage destination for catholic people from all over the world. A bike tour in Montserrat is stunning. Great scenery, amazing landscapes, and good workout!!!
Today we had Alfredo, from the Philipinnes, doing our demanding guided tour around Montserrat. In our bike tour we not only climbed to the Montserrat Monastery, but also cycled beside other nice Monastries nearby, as Sant Benet and Santa Cecilia. In addition, we climbed to Coll de l’Obac with amazing views of the Montserrat mountains.
Today we had Chris and Victor from Chicago doing one of our private Barcelona bike tours. Demanding tour for them, arriving from a very flat area in the US! Nevertheless, we adapt our tours to everyone needs in terms of distance and difficulty: Montefusco Cycling makes pedaling around Barcelona City and surroundings a Snap. All you have to do is book the trip—the concierge service will have a bike ready and even choose ideal routes for your level. In our private bike tours in Barcelona we include road bike rental, guided tour about 80 km long, and pick up/drop off at hotel. We offer tours in Barcelona city but also in surrounding areas, such as Castelldefels, Sitges, Penedes, Calella, Costa Brava, Girona, Montseny, or Montserrat. You don't have to worry about anything else but pedaling and enjoying the best roads. We will provide a perfect carbon bike, and our guide will pick you up at your hotel, and drop you off after the ride. On our tours, you can also book a lunch after ride, so you can enjoy local food at a cool place when you need it most! See our catalog of more successful rides here. You can book online so you don't have to waste time sending emails and waiting for our (fast) answer. Good workout guaranteed!!
Today we had Chris and Victor from Chicago doing one of our private Barcelona bike tours. Demanding tour for them, arriving from a very flat area in the US! Nevertheless, we adapt our tours to everyone needs in terms of distance and difficulty: Montefusco Cycling makes pedaling around Barcelona City and surroundings a Snap. All
We had today one of those great days to remember, including the climb to Montseny mountains. We did an amazing ride mixing family, friends, and customers who became friends, and doing possibly the best ride you can do all over Catalonia. 90 km to enjoy cycling in the Montseny mountains!! We include the climbs to Coll Formic and Santa Fe del Montseny. But for the die-hard guys we also include Turó de l'Home, the highest peak in Montseny reaching about 1700 mts height. One of the hardest climbs in all of Catalonia. Tremendous. Pity that the last 6 km to Turó de l'Home are in terrible shape. Climbing is not an issue, but descending from Turó del Home, with those very steep parts and the bad surface is a big danger. Not only some parts with very poor asphalt but also big potholes which could make you crash if you get one. Nevertheless, you don't need to get to the top to climb in the Montseny mountains and have an incredible day on the saddle. There is a very nice road from Sant Celoni reaching La Costa del Montseny with no traffic at all, then you go on towards Fontmartina, where the road gets even more narrow and scenic (see picture). From that point, you get the deviation of Turo de l'Home, but if you go on a little more you get Coll de Santa Helena and then descend towards Santa Fe del Montseny. The highlight is always the 25 kilometers long descent from Santa Fe to Sant Celoni in an amazing well surfaced road. Great day!
We had today one of those great days to remember, including the climb to Montseny mountains. We did an amazing ride mixing family, friends, and customers who became friends, and doing possibly the best ride you can do all over Catalonia. 90 km to enjoy cycling in the Montseny mountains!! We include the climbs to
Group picture at the top of Coll Formic!! Today this group of strong riders coming from #Switzerland started a trip along the #Pyrenees. Our turn to show them that big #mountains in Europe is not just about the #Alps! #roadcycling #biketrip #biketours #roadbike
Group picture at the top of Coll Formic!! Today this group of strong riders coming from #Switzerland started a trip along the #Pyrenees. Our turn to show them that big #mountains in Europe is not just about the #Alps! #roadcycling #biketrip #biketours #roadbike
