Trip Summary 9 Nights Avg miles per day: 30-60 Hill profile: Moderately hilly ✔ I'm Interested

Catalonia is one of Europe’s most captivating cycling destinations, offering a perfect blend of sun-soaked Mediterranean coastline, rugged mountain landscapes, and rich cultural heritage. We are partnering again with NaturBike to design this ten day tour.

Some tour highlights include riding along the coast, a visit to the Salvador Dali museum, cycling through medieval villages and Roman ruins, a tour of a thousand year-old active monastery, and cruising through country lanes lined with olive groves and vineyards.

Note, this area is hilly! Our rides are in the 25 to 45 mile range to reflect the hills. We will also have longer routes.

We will be staying at just six hotels across the nine nights of the tour. So you will have a choice of distances and can easily take days off of riding. We will also be fairly close to Barcelona, so you can explore the city before, after or even on a day off during the tour.

Day 1	We begin our trip in vibrant, art-filled coastal city of Barcelona. While in Barcelona, be sure to check out the sites including the fantastical Sagrada Família church and other modernist landmarks designed by Antoni Gaudí, the Museu Picasso and Roman archeological sites.  After assembling your bike, you will be able to enjoy a short ride around Barcelona. We will enjoy a group dinner.
Day 2	After a short transfer, we will enjoy a loop ride starting in the town of Castelló d’Empúries. Castelló d’Empúries is known for its rich medieval history as the former capital of the County of Empúries, showcased in its well-preserved Gothic Old Town with the grand Basilica of Santa Maria (the “Cathedral of the Empordà”), its historic Jewish Quarter, and the medieval Cúria-Prison. We will enjoy a group dinner.
Day 3	Today’s ride takes us to the coastal town of Torroella de Montgrí. Along the way, we will visit the iconic Salvador Dali Museum. We will enjoy a group dinner.
Day 4	Today is a layover day in Torroella de Montgrí. Today’s ride takes you to the medieval city of Girona. Girona is known for its medieval architecture, walled Old Quarter (Barri Vell) and the Roman remains of the Força Vella fortress. Landscaped gardens line the Passeig Arqueològic, a walkway following the Old Quarter’s medieval walls, which include watchtowers with sweeping views. We will enjoy a picnic lunch on our way to Girona and after freshening up in a hotel in the City, we will take a guided tour of the city. You will have the option to ride back or we will transport you and your bike back to the hotel. We will enjoy a group dinner back in Torroella de Montgrí.
Day 5	We leave Torroella de Montgrí enroute to the seaside town of Calella. We will enjoy a group dinner.
Day 6	Calella is a lovely place to enjoy a day off of the bike. But for those who would still like a ride, we offer a loop ride down the coast. We also offer a hike.  Dinner is on your own at one of the many restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.
Day 7	We will transport you and your bikes to the Penedès region of Catalonia. This region is known for producing Spain’s signature sparkling wine, Cava. We start our day by visiting the Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey. While the Abbey was founded in the year 1025, it was rebuilt in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Abbey is nestled in the Montserrat Mountain range and is accessible through a funicular. After our visit, we will begin our ride, ending at our hotel which is also a 5 star hotel which is also a working vineyard. Tastings anyone? We will end the day with a group dinner at the vineyard.
Day 8	We spend a second night at this unique winery hotel. You can just relax among the grapes (and pool) or take a loop ride. We will enjoy a group dinner.
Day 9	Today’s ride takes us from the Mastinell Cava and Hotel to the town of Sitges. Sitges is a coastal town, to the south of Barcelona. Walk along the beach. Visit the Museu del Cau Ferrat art museum in a historic building. We will have time to disassemble bikes and enjoy a final group dinner.
Day 10	Our tour ends after breakfast. Our hotel is about a 20 minute drive to the Barcelona airport.

If you are interested in this tour, please fill out the I’m Interested button on the right. We will then send you information on when this tour will open.

This is a nine night trip. The cost is $TBD per couple ($TBD per person). We limit the size of our tours to be no more than ten couples. We only accept couples on tandem bikes. Come join us!

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What is included?

• Nine nights lodging (see the hotels/country inns below)
• Nine breakfasts
• One lunch
• Eight dinners
• Guided tour of the Montserrat monastery
• Entrance fee to the Dali Museum
• Guided tour of the medieval city of Girona including entrance to the Cathedral and Moorish baths in Girona
• Wine tasting at the Mastinell Cava and Hotel
• Bike and personal transport on certain days during the tour
• Routes
• Luggage transport
• SAG support (although we do expect you to ride the full routes, we are there to help with mechanical issues)

Note that we do not provide any bicycles. We expect that you have a tandem that is in good working order and that you are able to assemble your bike. If you do not have your own tandem, you can rent a coupled tandem from Mel at Tandems East. Mel sells tandems, so if you end up renting from Tandems East, you might get a discount if you purchase a bike from them. If you have a tandem that is not coupled it is possible to bring it, but you should make sure that all of your flights could handle the larger box. 

What is not included?

• Airfare
• Transportation to the start (details to be included soon)
• Meals, other than those mentioned above
• Alcoholic beverages
• Admissions to points of interest not outlined above

What is the average mileage per day? Required rides range from 30 to 40 miles with the average mileage being about 33 miles. We are also developing longer routes. We believe that there is enough to see so that more miles may prevent you from fully enjoying the culture and beauty of the area.

Where will we be staying?

While this could change, here are some of the hotels that we plan to stay in.

SLS Hotel

Boutique Hotel Comtal

Hotel Moli del Mig

Hotel Sant Roc

Hotel Mastinell

Hotel Sercotel Kalma

How do you get to the tour?

The nearest airport is Barcelona.