Trip Summary9 Nights – Avg miles per day: 25-40 The cost is $13,000/team. (That is $6,500/person) |
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 nine night tour.
Note that this is one of our hillier tours. There are a few days with some four mile climbs that could max at over 10% grades. Also, dinners in Spain are late! We will offer dinners at the earliest times that the restaurants open, but keep in mind that most restaurants in Spain do not open before 8pm.
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 40 mile range to reflect the hills. We will also offer 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. Our tour begins in Barcelona. We encourage you to arrive a few days early in order to explore this vibrant city.
| Day 1 |  We begin our trip in modern, 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. We will climb to an abandoned monastery with some amazing views. 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. Our tour includes entrance into the museum. After the museum visit, we will enjoy a mid-route picnic lunch. 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. The bike culture in Girona is strong as you will see young, professional looking cyclists everywhere!
When we arrive in Girona we will freshen up in a hotel in the City, grab lunch in the city square and then we will take a short walking tour of the city. We will have some free time to explore and then 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. Calella is a lovely beach town with about two miles of beaches along Catalonia’s iconic Costa Brava. 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 couple of hiking options including a five mile hike along the coastline. 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, enjoy a picnic lunch enroute, and end at our hotel which is also a 5 star hotel which is also a working vineyard. We will end the day with a tour, tasting and group dinner at the vineyard. |
| Day 8 |
 We spend a second night at this unique winery hotel. You can just relax among the grapes 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 30 minute drive to the Barcelona airport. |
This tour will open for registrations on Sunday, November 8 at 9pm ET.
This is a nine night trip. The cost is $13,000 per couple ($6,500 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
- Two lunches
- Eight dinners
- Wine and beer at all dinners
- Guided tour of the Montserrat monastery
- Entrance fee to the Dali Museum
- Walking tour of the medieval city of 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)
- Gratuities for our guides and drivers
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
- Admissions to points of interest not outlined above
- Hotel room tips
What is the average mileage per day? Required rides range from 25 to 40 miles with the average mileage being about 30 miles. Longer routes are available most days. 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.
| Day | Routes (Note that these are the shortest routes each day. Longer routes are also offered. Please contact us if you are interested in seeing the miles and ascent for the longer routes.) | Miles | Ascent |
| 1 | Barcelona Loop, shorter test route along a seaside bike path will also be available for those not comfortable with city riding. | 15 | 820 |
| 2 | Castelló d’Empúries Loop | 28 | 1200 |
| 3 | Castelló d’Empúries to Torroella de Montgrí, | 42 | 1200 |
| 4 | Torroella de Montgrí – Girona Loop | 27 | 2200 |
| 5 | Torroella de Montgrí to Calella | 23 | 1200 |
| 6 | Calella Loop | 29 | 2400 |
| 7 | Montserrat to Mastinell Cava | 38 | 2400 |
| 8 | Mastinell Cava Loop | 32 | 1800 |
| 9 | Mastinell Cava to Sitges | 32 | 2300 |
The above are the shorter rides each day. Keep in mind that you do not have to ride on any loop day.
Where will we be staying?
While this could change, here are some of the hotels that we plan to stay in.
Hotel Sant Roc
How do you get to the tour?
The nearest airport is Barcelona.