Girona 2024
- Bob Dalton
- Nov 2, 2024
- 9 min read
In late September 2024, I traveled to Girona, Spain with six friends to explore cycling in a region I hadn't visited before. It was an inspiring trip that every enthusiastic cyclist should experience!
84km, 1,200m
84km, 1,600m
154km, 1,600m
Sept 26: Rest Day wandering around Girona
140km, 2,000m
103km, 1,400m
Sept 29: Rest Day watching World Championships and departure for most of the group
138km, 2,000m
125km, 1,800m
Totals: 7 riding days, 828 km, 11,600 m of climbing
Girona
Getting There
The were 7 us on this trip, all converging in Girona on September 22, 2024: myself, David Taylor, William Yuen, Jaime Cathcart, Brian Blamey, Mike Hay and Trevor Craig. David, William and I flew into Barcelona from Vancouver on the same day where we spent one night and visited the city briefly before hiring a taxi to transport us and our bikes to Girona. If I recall correctly that cost us about 150 Euro which was not the cheapest way to make that trip but certainly was the most convenient. The train trip from Barcelona to Girona is very straightforward and inexpensive, but to do that would have meant: getting a taxi from our hotel to the train station at the airport; lugging our bikes to the train; and figuring out transport to our accommodations in Girona, all of which seemed like a major headache. I think we made the right call. On my return to Barcelona (BCN) I took the train; other than dragging my bike to the train station in Girona it was a very straightforward trip.
Our Accommodations
We rented 3 large apartments through a company called Flateli and we were absolutely thrilled with the accommodations. Flateli has many "flats" in Girona and other cities in Spain - we were in their location on Santa Clara right in the heart of the old town. If we ever go back I'd be thrilled to stay there again. Getting bikes up and down the stairs in their travel cases was a bit of a challenge, but a very minor inconvenience and everything else about our accommodations was awesome.
I feel a need to mention the importance of respecting the rules when on your bike in the old town. There are many one way streets and there are areas where you need to walk your bike. Please respect the local rules. For many people this is where they live and work - we are privileged, temporary interlopers invading their space. Don't forget that.
Cafes and Restaurants
What can I say about the food in Girona? I mean, it seems insufficient to say that I love the food in Spain and that the cafes and restaurants in Girona are awesome; but I do and they are. I will say that we ate most of our dinners in the apartments which worked out beautifully. We took turns preparing our evening meals and spent our evenings discussing the day, debating the best athletic performances of all time and just hanging out together.
That meant, however, that we did not experience as many of Girona's fine establishments as we would have liked but I did make a reasonable effort to visit as many cafe's as I could - here are my favorites.
Located right across the street from our accommodations on Santa Clara, Syra became my go-to for a quick hit of espresso. Their espresso is excellent! However, it is primarily a take out spot so if you are looking for a place to sit and chill this is not it.
Hidden Coffee
I loved this spot but it seems that it is now closed! It is, or was, located on the east side of the Rio Onyar and had some great seating spots at the back with windows looking our at the river. Their espresso was excellent but sadly no longer available in Girona.
Founded and operated by Canadian and ex-pro rider Christian Meier and his lovely wife Amber, La Fabrica is a gem that you don't want to miss. I went multiple times : )
The coffee is excellent, the food is excellent, the location, vibe and decor are awesome and the service is exceptional. They have done an amazing job creating this space. Check it out!
I probably don't need to mention this one as "everyone" knows about it and it seems that everyone is always there but it is a good spot and it would be wrong to not mention it. It has become a hub for the tourist cycling crowd and as a result it does feel a bit pretentious and intrusive but the coffee and food offerings are great. I can't comment on the bike service as I did not need to take advantage of it other than to purchase a new set of Shimano cleats.
Hors Categorie is a great cycling themed cafe tucked in a corner on the west side of the Onyar in the old town. The food, ambience and service was great but I have to say this is not where I would go for a good espresso. I was fortunate to be there to watch Pogacar win the World Championships road race - impressive victory but not very exciting racing!
There are two other cafes I want to mention. Cafeteria 1900 had the best croissants I think I have ever had and their espresso was excellent. Bali Coffee and Brunch also has great coffee and their avocado toast was awesome.
I should also mention Bartali Pizza which I enjoyed enough to visit twice and I should also highlight the importance of trying patatas bravas at as many places as you can.
Cycling
Cycling Day 1 - San Marti Sacalm
84 km, 1,200m climbing
I'd prefer to forget this ride as I felt horrible the whole time. I'm still not sure what happened but I had absolutely no energy, nothing, nada. At the time I blamed it on the maltodextrin William gave me for my water bottles, but based on having a very similar experience a year later in Croatia I think it is highly likely that I was simply feeling the effects of a long flight. I hate flying. I'm super sensitive to motion sickness and after a long flight it takes some time for me to stabilize. I THINK that was the issue.
Anyway, this was a good starter ride. Nothing special, a bit of a climb that I barely made it up and had to stop a few times as I thought I was going to puke. The guys all seemed to enjoy it and were in good spirits, but honestly I barely remember the ride.
Cycling Day 2 - Rocacorba
84km, 1,600m climbing
The Rocacorba is a well known climb in the area and before going I had heard it praised as a climb you have to do. I've done a lot of beautiful climbs and this is not a beautiful climb. The road is not in great shape (making the downhill a bit sketchy), you are in the forest for most of it and it is not a beautiful forest like the beautiful Vancouver North Shore. We had a good day together and my body was starting to feel better, so overall this was a good day but this ride would not be on my list of favourite rides. I feel like I am being overly negative - keep reading, the rides get better. Interestingly the rides got better as my body started feeling better and my mood improved so it is entirely possible that my assessment of the first couple of days is simply my own negative reality at that time.
Cycling Day 3 - Port de la Selva
154km, 1,600m climbing
Note the GPX below is shorter than the Strava ride - I recall we got a bit lost on the way back so probably better to NOT use the Strava GPX, use the one below.
This was an awesome ride. It felt like the start of the trip for me as my body was starting to feel better but I was still pretty done in the last 30km. It includes two significant, though not super hard climbs, and both descents are beautiful - smooth, sweeping curves, minimal traffic. The route takes your through Cap de Creus National Park (Cape of Crosses) on the southernmost end of the Pyrenees and down into the beautiful beach town of Port De La Selva (Port of the Forest). We stopped for lunch in Port De La Selva - overall an awesome day. We got a bit messed up on the way back and ended up on some pretty busy highways so don't follow our Strava route.
Here is a look at the descent into Selva.
Cycling Day 4 - Coastal Loop via Els Angels
140km, 2,000m climbing
Wow, ok, the trip is really coming together now! I think this may be one of my favourite rides of all time. We started with the Els Angels climb which may be the most enjoyable climb I have ever done - not as spectacular as the Galibier or other climbs in the Alps but as a climb it is awesome. The road surface is pristine, the grade averages 5%, the forest is beautiful and there was almost no traffic. If you look closely at my Strava, the start may look confusing - Dave T thought he dropped his phone so we turned around about half way up the climb went all the way back to Girona and found his phone in the apartment - but that allowed us to climb the first part of the climb twice!
From the top of Els Angels the route only gets better - the descent is excellent and then you experience rolling hills in quiet farmlands as you make your way to the coast. And the coast, wow the coast! It is a spectacular rolling, winding route all the way to Tossa De Mar. Absolutely awesome riding. The ride from Tossa back to Girona is also excellent riding. I can't say enough about the riding today.
Cycling Day 5 - Coastal Loop via St. Grau
103km, 1,400m climbing
Today was another excellent ride; similar to yesterday with some climbing, some rolling hills on quiet roads and some coastline. Absolutely awesome. Finished it by riding the first part of Els Angels again followed by a coffee and panini with William at Eat, Sleep, Cycle.
Cycling Day 6 - Mare de Deu del Mont (solo)
138km, 2,000m climbing
Mother of God of the Mountain is a Catalonian sanctuary perched at the top of an excellent climb with amazing views. I wish the guys had been with me; 5 headed home yesterday, William was still in Girona but visiting with Mia and Ryan who just arrived.
Don't follow the route I took that is on my Strava, I got way off course. The GPX file above is good though - the problem was my navigation skills, this being my first ride without Trevor doing the navigation. : )
The climb is officially 18km long but the grade on the first 8 km is pretty gentle. The final 10km is a serious climb with the last 5km averaging 8% with sections over 15. I had the pleasure of meeting three cyclists from Toronto at the top: Olsen Or, Rob Medaglia and Sylvie Dubreuil. We had a great ride together back to Girona.
Cycling Day 7 - Els Angels and Tossa De Mar (repeat, solo)
125 km, 1,800m climbing
Today was my final day in Girona so I decided to do a repeat of the loop we did as a group that I enjoyed so much. It was a very interesting experience; the route was the same, the roads and views just as beautiful but I really didn't enjoy the ride. My mindset was contracted and I felt tired for the first time since the first ride of the trip. I'm not sure if the emotional state drove the physical state or vice versa - I think I was feeling really down because riding such a route solo was nothing like doing it with friends and as a result my body was devoid of energy. In any case, it is a beautiful ride, but like most things it is better when shared.
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