Catalonia:
The Edge of the World

Marya Valli

Spain | Catalonia

Riding through patchwork fields, I passed vineyards and dry stone terraces that carved the mountains into farmable strips, which wind between medieval villages of golden stone. Researching in Catalonia, I began my voyage tracing B&R’s cycle route down from the rolling green of the Garrotxa’s volcanic hills. Catalonia’s lush beauty has many faces, but somehow the sea always seemed out of reach, a blue smudge at best.

Until now.

Our final day’s ride on our Catalonia Biking trip is a favourite for cycle teams and local amateurs, but unlike them we begin atop the pine forest hills, winding down to Tossa del Mar and then climbing onto the roller coaster cornice road. Red rocks, green pines, white houses, and—at last—the blue sea, right there both beside and below us, sparkling to the edge of the world. This route is the essence of the Costa Brava! Once in San Feliu de Guixols, we’ll board our sailboat and cruise to a quiet cove for lunch and a dip in the Mediterranean en route to our hotel.

Red rocks, green pines, white houses, and at last the blue sea… sparkling to the edge of the world.

Experience Catalonia With B&R

Scheduled Group Biking Trip

From your bike, you can see the peaks of the Pyrénées looming on the horizon as volcanic flats stretch out ahead, leading to unbelievably pastoral fields. This is no dream. On our Costa Brava Biking trip, the unexpected happens every day.

DETAILED ITINERARY

Private Group Biking Trip

Pedal with the peloton of your own choosing as you stretch your legs through the Pyrénées on our private Costa Brava Biking trip. Sweep through Roman villages and Dali’s real-life inspirations—you’ll melt like a clock for this sensuous region.

DETAILED ITINERARY

A 10-minute forest walk from this blue shore, on the edge of a nature reserve, is the hotel La Malcontenta. It is an odd name for such a peaceful, gracious and elegant boutique hotel, but we can thank the “never content” perfectionism of the owner’s mother for the lovely end result. It’s an intimate haven with antique wooden floors and vast windows paired with understated, comfortable modern furnishings.

Hotel La Malcontenta, Catalonia Hotels — Hotel La Malcontenta: an odd name for such a peaceful, graceful place.

When I visited in March, the hotel was still closed for the winter. Officially, at least. A Garmin van, a pro bike stand and some rather muscled quads gave away that the pro Garmin team had taken over La Malcontenta for their Catalan training. I’d seen a familiar jersey moving fast down the Àngels climb, but it was thrilling to know they were there in force, preparing for their season just as I was preparing for B&R’s.

Like me, the pros were seeking out the perfect winding routes, the quietest roads and the most interesting detours. But unlike them, we’ll probably indulge in cava and other Catalan wines, wander through a few cobbled streets and soak the most out of our kilometres with some well-deserved vacation hedonism!

Marya Valli

Having lived in both mainland France and Italy’s Piemonte region before moving to Corsica, Trip Planner and veteran B&R Guide Marya Valli believes the best way to get in deep and up close in a region is to pick up and move there. The second best way? A B&R trip, of course.