Alt Empordà vineyards MTB Safari

The Alt Empordà is a landscape of contradictions—a flat, marshy plain that suddenly rears up into rocky outcrops, a patchwork of vines that meets the sea in a blur of reeds and salt. The Alt Empordà vineyards MTB Safari is a multi-day exploration of this strange, beautiful corner of Catalonia, designed for riders who want to feel the terrain under their wheels without ever feeling out of their depth. This is an easy-paced adventure, the kind where the focus is on the ride, the coffee, and the views, not on chasing a personal best. It suits anyone comfortable on a mountain bike, from confident beginners to seasoned riders who simply prefer to savour the day rather than suffer through it.

Your journey begins at the Sarrià de Ter bridge, just a short spin from Girona’s old town, and the first kilometres set the tone: a gentle roll-out through the flat agricultural fringe before the real fun begins. Here, the route’s clever design comes into its own. A shuttle-assisted climb saves you a long, grinding slog up a monotonous fire road, dropping you instead at the base of Puig d’Àligues with fresh legs and a curious mind. From there, the trail unfolds—a series of rock-slab traverses that hang above the Aiguamolls Wetlands, a natural park where the air smells of damp earth and wild fennel. You’ll pick your line across the smooth stone, the tyres humming, while herons lift off from the pools below. It’s technical enough to be engaging but never threatening, the kind of riding that makes you feel clever rather than scared.

The heart of the trip, though, is the flowing descent that finishes near Palau-sator, a medieval village of round stone towers that seems to grow out of the hill itself. The trail here is pure joy: a ribbon of singletrack that winds through the Alt Empordà vineyards, weaving between gnarly old Grenache vines and the low stone walls that mark each plot. The surface is a mix of packed earth and loose gravel, with enough camber to keep you honest, but the gradient is forgiving, allowing you to carry speed without white-knuckling the brakes. It’s the kind of descent that ends too soon, leaving you grinning and already thinking about the next loop.

Over the course of the safari, you’ll cover around 140 kilometres with a modest 540 metres of climbing—a figure that speaks to the region’s subtlety rather than its severity. Each day offers four to six hours in the saddle, broken up by long lunches and a mandatory stop at Draps Cafè, a local institution where the coffee is strong and the pastries are worth the detour alone. The fully supported service means a van is never far away, carrying spares, cold water, and the promise of a lift if your legs give out. But they won’t. This is riding that rewards curiosity, not suffering.

The Alt Empordà is not a dramatic, jagged landscape; it’s a quiet one, where the drama is in the details—the shimmer of heat over the wetlands, the scent of ripe grapes in late summer, the sudden glimpse of the Pyrenees on the horizon. This tour gives you the time and the trails to notice all of it, at a pace that lets the place sink in. Whether you’re here for the technical singletrack, the vineyard views, or simply the pleasure of a well-planned day on two wheels, the safari delivers on all fronts.

Ride highlights

• A flowing descent finishing near Palau-sator
• A shuttle-assisted climb to skip the fire road
• Rock-slab traverses above Aiguamolls Wetlands
• Technical singletrack through Alt Empordà vineyards

How the day unfolds

1. Day 1

   Welcome and shakedown ride

   Bike fit, a short loop into Alt Empordà vineyards to test the legs, and a welcome dinner in Girona.

2. Day 2

   The big day: Puig d'Àligues

   The toughest stage of the week, taking in Puig d'Àligues and the villages around Alt Empordà vineyards.

3. Day 3

   Villages of Alt Empordà vineyards

   A varied day linking Palau-sator and the surrounding countryside at a comfortable pace.

4. Day 4

   Rest day or optional ride

   A free day in Girona, or an easy optional spin for anyone who wants to keep the legs moving.

5. Day 5

   Farewell ride

   A short final loop near Aiguamolls Wetlands followed by a long lunch before transfers home.

What is included

On the road

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