Fageda d'en Jordà Beech Forest Trail Odyssey

The trail begins where Girona’s plane trees cast long morning shadows across the Devesa park, and within a mile the city’s hum dissolves into the first whisper of La Selva’s forest canopy. This is a self-guided odyssey for riders who measure satisfaction in vertical meters, not kilometers—though at 428 kilometers and nearly 9,200 meters of climbing, both numbers will settle deep into your legs by the final day. The surface is a relentless conversation between singletrack and fire road, but the fire roads are merely the pauses, the breaths between the technical sentences that make this route sing.

You will earn every descent, and the descents are the point. The route’s spine is the Fageda d’en Jordà beech forest, where the ground under your tires turns to a carpet of russet leaves and the air cools ten degrees beneath the canopy. Above it, the rock-slab traverses are the tour’s signature: bare granite shelves that tilt toward the valley, demanding a light touch on the brakes and a steady gaze on the horizon. These are not beginner’s lines. The hard rating is honest—expect to dab a foot, walk a switchback or two, and feel your forearms burn as you feather the levers over exposed roots and loose shale. This ride suits the experienced mountain biker who has already learned to read terrain like a language and wants to be tested by a landscape that refuses to be tamed.

The itinerary is structured with a clever rhythm: a shuttle-assisted climb early in the week spares you a long, soul-crushing fire-road grind, dropping you instead at the threshold of the technical stuff with fresh legs. From there, you’ll thread through the dense oak and cork forests of La Selva, where the singletrack narrows to a ribbon between ferns and the only sounds are the crunch of your tires and the scold of a jay. You’ll pass the Puig d’Àligues ridge, its summit offering a rare break in the foliage—a glimpse of the Mediterranean glinting far to the east—before plunging back into the green tunnel.

Mid-ride, you’ll roll into the medieval stone huddle of Monells, all ochre walls and silent arcades, but the true pilgrimage stop is La Xicra, a coffee bar that knows exactly what a rider needs: a short, fierce espresso and a slice of almond cake, served on a worn wooden counter while you lean your bike against the wall outside. The final day’s flowing descent toward Monells is the reward you’ve been carrying in your mind for hours—a long, swooping ribbon of trail that rewards momentum and line choice, ending not with a bang but with a soft, satisfied roll into the village’s quiet plaza. This is not a tour for the casual pedal; it is a four-day conversation with gravity, forest, and your own limits, and it leaves you dusty, hungry, and quietly proud.

Ride highlights

• Rock-slab traverses above Fageda d'en Jordà Beech Forest
• Technical singletrack through La Selva forests
• A shuttle-assisted climb to skip the fire road
• A flowing descent finishing near Monells

How the day unfolds

1. Day 1

   Welcome and shakedown ride

   Bike fit, a short loop into La Selva forests 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 La Selva forests.

3. Day 3

   Villages of La Selva forests

   A varied day linking Monells and the surrounding countryside at a comfortable pace.

4. Day 4

   Farewell ride

   A short final loop near Fageda d'en Jordà Beech Forest followed by a long lunch before transfers home.

What is included

On the road

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