Gavarres massif Gravel Odyssey

The Gavarres massif Gravel Odyssey begins not with a climb, but with a slow, easy breath of river air along the promenade at Salt, wheels spinning up to a gentle rhythm on the hardpack that leads you out of town. This is a ride designed for those who want the feel of wild gravel without the lung-burning punishment—a multi-day, guided journey where four to six hours in the saddle each day feels like a long, satisfying conversation with the landscape rather than a battle against it. The terrain is forgiving: a tubeless-friendly mix of dusty, red hardpack and quiet, sun-bleached lanes that roll through cork oak shade and open scrubland, with just enough tarmac to stitch the dirt together into a seamless, flowing narrative.

As you pedal deeper into the massif, the route’s character reveals itself in textures. Below the rocky crown of Puig d’Àligues, the trail funnels into dry riverbed sectors where the surface turns to packed stones and fine silt, the kind of ground that hums under your tyres and invites you to stand up and coast, letting gravity do the thinking. The gradient stays kind, never demanding more than a steady push, so you have the spare attention to notice the resin-scent of the pines and the way the afternoon light fractures through the holm oaks. This is the Gavarres at its most generous—a quiet, knotted wilderness that feels far bigger than its 96 kilometres, yet never once asks you to prove yourself.

The gravel gives way to storybook moments. A dusty singletrack link near the Fageda d’en Jordà Beech Forest threads you through a cathedral of trunks, the shade cool and sudden, the path soft with leaf litter—a brief, magical interlude that feels like a secret passed between riders. Then you descend into Peratallada, where the medieval stone walls rise abruptly from the plain, and the ride pauses for a coffee at La Xicra, a tiny local spot where the espresso is short, strong, and tastes of the surrounding countryside. It is not a lavish stop, but an honest one, the kind of place where the barista knows the regulars by name and your dusty bike leans against the wall without judgment.

Throughout the journey, the 82% gravel ratio ensures that every pedal stroke is a dirt-smeared pleasure, while the gentle 774 metres of climbing spread over several days means you arrive at each overnight stop feeling pleasantly tired, not broken. This is a ride for gravel newcomers, for road cyclists curious about the dirt, or for anyone who wants a guided, supported escape where the logistics are handled and the only decision is whether to take another photo of the red earth winding ahead. The Gavarres massif does not shout its beauty; it offers it in quiet, rolling chapters, and this odyssey is the slow, deliberate page-turn.

Ride highlights

• A dusty singletrack link near Fageda d'en Jordà Beech Forest
• A tubeless-friendly mix of hardpack and quiet lanes
• Dry riverbed sectors below Puig d'Àligues
• Red hardpack tracks through Gavarres massif

How the day unfolds

1. Day 1

   Welcome and shakedown ride

   Bike fit, a short loop into Gavarres massif 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 Gavarres massif.

3. Day 3

   Villages of Gavarres massif

   A varied day linking Peratallada 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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