Montseny foothills Tarmac Loop

The ride begins on the Salt riverside promenade, where the sound of water over stone quickly gives way to the whir of tyres on clean tarmac. Within a few kilometres, the road tilts upward towards the Sant Julià de Ramis ridge, and this is where the character of the morning reveals itself. The climb is steady rather than savage, a series of gradients that ask for a consistent rhythm rather than explosive effort, and the reward arrives in stages: first a glimpse of the Pyrenees smudged on the northern horizon, then the whole plain of Girona opening out below, and finally the strange, flat shimmer of the Aiguamolls Wetlands stretching towards the sea. It is a moderate route, pitched perfectly for riders who have a little fitness and want to feel the pleasure of earning a view without the grind of a long alpine pass.

From the ridge, the road drops into a quieter world of cork oaks and drystone walls, the Montseny foothills rolling gently on the left. The tarmac here is a gift—smooth, almost empty of traffic, and lined with the scent of wild fennel and thyme baking in the morning heat. You pedal through farm lanes that seem to exist only for the farmers who work the hazelnut groves and vineyards, and the pace settles into something meditative. This is not dramatic mountain scenery; it is subtler, a landscape of gentle folds and soft colours, where the occasional medieval village appears around a bend like a stone ship anchored in the fields. Vulpellac is the finest of these, its narrow streets and arched passages barely touched by the centuries, and you pass through it slowly, tyres humming on old cobbles before the road spits you back out into open countryside.

The coffee stop at La Xicra comes as a genuine punctuation mark, not a mere commercial break. It is the kind of place where the espresso machine hisses and the owner knows the regulars by name, and you sit outside on a metal chair with the bike propped against the wall, watching swallows work the eaves. The break is long enough to reset the legs, and then the route turns for home. What follows is the highlight for many riders: a fast, well-surfaced descent that flows through a series of long curves, each one opening onto a new angle of the plain below. The wind rushes past, the tyres grip at speed, and for a few gloriously uncomplicated minutes, the 806 metres of climbing you’ve accumulated feel entirely worth it.

The final stretch back towards Girona is flat and quick, the cathedral tower rising on the horizon as a landmark. By the time you roll off the pedals and coast back to the riverside, you’ve covered 77 kilometres, but the distance feels less like an achievement and more like a natural arc—a morning that began with stillness and ended with the quiet satisfaction of having seen the landscape from every angle the road allows. This is a ride for the rider who enjoys the texture of a place: the feel of old stone, the smell of dry grass, the particular quality of Catalan light. It is not a race, nor a sufferfest; it is a half-day spent in good company on roads that reward attention. For those new to the region or returning for another taste, it offers a perfect balance of effort and reward, with a guide to point out the details you would otherwise miss—the irrigation channels, the birdlife over the wetlands, the reason why this particular hill was chosen for a castle.

Ride highlights

• Panoramic views over Aiguamolls Wetlands
• The Sant Julià de Ramis ridge climb with clean tarmac and steady gradients
• A fast, well-surfaced descent back towards Girona
• The medieval streets of Vulpellac on the way home
• Quiet farm lanes through Montseny foothills

How the day unfolds

1. start

   Bike fit and briefing

   Meet your guide at Salt riverside promenade, dial in saddle height and run through the route for the day.

2. +30m

   Out through Montseny foothills

   A steady warm-up along quiet lanes into Montseny foothills.

3. midpoint

   La Xicra stop in Vulpellac

   Coffee and a snack at La Xicra in the heart of Vulpellac.

4. final

   Back to Girona

   A gentle return leg with the best light of the day behind you.

What is included

On the road

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