Rocacorba antenna road Gravel Adventure

The Ter valley unravels slowly from the Salt riverside promenade, where the first kilometres slip by on smooth tarmac before the route bends away from the river and finds its true character. This is a self-guided gravel adventure for riders who want the autonomy of their own pace and the quiet satisfaction of navigating Catalonia’s interior at their own rhythm. Over four to six hours of riding each day, you’ll cover 315 kilometres and climb 3,420 metres—not a brutal challenge, but a sustained, rolling conversation with the landscape that rewards those comfortable spending long, purposeful days in the saddle. The mix of 70 per cent gravel and 30 per cent tarmac keeps things interesting: you’ll spin out red hardpack farm tracks, push up stony climbs, and coast down shaded descents that feel earned.

The route’s centrepiece is the Rocacorba antenna road, a loose, switchbacking ribbon that climbs toward the communications mast crowning the mountain. It’s a steady, grinding ascent where the air thins and the view widens with each turn, the Ter valley opening below like a crumpled map of ochre fields and dark green cork oak groves. From the top, the descent is a long, flowing reward—dusty, fast, and technical enough to keep your attention sharp as the track winds through woodland that smells of sun-baked bark and wild thyme. This is the kind of riding that defines the region: not a single epic summit, but a series of textured, memorable passages stitched together by quiet lanes.

A particular highlight arrives near the Onyar Riverside Path, where a dusty singletrack link cuts away from the water and threads between overhanging branches and dry grass. It’s a short, playful section that feels like a secret, even though the path is well worn—the kind of terrain that makes you grin into your handlebar tape. Later, the route swings through the medieval square of Vulpellac, a place where stone arcades and a shaded church facade invite a slow pause. Here, the coffee stop at Espresso Mafía is a deliberate act of contrast: the rich, dark espresso against the pale dust on your arms, the chatter of the square replacing the hum of tyres. It’s a moment of civilisation dropped into a day of wilderness.

The final stretches weave through the Ter valley’s farm tracks, connecting Vulpellac to a scatter of hamlets where dogs bark from behind walls and farmers wave from tractors. These are working roads, not scenic paths—hardpacked and rutted in places, with the occasional gravelly stretch that demands a little skill and a lot of patience. The elevation gain is spread thinly across the days, so you’ll climb steadily rather than explosively, and the long forest descents through cork oak woodland offer a rhythmic coolness after the exposed valley floor. It’s a moderate ride in the truest sense: accessible to confident gravel riders with good fitness, yet engaging enough to satisfy those who measure a journey in dust and gradient. Self-guided, you’ll carry your own map, your own water, and your own sense of discovery—and the Ter valley will reward you with its quiet, unshowy beauty at every turn.

Ride highlights

• A dusty singletrack link near Onyar Riverside Path
• Long forest descents through cork oak woodland
• The medieval square of Vulpellac for a coffee break
• Red hardpack tracks through Ter valley
• Farm tracks connecting Vulpellac and the surrounding hamlets

How the day unfolds

1. Day 1

   Welcome and shakedown ride

   Bike fit, a short loop into Ter valley to test the legs, and a welcome dinner in Girona.

2. Day 2

   The big day: Rocacorba antenna road

   The toughest stage of the week, taking in Rocacorba antenna road and the villages around Ter valley.

3. Day 3

   Villages of Ter valley

   A varied day linking Vulpellac 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 Onyar Riverside Path followed by a long lunch before transfers home.

What is included

On the road

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