Serra de Rodes ridge Gravel Adventure

The Serra de Rodes ridge Gravel Adventure begins where the paved world loosens its grip, in the unassuming square of Fornells de la Selva. Within minutes, the hum of local traffic fades behind a curtain of cork oaks and olive groves, and you are rolling on hardpack that crunches pleasantly under tubeless tires. This is a half-day ride built for pure sensation, not suffering: 34 kilometers of gentle, flowing terrain that climbs just 135 meters in total, yet manages to feel far wilder than the numbers suggest. The surface is a generous 60/40 split favoring gravel, which means you get the texture of the backcountry without ever needing to wrestle the bike through deep ruts or punishing climbs.

The route unfurls in easy, rhythmic waves, first dipping toward the dry riverbed sectors below Coll de Revardit. Here, the earth is baked and cracked, streaked with ochre and rust, and the tires sing a low, steady note on the packed sediment. It is a place where the only sounds are your own breathing and the occasional scrabble of a lizard darting across the track. The climbing is so gradual that you might not notice it until you crest the low pass and the landscape opens into a patchwork of vineyard rows and stone farmhouses, each one leaning into the hill as if it has been there since the beginning of time. This is easy riding in the best sense: accessible to anyone comfortable on gravel, yet rewarding enough to make you feel like you have earned the views.

From the ridge, the route spills onto quiet, sun-bleached lanes that weave through the medieval hamlet of Corçà. This is the heart of the ride, and the reason to pause. The square here is not a curated postcard but a lived-in space where laundry flaps from balconies and the church bell marks the hour. You will stop at Bar Bombeta, a local institution where the coffee is dark, the service unhurried, and the terrace offers a front-row seat to the slow rhythm of village life. A cortado and a slice of almond cake, eaten in the shadow of stone arches, tastes disproportionately good after two hours of clean air and rolling gravel.

The return leg follows the Onyar Riverside Path, a ribbon of smooth, red hardpack that traces the water’s edge beneath a canopy of plane trees. The light filters through the leaves in dappled patches, and the air cools by a degree or two as you glide alongside the shallow, pebbled river. The final kilometers are a gentle, satisfying cruise back to Fornells de la Selva, the tires finding their rhythm on the familiar mix of compacted earth and quiet tarmac. Fully supported throughout, you carry nothing but water and curiosity; the van meets you at the coffee stop, and the only decision you need to make is whether to have a second coffee or push on.

This is a ride for those who want the gravel experience without the epic. It suits weekend riders, families with older children, or road cyclists curious about what lies beyond the asphalt. It is honest, uncomplicated, and deeply rooted in the Catalan countryside—a morning spent moving through a landscape that feels ancient, remote, and entirely yours, even though you are never more than a few kilometers from the next village square.

Ride highlights

• The medieval square of Corçà for a coffee break
• A tubeless-friendly mix of hardpack and quiet lanes
• Dry riverbed sectors below Coll de Revardit
• Red hardpack tracks through Serra de Rodes ridge

How the day unfolds

1. start

   Bike fit and briefing

   Meet your guide at Fornells de la Selva square, dial in saddle height and run through the route for the day.

2. +30m

   Out through Serra de Rodes ridge

   A steady warm-up along quiet lanes into Serra de Rodes ridge.

3. midpoint

   Bar Bombeta stop in Corçà

   Coffee and a snack at Bar Bombeta in the heart of Corçà.

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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