Vulpellac Gravel Circuit

The route begins in earnest at the Girona bike centre on Carrer de la Rutlla, where the first pedal strokes of the Vulpellac Gravel Circuit set a rhythm that will carry you through four to six hours of riding each day. This is a multi-day journey for those who measure satisfaction in accumulated metres climbed and the quiet hum of knobby tyres on hardpack. It is a hard ride, not because of any single brutal climb, but because of the sustained, rolling demand it places on your legs and your focus. The reward is a deep immersion in the Fluvià river basin, a landscape that shifts character with every valley crossed.

From the outset, the route climbs to the Sant Julià de Ramis ridge, a long spine of rock that offers the first sweeping views back toward the city and the plains beyond. The surface here is a mix of packed earth and loose stone, a proper introduction to the 52 percent gravel that defines the tour. You will learn quickly to read the terrain: where to carry speed, where to feather the brakes, and where the line tightens into a switchback. As you drop off the ridge, the world opens into cork oak woodland, and the long forest descents become a meditation on momentum. The shade is dense, the air smells of dry bark and warm resin, and the trail snakes downhill in a series of flowing bends that reward a confident, upright stance.

The middle days of the circuit are built around the river basin itself. Red hardpack tracks, distinctively coloured by the iron-rich soil, run parallel to the Fluvià, cutting through fields and low scrub. These are fast, satisfying surfaces that let you settle into a steady cadence, broken by a dusty singletrack link near the riverbanks that demands a lighter touch and a keen eye for the next turn. The tarmac sections, the remaining 48 percent, are quiet lanes that connect the gravel segments with purpose, often climbing gently toward a hamlet or a crossroads. It is here that the route’s character emerges: a deliberate alternation between exposed, wind-buffeted farm tracks and sheltered, narrow lanes where the only traffic is a tractor or a flock of sheep.

The town of Vulpellac, which gives the circuit its name, arrives as a punctuation mark. Its stone houses and narrow streets feel centuries old, and the surrounding farm tracks link it to a scatter of hamlets that seem to exist only for the sake of the fields they serve. These connecting paths are the heart of the route—unremarkable on a map, unforgettable in the saddle. A coffee stop at Draps Cafè, tucked into the route at the right moment, provides a genuine pause: a short espresso, a slice of local cake, and the chance to watch the light change across the basin before remounting. For riders who relish a challenge that is technical enough to demand respect but not so extreme as to require hike-a-bike theatrics, and who prefer their scenery delivered at the speed of a spinning wheel, the Vulpellac Gravel Circuit is a considered, rewarding progression through one of Catalonia’s most textured corners.

Ride highlights

• Long forest descents through cork oak woodland
• A tubeless-friendly mix of hardpack and quiet lanes
• Red hardpack tracks through Fluvià river basin
• A dusty singletrack link near Fluvià Riverbanks
• 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 Fluvià river basin to test the legs, and a welcome dinner in Girona.

2. Day 2

   The big day: Sant Julià de Ramis ridge

   The toughest stage of the week, taking in Sant Julià de Ramis ridge and the villages around Fluvià river basin.

3. Day 3

   Villages of Fluvià river basin

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

4. Day 4

   Farewell ride

   A short final loop near Fluvià Riverbanks followed by a long lunch before transfers home.

What is included

On the road

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