Girona’s best Coffee Rides for Gravel Cycling

There’s a good reason why so many pro cyclists choose Girona as their home base, and it has less to do with endless days in the saddle than you might think. This Spanish-Catalonian cycling hotspot is perfect for sportive coffee rides.

With that notion, I set off on my annual cycling trip with my dad and brother. Our goal? Discover Girona’s best coffee rides for gravel cycling, and enjoy the finest café con leches, espressos, and café cortados the area has to offer. These are my 5 favourite gravel routes starting and ending in Girona – perfect for the coffee cyclists among us.

Banyoles Gravel Coffee Route

Starting off the ride at Girona’s old town, at one of the many classic coffee places like La Fabrica, Espresso Maffia. Leaving the city centre and heading in the northern direction, it won’t take long before hitting the first gravel roads. Within just 6 kilometres, you’ll find yourself along the banks of the river Ter on smooth gravel. Although the route is considered flat for Spanish standards, be prepared for climbs through the idyllic countryside and farmlands.

A long descent and plateau lead the way to the picturesque town of Banyoles, famous for its beautiful lake and starting point of the iconic climb to Rocacorba. We’d recommend keeping the momentum going a bit further to Les Estunes for lunch break. This restaurant is packed with locals and delicious regional dishes are served. Carbloaded and caffeinated, it’s time to head back to Girona along stunning gravel roads.

Susqueda Gravel Coffee Route

Today’s route contains quite a bit of climbing. The first 35 kilometres are steadily going up, first via shaded gravel roads alongside the river, and finally via tarmac roads toward the gigantic dam. There isn’t any resupply mid-ride, so bring some proviand yourself. We stopped for a quick coffee in Bonmati before tackling the climb. Be sure to make a stop at the reservoir before continuing and to enjoy the views.

After the dam, the road turns into rocky gravel and starts to ramp up. The views are incredibly beautiful, so we’d say it’s worth the suffering. You could go all around the reservoir by a stunning gravel road if you’re feeling it, but this will add a significant amount of altitude metres to the ride. We opted for heading back towards Girona, but firstly conquering another climb: Sant Grau, with stunning views.

Caldes de Mallavela Gravel Coffee Route

This route can be marked as a ‘gravel coffee recovery ride’. We’re not entirely sure if that’s a category, but the route definitely ticks off all the parameters. The route is easy-going and follows ‘Vies Verdes’ – a network of greenways over former railway lines converted to recreational paths. Later on, the route follows a section of the EuroVelo 8 on beautiful gravel roads through orchards and farmlands.

There are a few Catalonian style cafes in Caldes de Mallavela, serving coffees and food. The little bar we visited even served complimentary olives and bread with tomato and Jamón Serrano. The route contains a little section with a stunning single trail, but not too technical at all.

With only 50 km and 350 metres of elevation, the route is perfect for an easy recovery spin. Plus it gives you plenty of time to sit on one of the many terraces in Girona. Personal favourite: Idle Hands.

Rustik Emporda Gravel Coffee Route

A must-visit for the coffee cyclists is Rustik Emporda, located roughly 35 km east of Girona. Keep in mind they close early (around 13:00 o’clock), so an early start is recommended. Expect more awesome gravel roads on the ride, most of them are in the wide open fields. And even though the route is slightly longer, there isn’t too much elevation found. If the legs are good today, you could extend the ride with a loop through Parc Natural del Montgrí.

The gravel road between L’Escala and L’Estartit offers wonderful views over the ocean. Rustik Emporda serves great coffees and breakfast/brunch style dishes. From here it’s roughly 35 km back to Girona. The last kilometres are easy, with more tarmac than gravel. A fun little stretch is around the church in the town of Jafre and crossing the Ter via an odd-looking bridge.

Els Angels Gravel Coffee Route

Visiting Girona isn’t complete without climbing the famous Els Angels. Don’t be surprised to get overtaken by one pro-cyclist after another. But before it’s time, the route’s heading south circling around nature reserve El Balconet de les Gavarres. And we hope you’ve got your climbing legs with you, cause before going up Els Angels, there’s three other climbs to survive.

The Puig Gros climb – with a staggering 461 metres above sea level – is probably the most challenging one. Don’t underestimate the climb by thinking 461 metres isn’t a lot, the climb has sections with double digit inclines.

A little detour to the highest hilltop Els Angels with its church for a photo selfie is mandatory. Be careful on the gravel descent to Girona, it’s steep and rocky. For a safer descent, and a bigger chance of spotting more pro-cyclists in the wild, you could consider taking the main road GIV-6703.

Did you ride one of Girona’s best coffee rides for gravel cycling? Make sure to comment your experience below. And remember: us mortals don’t need to feel bad when our trips to Girona aren’t brutal training camps but lovely cycling holidays fueled by lots of coffee stops.

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