Our route
We started in Girona. (You can also start the Pirinexus in Perpignan, France.) A railway line that has been converted into a cycle path leads into the Pyrenees. Over the Col d'Ares (1513m), the route crosses the border and descends to Céret. Via Le Perthus you return to Catalonia, partly on unpaved roads. In Figueres, we left the Pirinexus to cycle to the sea via the high-altitude monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes to Cadaquès. From Castello d'Empúries, the route continued flat on the Pirinexus, which we left again briefly to visit Pubol, where Dali's wife Gala lived. After a detour to the Costa Brava near Palamos, we returned to Girona through the mountains.
Girona - Olot - Ripoll - Col d'Ares - Céret - Le Perthus - Figueres - El Port de la Selva - Cadaquès - Castello d'Empúries - Toroella de Montgri - Pubol - Palamos - Romanya de la Selva - Llagostera - Girona
Journey
Train: Early bookers can travel from Frankfurt/Main to Avignon for 34 euros. From there, take the train to Barcelona, which stops in Perpignan and Girona. The bike must be "handily" packed.
Car: In approx. 12 hours from Frankfurt on the motorway via Lyon and Montpellier to Perpignan or Girona. Tolls apply in France and Spain.
Flight: Ryanair flies from Frankfurt-Hahn to Girona in just under two hours. Bike transport
there and back 120 euros. www.ryanair.com
Various flights from Germany to Barcelona. From there it's less than an hour by train to Girona.
Accommodation
Accommodation for every budget along the route. We were travelling in May and found hotels without booking. Double rooms from approx. 60 euros.
Best time to travel
In May, the temperatures are very pleasant for cycling and there is greenery and blossom everywhere. The summer months are very hot, the Costa Brava is notoriously party-happy and the streets are packed. From September onwards, things calm down again and the temperatures become more bearable.
Food and drink
"Ca La Paquita" at the harbour of El Port de la Selva, with a view over the sea to the mountains.
Good and cheap: Catalan cuisine at Fonda Mitjá (restaurant and hotel), Carrer de l'Església, 14, 17257 Torroella de Montgrí
Literature and maps
Pirinexus - Guide and Map of the Services Along the Route (English edition)
The ring binder offers detailed maps and extensive information of all kinds for the entire route. Highly recommended! ISBN 978-84-616-8726-8
Also available as a free download (PDF) at:
http://www.pirinexus.cat/biblioteca/arxius//UK_Guia%20Pirinexus%202014_03.pdf
Worth seeing
The Dali Museum in Figueres, Dali's home in Port Lligat near Cadaquès and Pubol Castle, which he gave to his wife Gala, are all well worth a visit. Be sure to book in advance!!! You will not be admitted to Port Lligat without a reservation. www.salvador-dali.org
Literature and maps
Costa Brava, Michael Müller Verlag, 276 pages, 16.90 euros, as an e-book 13.99 euros.
Michelin Map 147, Costa Brava, Barcelona and surroundings, 7.99 euros
The complete article was published in Trekkingbike issue 6/2016. You can download the issue in the Trekkingbike app (iTunes and Google Play ) or in the DK-Shop order.
