A long road day along the cliff road between coves, with 1,650 m of climbing and a seafood lunch to break it up.
from €150 per rider
Check availability(opens in a new tab)
Costa Brava coast road ride from Barcelona — 118 km day is a hard full day road tour in Barcelona, taking in Costa Brava.
Places on the way: Costa Brava
This is a full day on a road bike along the Costa Brava cliff road, 118 km with 1,650 m of climbing. The route links one cove to the next, so the profile is never flat for long: short, steady climbs lift you above the water, then drop you back towards the next beach. There is no single big pass. The effort comes from the repetition.
The ride is built around the coast itself. You get long sea views from the cliff road, quiet bends above the rocks and a seafood lunch stop that breaks the day in half. It is a proper meal, not a quick snack, and most riders find they need it.
Compared with the other tours on Ride Barcelona, this is the scenic long-distance road day. The big climb morning is shorter and more focused on one hard effort, and the Pyrenees camp is a multi-day mountain challenge. Here the draw is distance, coastline and a good lunch, with a hard day's riding in between.
This is a hard, full-day road ride. It suits riders who are comfortable covering well over 100 km and who can keep pedalling through repeated short climbs without a long recovery in between. Experience of group riding on open roads helps, as the cliff road has bends and traffic.
It is not a good first long ride. If you are building up, the Barcelona greenway easy day or the forest gravel loop are better steps. If a single hard climb is more your style, look at the big climb morning instead.
The ride follows the Costa Brava cliff road between coves. Expect a rhythm of climb, view and descent rather than one sustained ascent. Each rise is short, but 1,650 m of climbing across 118 km adds up, especially in the second half of the day.
The road surface is tarmac throughout, so a road bike is the right tool. Descents into the coves reward careful, smooth riding, and the sea is rarely out of sight. The seafood lunch sits roughly in the middle of the day and splits the effort into two parts.
With this much distance and constant short climbs, pacing matters more than raw power. Riders who go hard on the early rises often pay for it after lunch. Aim to keep a steady rhythm, eat and drink regularly and treat the lunch stop as part of the plan rather than a reward.
The average gradient is modest, but the climbs come back to back. Gearing with a comfortable low ratio makes a real difference over a full day. Ask the partner about bike hire and gearing when you book.
Costa Brava coast road is the scenic long-distance road option on the site. The Barcelona big climb morning packs 1,180 m into a hard half day, so it is more intense but much shorter. The Pyrenees three-day road camp offers mountain passes over several days and is the bigger challenge.
If you want a full day out with sea views and a lunch worth stopping for, and you are fit enough for it, this is the one to pick from the road options.
The tour is sold from Barcelona, but the ride itself covers the Costa Brava, so check with the partner when booking how the start point and transfer are arranged. Allow for a long day from start to finish, including the lunch stop.
A full day of exposed coastal road is best on a dry, calm day. Spring and early autumn usually give comfortable temperatures. Midsummer can be hot and busy on the coast, so confirm the season and any heat plan with the partner.
Set off from the start point and join the coast road towards the first coves.
Ride a repeating pattern of short climbs and descents with views over the sea.
Stop for a seafood lunch roughly halfway through the day to rest and refuel.
Complete the remaining kilometres along the coast, with the last climbs coming when legs are tired.
It is rated hard. The day covers 118 km with 1,650 m of climbing in many short rises, so it suits experienced road riders who are used to long days in the saddle.
Yes, the ride includes a seafood lunch stop between the coves, which breaks up the distance.
A road bike. The route stays on tarmac. Check with the partner when booking whether bike hire is available.
No. The big climb morning is a shorter half day built around one serious climb. This is a full day of coastal distance with repeated short climbs.
Road
A demanding morning session on the climb local professionals use as a test, packing 1,180 m of ascent into 62 km.
Hard, Half day
from €95 per rider Not bookable right now
Road
A supported three-day block of mountain riding, with van backup, hotel nights and a mechanic along for the trip.
3 days, 2 nights
Hard, Multi-day
from €1,290 per rider, 3 days Not bookable right now
Gravel
A hilly off-road day on gravel tracks winding between extinct volcanoes and through beech forest, with 1,600 m of climbing.
Hard, Full day
from €135 per rider Not bookable right now