Santuari del Far, an amazing spot to get on the bike!

The Sanctuary at the top (picture by Seri Ros de Mora)

When you are cycling in Girona you have so many different choices. Climbing is our passion here, then everybody knows about Rocacorba, Mare de Deu del Mont, possibly Vallter 2000. You can reach all of them from Girona. But there is a climb, not-so-known, probably because it is not as demanding as those mentioned, that deserves a visit. Totally worth.

Unbeatable views from the top of El Far (Picture by Sergi Ros de Mora)

It is Santuari del Far, an amazing spot with unbeatable views of the mountains around. You reach this spot from Coll de Condreu, a very interesting climb reaching 1017 mts. On the west side, starting at Manlleu you will cross tiny medieval villages as Rupit and Pruit, and from the north side starting at Sant Esteve de'n Bas you have a nice wide, well asphalted road. At the top, just beside the roadsign there is a crossroad leading to Santuari del Far. Nice tiny narrow road which in about 5 km leads to the Sanctuary.

Not very steep, a doable climb!

When you get to the top you will find the Sanctuary, an amazing viewpoint that will leave you breathless and also a nice restaurant where you can stop for a while and get a coffee or maybe lunch.

Come to Catalonia and we will help you to discover amazing spots like this!

Mare de Deu del Mont, such a climb!

Great views to Canigou from the top!

Mare de Deu del Mont is an iconic climb in Girona province. The mountain is visible in the distance, a shap peak with a building on top, with the road snaking to get there. It has spectacular views over Canigou mountain in Pyrenees, but also to the Roses bay and the Empordà region.

The road is in quite good shape, very narrow at some points. No problem at all when climbing, specially because it is a very solitaire road with no traffic at all (specially on working days), but the descent should be taken carefully...

Important to say that there are 2 different sides joining at about 7 km to the top (see in elevation profile crossroad to Besalú-Beuda). The side from Besalu-Beuda is in pretty bad shape so it is recommended to avoid this side (specially downhill!). This is important because the side from Besalu-Beuda is the closest to Girona and many cyclists get this road. But the right side to climb and descent is Cabanelles (crossroad on N260 road).

Close to the top!

At the top of the climb your get an unasphalted parking area, but it is absolutely worth to go a bit further and reach de Sanctuary and the restaurant. Views are spectacular! You can also find a statue of Mossen Cinto Verdaguer, one of the most important writers in catalan language.

You can see the numbers in the joined profile. Very long climb (almost 19 km at a 5% average gradient), but with very steep sections up to 14%... Worth a try!!

A real challenge!

Game of Thrones and cycling: welcome to Catalonia

Game of Thrones is one of the most popular series on TV, if not the most.

Possibly all of you know that Catalonia is the location of the sixth season of Game of Thrones.
One of the most impressive locations is Santa Florentina Castle, in Canet de Mar. It is also very close to NII, a very popular road for cyclists and triathletes coming from Barcelona. Flat and fast one. Then, it is very easy to get to Canet the Mar from Barcelona, just following that big and nice road.

Castell de Santa Florentina (Canet de Mar)

Of course, another very popular location is Girona Cathedral. The impressive stairs just in front of the main entrance are very famous not just for the series!
As you know, Girona is a very popular cycling destination in Spain (also living town of many professional riders), then cycling around Girona and taking a picture in front of Girona Cathedral is a must!

Will you join us to discover those locations?

Catedral de Girona