A medieval city that has become the adopted home of many professional riders. Leave the old town and within minutes you are on quiet lanes heading for the hills or the sea.
Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0
Girona has a huge international cycling community – many pros live and train here – and the reasons are obvious once you roll out: a dense network of quiet, well-surfaced country roads, a climb for every type of training day, and the Mediterranean less than an hour away.
Head west and you are in the volcanic Garrotxa and the hills around Banyoles and Rocacorba; head east over the forested Gavarres via Els Àngels and you drop to the Costa Brava, with its corniche roads and fishing towns. Back in town, the café culture is as much part of the trip as the riding.
Editorial Our judgement, based on the sources below. Disagree? Ask or suggest a correction.
Rolling and varied rather than high-mountain. The Gavarres massif between Girona and the coast offers gentle, wooded climbs; to the north-west the hills around Banyoles and Rocacorba are steeper; and the Pyrenees foothills are within reach for big days.
Expect plenty of 3–5 % climbs with occasional steep ramps – ideal for building fitness without killing yourself every day.
Published figures vary slightly with start and finish points; we show one sourced version for each. GPX: [PLACEHOLDER] GPX collection – Release 2
Girona's benchmark climb, the one the pros use as a form test. Measured from the bridge below Pujarnol near Banyoles to the barrier below the masts at about 967 m; irregular, with two kilometres above 10 % in the middle. From Banyoles lake it is about 14.8 km and 808 m.
Figures: Spain Cycling Holidays (Strava segment “Alt de Rocacorba”)The local classic: a gentle, wooded climb into the Gavarres to the sanctuary of Els Àngels at about 485 m – where Salvador Dalí married Gala in 1958. Wide views to the Pyrenees and the Costa Brava from the top.
Figures: Altimetrías.netGirona – Els Àngels – Monells – Santa Pellaia – Cassà de la Selva – Girona. Two mellow forest climbs and quiet villages: the perfect first day.
Figures: Epic Road RidesA twisting corniche road high above coves and pine-covered cliffs. Combine it with the Gavarres for a big day from Girona. Ride early in summer – it is popular with motorists too. Distance/elevation: to be added after GPX check
Editorial Base-town choice is our editorial judgement.
[PLACEHOLDER] Boutique and cyclist-friendly hotels: bike room, workshop corner, early breakfast
[PLACEHOLDER] Villas and group accommodation with secure bike storage
[PLACEHOLDER] Swimming pools, spas and recovery options near the base towns
Every ride needs a stop. We only list places we have checked – this chapter is being researched for Girona.
March to June and September to November are best. Girona's airport station sits inland, so winter mornings can be close to freezing even when the afternoon is mild, while July and August highs exceed 30 °C.
| Girona Airport (AEMET) | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °C | 13.7 | 14.7 | 17.4 | 19.6 | 23.3 | 27.8 | 30.6 | 30.7 | 26.6 | 22.4 | 17.1 | 14.1 |
| Avg low °C | 1.3 | 1.6 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 10.2 | 14.4 | 17.1 | 17.2 | 14.0 | 10.6 | 5.3 | 2.0 |
| Rain mm | 58 | 42 | 51 | 66 | 65 | 58 | 40 | 49 | 75 | 86 | 63 | 51 |
| Rain days | 4.8 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 7.2 | 7.1 | 5.1 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 5.1 | 4.1 |
| Sun hours | 155 | 167 | 195 | 204 | 229 | 255 | 288 | 273 | 210 | 183 | 153 | 143 |
| Rating | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Hot | Hot | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Station: Girona Airport (AEMET), 1991–2020 normals. Rain days = days with ≥ 1 mm precipitation. The airport sits inland, so mornings are colder than on the coast. Source: Wikipedia – Girona, climate table (source: AEMET), retrieved 13 Nov 2026. Rating rule: how we rate months.
Where the pros live: quiet lanes, Rocacorba and the Costa Brava. Editorial
[PLACEHOLDER] Villages, festivals and traditions worth knowing
[PLACEHOLDER] Walks, swims, wineries, museums – to be researched
Fly + train: fly from Zurich, Basel or Geneva to Barcelona, then take a high-speed Avant/AVE train from Barcelona Sants to Girona – about 40 minutes. Girona–Costa Brava airport also has some seasonal flights.
By rail all the way: possible via France on the cross-border high-speed line that stops in Girona – allow a long day.
Bike: bring your own or rent in Girona, which has many high-end road-bike rental shops.
Independent recommendations only. If we ever earn a commission, the link will be labelled – and it never decides what we recommend.
Availability: Excellent Editorial
[PLACEHOLDER] Named rental shops and workshops, with date last verified
[PLACEHOLDER] Local bike shops and mechanics, with date last verified
[PLACEHOLDER] Airport transfers for bike boxes, taxis, luggage transfer, public transport
Estimated cost level: €€ Editorial – a relative editorial estimate, not a price.
Estimate your trip budgetReady-to-ride 3-, 5- and 7-day plans – not yet available for this destination. [PLACEHOLDER] price and release date not set
Ask about routes, the best month, rentals, accommodation or logistics. Good questions may become a public FAQ – only with your consent.
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