Grande Traversée du Jura

A 350 km gravel circuit from Girona — through farmland, up into the Pyrenees, across the French border through the Vallespir, and back down to the Costa Brava on traffic-free greenways. The route follows the Pirinexus on gravel tracks and quiet secondary roads. Five days of gravel that shifts between Mediterranean lowlands and mountain passes, with daily stages of 55–85 km and moderate climbing. A route for experienced riders who want the full experience.

Three days of mixed gravel starting and finishing in Girona, crossing La Selva, the southern Costa Brava, and the Baix Empordà — 220 km with 3,200 metres of climbing. Day one heads southeast through the fields and forests of La Selva towards Tossa de Mar, then follows the dramatic coastal road to Sant Feliu de Guíxols. Day two climbs into the Gavarres, then drops back to the coast at Palamós, Palafrugell, and the medieval villages around Pals and La Bisbal de l'Empordà, where Iberian settlements at Ullastret and stone-walled towns like Rupià and Parlavà sit between rice fields and farmland. Day three pushes back into the Gavarres for the climb to Els Àngels — the sanctuary where Salvador Dalí and Gala married in secret in 1958, and one of the finest balcony viewpoints above Girona — before descending back to Girona. A mixed route of gravel and road, alternating tracks, forests, and sea views. This is Girona province at its finest: Mediterranean light, farmland, and varied terrain.

A 300 km circuit through the heart of cava country — starting and finishing at Vilafranca del Penedès, 45 minutes from Barcelona. Three days of mixed gravel — 60% road, 40% dirt — across the vineyards, olive groves, and almond orchards of the Alt Penedès, with 4,500 metres of accumulated climbing. The route threads through the historic towns of Pontons and Sant Sadurní d'Anoia — the capital of cava production, where Freixenet and Codorníu have their cellars. Crossing the Pantano de Foix, it pushes into the limestone Garraf massif, and traces vine-covered slopes beneath the silhouette of Montserrat. Constant climbing and dropping between river valleys and ridgelines — this is not flat vineyard cruising. Wheat fields, Romanesque hermitages, and farm tracks that connect one valley to the next. The Penedès is emerging as one of Catalunya's best gravel territories: close enough to Barcelona for a long weekend, serious enough to feel like a proper adventure.

Four days circumnavigating Mallorca by bike — 335 km of coastline, mountains, and interior plains, from the dramatic cliffs of the Serra de Tramuntana to the flat farmlands of Es Pla and the turquoise coves of the southeast. The route stays close to the coast, with detours inland where the road is quieter. Day one climbs the western coast through the Tramuntana, the hardest stage. Day two drops to the northern cape at Formentor and rides east along the quieter shore. Day three crosses the southeastern coves and salt flats. Day four returns through the interior, rolling through almond groves and small towns, back to Palma. The island is compact enough to circle in four days, but varied enough that no two stages feel the same. Mallorca's climate makes it rideable almost year-round.

Nine days walking from the Sanctuary of Núria to Cadaqués — the coastal town where Dalí lived and painted. A Catalan section of the GR11, from high Pyrenees ridgelines to the Mediterranean Sea. From 1,964 metres above the Vall de Núria, through the alpine meadows of Setcases, the Alta Garrotxa forest, the medieval village of Beget where time stopped in the 12th century, the cork oak valleys of the Albera range, down to the wild coastline around Cadaqués. The route descends over 1,900 metres across nine stages, from altitude to the sea. Each day a different ecosystem, a different geology, a different quality of light. A traverse in its purest form.

A 5-day circular trek through the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park — following the medieval paths that once connected the counties of Berguedà, Ripollès, and Cerdanya. 100 km and 5,500 metres of accumulated elevation across mountain passes, protected forests, and Romanesque hermitages carved into cliff faces. The route crosses the Serra del Cadí at over 2,500 metres, descends into the Cerdanya valley, climbs again through the Moixeró range, and returns through the forests above Bagà. Nights in mountain refuges — a hut-to-hut trek in the classic Pyrenean tradition. The terrain is demanding: sustained ascents, exposed ridgelines, and descents that require sure footing. The reward is five days in one of the most geologically dramatic landscapes in the Catalan Pyrenees, a circuit where history and silence combine into a singular experience.

Four to five days traversing the highest peaks of Catalunya — Pica d'Estats (3,143 m), Pic de Certascan (2,853 m), Roca Cigalera, and Pointe Recou across the French border into the Ariège. The route crosses the Parc Pirinenc de les Tres Nacions, passing over twenty mountain lakes — including Certascan, the largest natural lake in the Pyrenees. 65 km with 5,500 metres of accumulated elevation, sleeping in four mountain refuges. High-altitude Pyrenean hiking at its most concentrated: every day summits or skirts a peak, every evening ends at a refuge with views that take your breath away. Demanding terrain — exposed ridgelines, mountain passes, and sections where snow can persist into early July. There is no higher hiking in Catalunya.

Nine days traversing all three massifs of the Picos de Europa — one of the most dramatic mountain landscapes in southern Europe. The Anillo Integral links nine mountain refuges across 120 km of limestone terrain, crossing the Western, Central, and Eastern massifs through deep gorges, high alpine plateaus, and villages that cling to the edges of vertical valleys. The route passes beneath the Naranjo de Bulnes — a 500-metre limestone wall that defines the skyline of the Central massif — and follows the legendary Ruta del Cares before climbing back into the high peaks. Varied, rugged terrain: narrow trails, misty forests, and paths built over centuries where rock is the way. Nine days in refuges, communal dinners, the kind of fellowship that only forms when walking and sharing become the foundation of the experience.

Five days circling the border between the Val d'Aran and the French Ariège — 65 km and 5,000 metres of climbing through some of the wildest terrain in the central Pyrenees. The loop starts at the Amics de Montgarri refuge on the Spanish side and heads north into France, sleeping each night in a different refuge or gîte: Estagnous at 2,246 metres beneath the mythical Mont Valier, the Maison du Valier in its granite amphitheatre, the Gîte d'Eylie in a secret valley on the GR10, and the Refuge de l'Étang d'Araing at the edge of the high country — before crossing back into Spain over high plateaus that can still hold snow in early season. The route follows paths once used by shepherds, miners, and smugglers, climbing over passes above 2,400 metres with optional summit detours to the Crabère, Mont Valier, Barlonguère, and Mauberme. Lakes punctuate every stage. The refuges serve half-board in dorms. The Pass'Aran can also be done as a 3-day trail running adventure for those who prefer to move fast and light.

Four days circling Monte Viso — the 3,841-metre pyramid that dominates the border between France and Italy. The classic circuit starts and finishes at L'Échalp near Ristolas in the Queyras, sleeping in three mountain refuges at the foot of the highest peak in the Cottian Alps. Day one climbs to the Refuge du Viso at 2,460 metres, with the mountain's north face filling the horizon. Day two crosses to the Rifugio Quintino Sella at 2,650 metres — the most demanding stage, traversing the Col de la Traversette and passing through the historic Buco di Viso, a 75-metre tunnel carved beneath the Alps in 1480 to shorten the salt trade route between Provence and Piemonte. Day three descends past glacial lakes over the Passo di San Chiaffredo and Passo Gallarino to the Rifugio Vallanta at 2,450 metres. Day four pushes over the Col de Valante at 2,811 metres — the highest point of the circuit — and descends back into France. Free navettes connect the valley villages throughout the season, and Abriès at the base of the valley has food stores, restaurants, and everything you need before and after the trek. The Tour du Viso is one of those circuits where you see the same mountain from every angle, and it never looks the same twice.

Five days traversing the Brenta Dolomites, crossing the Via delle Bocchette — the most famous via ferrata route in the Alps, and the place where the iron way was born. The traverse starts and finishes in Madonna di Campiglio, taking the Grostè cable car to reach the north end of the Brenta ridge at 2,435 metres. From there, a chain of protected climbing routes — cables, ladders, exposed ledges, and narrow rock bands carved into vertical limestone — links the refuges that dot the range from north to south. The Sentiero Benini opens the traverse with a panoramic ledge climb to 2,900 metres. The Bocchette Alte cross beneath Cima Brenta, the highest peak of the group, through terrain of extraordinary verticality. The Bocchette Centrali — the most spectacular section — thread through towers and walls of dolomite with drops that make you aware of every footstep. Nights in the Rifugio Tuckett and Rifugio Alimonta sit at the heart of the route, with communal dinners and views that justify every second of the day. Via ferrata gear is required — harness, helmet, lanyards — and can be rented in Madonna di Campiglio. This is not hiking with cables for comfort. This is vertical mountain travel where the iron way is the only way through.