Where the volcanoes meet the sea
The Pirinexus loops 340 kilometres out of Girona — first northwest through the volcanic Garrotxa to Olot, then up over the Pyrenean passes to the Col d'Ares and across the French border into the Vallespir, before dropping to the Costa Brava and following traffic-free greenways back to the city. Beech forest and dormant volcanoes, the Greek and Roman ruins at Empúries, the medieval streets of Girona itself, and long stretches of old railway track between them. Most of it rides on greenway and quiet secondary road; the border climb and the technical descent back into Spain are where it earns its name.
There's no single right way to ride it. Some take it on in two hard days of 170 kilometres each; most spread it across four, or six unhurried ones, sleeping in the villages along the route and stopping for long lunches. The loop is the same — how fast you close it is yours to decide.
