Route of medium distance and gradient, with the attraction that it allows you to enjoy the two essential attributes of the Empordà landscape: the rocky coastline and the interior plain, with wide panoramic landscapes.
The first part takes us to the coast, moving easily along the Empordà plain, but with a section along the highway – Vilajuïga to Llançà sector – where you should be very careful. Once you are beside the sea, many kilometres are spent alternating between the coastline – with small ports, where the rugged landscape of this part of the Costa Brava takes centre stage – and the spectacular panoramic views that can be seen thanks to the height gained.
Once you have entered Northern Catalonia, at the beautiful village of Banyuls-sur-Mer, the direction of the route completely changes, turning southwest. The two slopes of the Coll de Banyuls are a genuine revelation, both for the exercise and in terms of landscape, with the eastern part open to the Mediterranean – wetter, and where we pass beside vineyards up until the final steeper slopes – and the Empordà section, rougher, with its characteristic olive trees and cork oaks.
While it is generally a very quiet section in terms of traffic and is mainly a tourist route, you should be very careful, making sure to stay on the right side of the road, as it is quite narrow and with very little visibility at certain points.
Arriving in Espolla, the route turns southeast, dropping down along a quiet, bucolic section until Vilajuïga where, until we reach Roses, you should be vigilant as the road can be quite busy and vehicles can drive at some speed.
This route presents an interesting option at Banyuls. You can reach the renowned village of Cotlliure (Collioure) and get back to the original route following the D-86 road, over the Coll dels Gascons (387m), passing the Madeloc tower and descending again at Banyuls. If you choose this option, the route is approximately 120 km and 1,750 m.
Detalls
- Bicicleta