directions_bike by Chris Riches -

Llançà to Tamariu

Most of the journey down to Tamariu was on the Eurovelo 8 route which I joined at Castelló d’Empúries, and that meant it was mostly on quiet roads with stretches of dedicated paths. Compared to the preceding days in the Pyrenees border area, it was relatively flat once I had got out of Llançà. The route wasn’t as well developed as the Eurovelo 1 but there was occasional signage. It went through some nice countryside and old villages which blended smoothly in to the landscape with their light orange stone buildings.

It was interesting to see the Pyrenees, which were still clearly visible, from the Spanish side of the border. Cacti appeared occasionally on the landscape as it became more barren looking, this was something that I hadn’t seen in France.

When I returned to the coast at Sant Martí d’Empuries, where there was a nice stretch of beach, there seemed to be a lot of French visitors. Excluding Catalan / Spanish (I had read that for 39% of Catalans, Catalan is there native language, and 97% understand Catalan), French seemed to be the main second language spoken amongst the people that I encountered. Catalan independence flags and symbols where a common feature of the ride, at one point when entering a town I went under a street banner with the text “Welcome to the Catalan Republic”. The Spanish flag was notable in it’s absence – in contrast to France with the frequent presence of the wind-swept Tricolore.

In the fields that I passed alongside were orchards, grain crops and sunflowers, with engine driven pumps providing water. Not having been to mainland Spain for a long time, the scenery was very new and interesting and varied and the cloud cover meant it wasn’t overly hot.

I was using the brakes a lot in the Pyrenees, this must have put pressure on the handlebar grips which were very worn. I stopped at a bike shop in Palafrugell to purchase some new ones.

Upon arrival at the campsite on the coast at Tamariu, I discovered there was plenty of space and could choose an area for the tent. At the beach nearby was the clearest water so far.

Distance: 49 miles

Maximum temperature: 26 degrees C

Looking back towards Llançà

Cacti

Catalan Street Banner

Catalonia, Spain

There was an old building on the top of the hill

Catalonia, Spain

Tamariu

directions_bike by Chris Riches -

Tamariu to Cala Llevadó

Having spent 2 nights in Tamariu, it was time to cycle further down the Costa Brava towards Barcelona. Travelling south the landscape became more green, then I passed through the built up town of Palamós, with it’s long beach overlooked by high rise buildings. Later, the resort of Platja D’Aro was similar, with an array of bars and restaurants on the seafront and then several residential blocks behind the main promenade.

The second half of the route was mainly inland – I followed the cycling route and then joined a minor road which was adjacent to the motorway. There was a stretch of path with Eucalyptus trees either side of it and the orange coloured earth was similar to that found in Australia.

Looking at the vertical ascent beforehand, I knew there would be some substantial climbs. Turning back towards the coast meant going over some hills and some of the highest terrain that I had encountered so far outside of the Pyrenees / border regions. There were some good views from the highest section at around 800 feet of the hills to the north, and then a long descent back down towards Tossa de Mar.

After briefly stopping in Tossa de Mar, with it’s fortified medieval town, I arrived at the steeply sloping campsite at Cala Llevadó, which overlooked the Mediterranean and several beaches below.

Distance: 41 miles

Maximum temperature: 24 degrees C

Tamariu

Palamós

Eucalyptus near Llagostera

Cala Llorell

directions_bike by Chris Riches -

Cala Llevadó to Barcelona

Really enjoyed the tranquility of Cala Llevedó which was an extremely relaxing location. It was situated upon a hillside and some of the construction of the surrounding buildings perched on the cliffs appeared to defy gravity. Someone pointed out the bats in the evening flying amongst the trees, and the beaches at the bottom of the cliffs were unspoilt with clear water for snorkelling with many fish. The beach shelved quite steeply and there was a noticeable current but it was possible to swim easily, and the water was pleasantly warm.

On the journey to Barcelona I passed through several resorts including Lloret de Mar, Calella and Mataró. I only stopped briefly at a few and there was a train line running alongside the beach in the latter part of the route. Often a graffitied train passed by with a loud rumble.

It was hard to ignore the politics of the area when the yellow ribbon, a symbol used by Catalan independence supporters to demand freedom for Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sanchez, couldn’t be missed: it was often seen painted on the road, and was attached to fences and railings for miles, especially in Vilassar de Mar. Around Lloret de Mar, the Spanish flag was occasionally displayed in people’s windows / balconies.

After El Masnou, the scenery became much more built up and it became obvious I was entering the Barcelona area as some very tall buildings appeared on the horizon. The beach to the left continued to look pleasant and surprisingly empty from what I could see.

Around Montgat and Badalona some of the buildings started to look much older and more decorative. There was a good cycle path and large pedestrian areas that meant entering the city by bike was easier than I was expecting, and overall an easterly tailwind was welcomed.

Distance: 52 miles

Maximum temperature: 27 degrees

Cala Llorell

Barcelona