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Sant Feliu-Girona-Olot bike path Part1

August 28, 2009 by Admin  
Filed under Activities, Activity tours, Cultural tours, Tours

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The Sant Feliu to Girona and on to Olot bike path or “carril bici” or just “carrilet” is an old railway line which has been converted into a great bike path. More suitable for mountain bikes or hybrids than road bikes because it is made mostly of compacted gravel and sand.

From Girona it is 58km but starting in Sant Feliu on the Costa Brava adds another 36kms to the trip. One crucial point to remember is that going from the coast toGirona only involves climbing about 50m from sea level but from Amer for the next 20kms it is a solid climb to nearly 700m before the descent to the valley of Olot.

So it is recommended to actually start from Olot as this way there is only some 5-7 kms of hard climbing before enjoying a long, steady downhill. The best way to get toOlot from Girona is by bus from the bus station (in front of the train station) and they take up to 5 bikes in the hold for a cost of 7.25€ per person one way. Just as easy is to get a bus from Girona to Sant Feliu de Guixols or to catch one from there if you want to cycle to the coast and end up with a cool swim which is highly recommended in the hot summer months.

Bikes can be rented in Girona, ask at the tourist information offices or send me an email to arrange it: discovergirona@gmail.com

This guide will give you the main sights and places to visit along the way.


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Sant Feliu-Girona-Olot bike path Part2

August 28, 2009 by Admin  
Filed under Activities, Activity tours, Cultural tours, Tours

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As mentioned in part 1 it makes sense to start in Olot (445m) if you want to take advantage of the natural drop in altitude from a peak of nearly 700m to sea level.
Olot- the bus station is modern and in the centre of town. It's worth cycling through the Old Town with an impressive church and a few modernist buildings. Callis is a famous pastry shop and cafe next to the church, a reward for those that have battled uphill and finish in Olot! The Volcano Museum is also worth visiting on your way out of town.
Once you find the bike path you are taken along a riverside park and past the athletics track and then you come to the Parc de la Pedra Tosca.. This exhibition won a European prize in 2006 for outdoor parks and is a creation highlighting the volcanic nature of the area with paths made from steel plates and is fun to wander around.
By this time you are cycling through the rich volcanic valley of the Vall d'en Bas with fields of corn, maize and wheat and cows and pigs being raised.
Once you reach the village of Bas all the way to the Coll d'en Bas is a steep 5 km climb to over 650m altitude partly on the old paved road. From here down to Sant Miquel de Pineda which is a beautiful small Romanesque church next to the path and then Sant Feliu de Pallerols which has a square and a famous statue of a boy "fishing for the moon" referring to people who spend their life dreaming.
The path goes through forests with views of the volcanic mountains all around and descends steadily through Les Planes d'Hostoles all the way to Amer, on the outskirts is a good place to fill up your water-bottle at the Fonter natural mineral water spring.

Posted via email from gironaJ

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