19/04/2014: The holiday is coming to an end and I think I may just get in another ride before we leave the Costa Brava at the end of the week. 802 km in three weeks is quite acceptable, seeing as we’ve also been walking the dog three times a day.
Today’s ride took me on three big hill-climbs; I’ve done them all before but not all in the same ride. The weather this morning started with a blue sky and a very light NE wind. By the end of the ride, the clouds had set in, the temperature dropped to around 17C and the wind blew up very strong.
The Costa Brava is the place to get in some great cycling. The coast road between Sant Feliu de Guixols and Tossa has breathtaking views; the hill to Sant Grau has gradients between 4% and 14%. I stayed on the roads and didn’t use the cycle tracks, which meanta hazardous ride between Llagostera and Cassa de la Selva: there is a lane for cyclists on each side of the road but the traffic is heavy, especially on an Easter weekend.
Between Cassa and La Bisbal it’s a lot quieter and you pass through pine and cork tree forests. The same for the stretch between La Bisbal and Calonge by the “Col de la Ganga” route.
The ride can be viewed on my Garmin account at: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/482810177
Photo: Santa Pellaia.
The hills included:
Sant Grau d’Ardenya at 477 m
(see http://www.poblesdecatalunya.cat/element.php?e=6262),
Santa Pellaia at 350 m
(see http://www.pueblos-espana.org/cataluna/gerona/santa+pellaia/), and
Le Col de La Ganga (between La Bisbal d’Empordà and Calonge) at 230 m.
Photo: Sant Sadurní de l’Heura.
The whole circuit included Sant Antoni de Calonge – Calonge – Platja d’Aró – S’Agaró – Sant Feliu de Guixols – coast road dir. Tossa de Mar – Sant Grau – Llagostera – Cassa de la Selva – Santa Pellaia – Sant Sadurní de l’Heura – Cruïlles – La Bisbal de l’Empordà – Calonge par “La Ganga” – Sant Antoni.
