Motorcycle Barcelona: Mediterranean Coastal Tour
Costa Brava, a section of Mediterranean coastline marked by white-washed fishing villages and countless secluded coves, is painfully underrated and barely cracks any Top 10 Holiday Destination lists. It’s located just 45 minutes north of Barcelona and can easily be incorporated into a broader Spain motorcycle holiday.
Ride Specs
Duration: 5 hr 10 min (not including stops)
Distance: 240 km (150 mi)
Difficulty: easy to intermediate
Best season: Apr-Jun, Sept-Oct
Practical Note: Are you on a motorcycle holiday or a more general Spain holiday? If you’re throwing in a day of riding as part of a larger Spain trip, you can rent a motorcycle from one of the rental companies in Girona. Girona is a quick 35 minute high-speed train ride from Barcelona or you can fly into the local airport. Barcelona-based rental companies have better bike selection if that’s more convenient for you.
In this self-guided tour, we tap into our first-hand knowledge having ridden every country road in the region and visited each coastal town to curate a self-guided motorcycle tour that finds a balance between great roads and the towns that best represent the region. Route planners like Calimoto or Motorcycle Diaries are very light in their coverage of this area, partly because the Pyrenees, just an hour away, get so much attention from motorcycle riders.
Admittedly, the riding is better in the mountains and if you’re purely after the best motorcycle roads, best to look towards the Pyrenees. But if you want to add a day of beautiful beaches and quaint fishing towns, a Costa Brava day is a good shout. And we’ll tell you what you should see and which direction to ride it.
This is a full day itinerary with suggested stops and additional tips on places and things to see that you can include at your discretion, something you may want to see on another day. You can also reference our guides on coastal towns of Costa Brava or best beaches of Costa Brava for more information.
Morning Session: Girona - Tossa de Mar
First Sector
Sector Specs
Duration: 2h 10m
Distance: 110 km
Difficulty: intermediate
Our ride starts in the historic city of Girona, a city worth spending a half-day if ou’ve got it, partly made famous by Game of Thrones which was filmed on the steps of the Cathedral of Girona.
The standout road in the morning section is the GI-542 between the town of Anglès to Sant Hilari Sacalm. This 30 km stretch of roadway gets a 5-star rating for its riding experience. In the initial section, we get a taste of rural farm life for a couple minutes until the road is engulfed by the forest. Straight lines turn into tight twists in an enclosed forest environment with short sightlines. But the surface is in great condition and seeing another motorist over this 30 minute stretch is a rare sight, so you can have some real fun on this road. You’ll need to be quick on the brakes and crank the throttle on the way out, this road will challenge your skills.
Lunch Break: Tossa de Mar
Checkpoint 1
Distance from start: 88 km, 1h 20m
An easy contestant for the Mount Rushmore of coastal villages of Costa Brava, Tossa de Mar is the obvious pick for the first scheduled lunch break. It has all the trimmings of a typical Spanish beach village but with a flair for the 12th century with a walled portion complete with medieval turrets. The nice parts of the town can be covered in a 30 minute walk, which we suggest doing after lunch.
L'Espai: the local recommendation, great atmosphere and interesting tapas menu. Tapas dishes: €7-14 (2 dishes/person)
Portal Restaurant: non-traditional Mediterranean cuisine, main dish price range: €18-22
Bar La Lluna: an easygoing tapas place with cheap prices and solid dishes. Tapas dishes: €5-12 (2 dishes/person)
Afternoon Session: Tossa de Mar to Cadaqués
In the afternoon riding session, we’re featuring more of the coast. Included in this 3 hour stretch is arguably the best coastal road in all of Catalunya, a choice of two gorgeous medieval towns, and terminating in the white-washed fishing village of Cadaqués, the “pearl of Costa Brava” and a poor man’s Santorini.
Best Road in Costa Brava!
Just after lunch, as we leave Tossa’s city walls, we embark on the best coastal road in all of Catalunya, the GI-682. It’s a 5-star riding experience that’ll have you tossing the chassis one way then quickly flicking it in the other direction to negotiate the cut-back chicane in a pendulum-like manner. And with very little motor traffic, you can really let loose, it’s a certified ear-to-ear grinning ride.
Matching the riding experience is the cracking views of the Mediterranean, crystal blue waters at 100 meters above the sea, and rich playboy yachts parked up in the distance. Off this coastal road are secluded calas (cove/natural beaches) with access points every couple kilometers via stone stairwells carved into the steep rock face. These calas are devoid of tourists because you can’t access via public transportation and car parking is limited if at all available.
Sector Specs
Duration: 3h
Distance: 130 km
Difficulty: beginner to intermediate
Suggested Stops
Roman ruins at Empuries
Cala Futadora for a beach day
Medieval town of Pals or Peratallada
Two Medieval Towns of Costa Brava, the choice is yours
At the halfway point of the afternoon session, 1.5 hours after lunch, you have to make a choice which medieval town you’d like to stretch your legs and have refreshing tap beer, Peratallada or Pals. Both have the characteristics of a quaint Medieval town with the Travel + Leisure trimmings of colored flowers in window sills and well-maintained vines against stone edifices. The difference is that Pals is five times larger than Peratallada and will take five times longer to walk around. Peratallada is very very small, you can walk each of its 10 “streets” in about 10-15 minutes, and is an easier in-and-out situation logistically.
Recommended Stop for the History Nerds
Thirty minutes up the coast from the Medieval towns lies the foundations of an Ancient Greek colony built in ~500 B.C. It’s impressively well preserved and equally impressive in size with a footprint larger than the town limits of Peratallada. It’s a minimal detour and 100% worth it if you’re into history and the ancient worlds.
“The Pearl of Costa Brava”
Third Sector
By far, the best representation of a coastal town in Costa Brava, and possibly the entirety of Spain is Cadaqués. Famous for many things, but its defining architectural characteristics of white-washed buildings and being the home to famed Spanish painter, Salvador Dalí, take the top spots. The town gets a bit overwhelmed during the months of July and August where it loses a bit of its charm when ram packed with tourists that have popped over the French border just 30 km north.
The main activity while spending time in Cadaqués is, most certainly, exploring the labyrinth of tight alleyways, capturing travel mag photos for your Instagram update. The cute corridors, color contrasting flowers against the white wash make any iPhone toting photographer look like a pro.
To refuel after the long ride, fresh caught fish is the move. There aren’t a shortage of seafood options but here are some restaurant recommendations:
Restaurant La Sirena Cadaqués: White-washed interior, blue and white upholstery, and rustic mediterranean aesthetics, this seafood restaurant looks the part
Important Considerations when Touring Costa Brava
Seasonality: Some of the towns are flocked by tourists during high season, diminishing the charm. And the towns are mini-ghost towns in the winter months, many of the restaurants shut their doors for the season. Best time to go is April to mid-June, then again between September and October. Personal preference is early October, the temperature sits at around 25°C (77°F) and tourism has thinned considerably. For more information on the best time to take a motorcycle tour in spain, refernce our seasonality guide.
Don’t go to Lloret de Mar: It has the aesthetic of a cheap beach town and is the holiday destination for a younger crowd—think European version of Spring Break. For better suggestions on beaches that are worth going to, here are some of the best beaches and calas in Costa Brava.
Towns and Activities Honorable Mentions
The coastal town of Calella de Palafrugell is a local favorite, it’s a smaller version of Cadaqués and closer to Barcelona. Great for a day trip, grab a bottle of white at the convenience store (make sure it’s a twist off and don’t forget the plastic cups) and park up on the beach next to the wooden row boats. Dust off the sand and head to La Blava for a late lunch before riding back.
The Calas: if you’re going to add a beach day into your travels, go to a cala, the secluded coves that can be found cut into the coastal landscape. Reference our beach guide for where you can find them.
