Bike route along the Camino de Santiago in the Jungle

GironaWhen I moved out of Girona at the age of 23, I looked for an easy and beautiful bike route back to my parents' house in Riudarenes. I discovered that the Camino de Santiago passed very close by, and I created what I now consider my circular bike route: a path with few cars that leaves Girona and passes through Fornells, Riudellots, Franciac, the Gulf of Caldes de Malavella, Sils, and Vallcanera, and crosses the plane tree grove my father used to find while clearing and pruning.

The route then winds toward Santa Coloma de Farners, where I recommend stopping for a coffee at the Hotel Balneario Termes Orion. Before heading toward Vilobí de Onyar, you can fill up on water at the fantastic Sant Salvador fountain, next to the Santa Coloma stream: a stone with three goats, from which water flows naturally. The return route is via Vilablareix. A total of almost 60 kilometers, this route offers a close-up view of the Gironès region and the La Selva region, following the paths of the ancient royal road, which is also the Camino de Santiago.

A route that also has a reward: the first 10 cyclists who demonstrate the Castelli Girona store that they have done it with GPS and upload a photo or story an Instagram in my family's grove mentioning @castellistore_girona will receive a gift!

1. We left Girona city, heading uphill towards the Palau neighborhood until we found the road that passes by the Girona Tennis Club and next to the Montessori school.
2. We cross over the C-65 towards Fornells de la Selva along the old Palau road. Be careful, as past the La Salle football field, we must take the downhill bike path to the left, off the asphalt and through the copses.
3. We continue straight until we cross the N-II and continue on asphalt through Fornells de la Selva along the marked bike lane.
4. Once we leave the town, we turn right and follow the gravel road next to the train tracks heading towards Barcelona.
5. We cross the railway and head towards the Regàs neighborhood to avoid the Riudellots de la Selva industrial estate.
6. We passed by the church of Riudellots and headed to Franciac, a town whose beautiful church I recommend not to miss.
7. We cross the N-II again, and before the Pitch & Putt Franciac (we will not cross it) we turn left to now cross the C-25.
8. Now we cross a golf course: Caldes de Malavella. Since it's a royal road, they don't have permission to cut it off, and it's possible to visit it by bike or on foot. An area with all kinds of luxuries.
9. We now continue along the royal road, which in this case is also the Camino de Santiago, to Vallcanera.
10. You pass through a very nice tunnel, designed to avoid the GI-555 road, and you soon reach Sils and Mallorquinas.
11. Heading toward Riudarenes, just past the train tracks again, after a small path on the left, the path my father made begins on the right, about a kilometer and a half long. It passes a plane tree grove that belonged to his great-grandfather. My father's name is José, and don't hesitate to say hello if you run into him cleaning or pruning the trees!
12. The path continues straight through the fields to Santa Coloma de Farners. It's a very pretty stretch.
13. I recommend taking a detour to Orion Hot Springs, where you can take a dip.
14. We continue following the Santa Coloma stream to the fountain of three goats of Sant Salvador, which bears the same name.
15. We cross Santa Coloma to continue the circular route. In this case, we'll pass through the large Santa Coloma Residencial residential development.
16. We cross the C-25 and soon we are in Vilobí de Onyar, where we take the bike path next to the football field and the Onyar until we turn right to go between fields to Salitja.
17. All that's left is to walk to Vilablareix and then take the bike path or secondary lane to Girona, the end of the route.

Anna Gibert Sau, @angigravel on Instagram, is co-founder of the Girona Gravel Girls Club, cycling guide and ambassador for Castelli Girona.