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CYCLING IN GIRONA · ROUTE GUIDE

COLL DE BRACONS

The forgotten classic west of Girona. Twelve kilometres of beech-forest tarmac that climbs out of the Garrotxa volcanic park, summits with a view down into the Vall d'en Bas, and rolls back through some of the quietest roads in Catalonia.

Coll de Bracons above the Garrotxa volcanic park — beech-forest hairpins on quiet tarmac

Surface

Road

Climb length

12 km

Avg gradient

5.5%

Max gradient

10%

Loop distance

120 km

Loop elevation

2,100 m

WHY THIS CLIMB

THE PRO ROAD MOST AMATEURS NEVER FIND.

Everyone knows Rocacorba. Everyone knows Els Àngels. Bracons is the climb the locals keep quiet about. It sits west of the famous Girona triangle, in the Garrotxa volcanic park, and the surface is some of the smoothest tarmac in the region. Wide, well-graded, lined with beech and oak — the kind of climb you remember less for the suffering and more for the trees.

WHAT TO EXPECT

THE RIDE, START TO FINISH.

  1. A long 50 km approach via Banyoles, Sant Miquel de Campmajor and Mieres — tempo-paced lanes through farmland and small villages.

  2. 12 km of climbing at 5.5% average through dense beech forest. The hairpins are evenly spaced and the gradient never spikes hard.

  3. A summit roll-down into the Vall d'en Bas — green pasture, scattered farmhouses, the volcanic cones of the park in the distance.

  4. A long roll back via Olot or Banyoles depending on the legs — both routes are quiet, both are scenic, neither is short.

  5. Total day around 120 km / 2,100 m. A real day in the saddle.

PRACTICAL

HOW TO RIDE IT WELL.

Where to start

Start from Girona or Banyoles. From Can Sagnari it's an 8 km warm-up to the Banyoles approach, then north-west through Mieres to pick up the climb.

Best time of day

Late morning. The forest keeps the road cool even in summer, and the descent into the Vall d'en Bas catches the afternoon light.

Coffee stop

Sant Miquel de Campmajor on the way out, or Olot on the way home. Both proper Catalan villages with cafés that have been pouring cortados for fifty years.

Watch out for

The tunnel above the summit. The original road threads a long, dimly-lit tunnel — most riders take the alternative line over the top, which is signposted and adds 2 km of climbing for daylight and clean air. Worth the detour.

Strava segments to look up: Coll de Bracons · Mieres to Coll de Bracons

RIDE IT WITH ROADMAN

COLL DE BRACONS IS ON THE
GIRONA ROAD CAMP.

Featured on the Roadman Girona Road Camp. Two pace groups, follow car the whole week, sixteen riders, Anthony in the group every day. €995.

See the Girona Road camp →

MORE GIRONA CLIMBS

THE REST OF THE PLAYBOOK.

Road · 10.6 km

ROCACORBA

Eleven kilometres of the climb every pro in Girona uses for testing. The town's signature test piece — quiet roads, even gradient, a closed café at the summit, and a view that earns the climb back twice.

Road · 9.7 km

ELS ÀNGELS

The local climb every Girona pro has done a thousand times. Ten kilometres of even tempo, a sanctuary at the top, and the cleanest view back over the city you can earn on a road bike.

Road · 11.8 km

MARE DE DÉU DEL MONT

Twelve kilometres of mountain. The big day-out climb of the Girona region — long, steep at the top, and the kind of summit you tell people about for the rest of the year.

THE FULL GUIDE

CYCLING IN GIRONA →

Routes, weather, where to ride, where to coffee, why the pros moved here. The full Girona handbook.