A good self guided cycling route example should feel like an adventure, not an exercise in constantly checking whether you have missed a turn. The best routes leave room for the unexpected – a quiet café in a stone village, a long descent through cork oak woodland, or ten extra minutes spent looking across a valley – while making the essentials feel reassuringly simple.
Here is how we would shape a three-day gravel route from Girona. It is not designed as a race, nor as a box-ticking tour. It is a realistic example of how distance, climbing, surfaces, food stops and overnight logistics can work together for riders who want proper riding without returning home needing another holiday.
The route at a glance
This Girona-based loop is best suited to confident recreational gravel riders who are comfortable spending four to six hours in the saddle, excluding café stops and photographs. A gravel bike with 40-45mm tyres is ideal. Fast-rolling tyres are tempting on the tarmac sections, but the extra grip and comfort are worthwhile on loose forest tracks, especially after rain.
Across three days, the route covers approximately 215km with 3,300m of climbing. Those numbers do not tell the whole story. Girona’s climbing tends to arrive in short, honest ramps, while the unpaved sections range from smooth hardpack to rougher, stony tracks beneath pine and holm oak. The riding is varied enough to stay interesting, but it rewards patience rather than a fixed average speed.
Day 1: Girona to the Gavarres foothills
Distance: 68km Elevation: 950m Ride time: 4-5 hours Surface: Approximately 55% gravel and forest tracks, 45% quiet tarmac
Leave Girona early, when the old town is still quiet and the light is low on the cathedral steps. The first kilometres follow gentle lanes and cycle paths out towards the countryside, giving everyone time to settle into the day before the climbing begins.
The Gavarres massif rises gently rather than dramatically, but the tracks soon feel remote. You ride through Mediterranean woodland where the scent changes with the season: dry pine needles in summer, damp earth after an autumn shower, wild herbs crushed beneath tyres in spring. Several climbs are steep enough to make gearing matter. A compact chainset with a low climbing gear is a sensible choice, particularly if you prefer to spin rather than push a heavy gear on loose ground.
Plan a late-morning stop in one of the small villages on the edge of the hills. This is not a day to rush lunch. A tortilla, bread, local cheese and a coffee will serve you better than relying only on bars in your pockets, although carrying emergency food is still wise.
The afternoon descends through quieter lanes towards a small rural overnight stop. The final section should be deliberately shorter and easier. On a multi-day route, arriving with time to shower, eat well and walk around the village is part of good route design, not a luxury.
Day 2: Cork oak tracks and the coast
Distance: 82km Elevation: 1,250m Ride time: 5-6 hours Surface: Approximately 60% gravel, 40% quiet tarmac
Day two is the most demanding day, so it works best after a proper breakfast and an unhurried start. The route heads east across rolling woodland, linking farm tracks, old connecting roads and quieter gravel climbs. The terrain constantly changes character: one moment you are riding firm, pale tracks between olive groves; the next, you are picking a line through a shaded, rocky descent.
This is where a self-guided route needs more than a line on a screen. The navigation file should flag technical descents, water points and sensible alternatives if rain has made a particular track slow or slippery. A route designer who has ridden the terrain understands that a 12km gravel sector can take 35 minutes in dry conditions and considerably longer after a storm.
By early afternoon, the landscape begins to open towards the Costa Brava. Rather than aiming for the busiest coastal roads, the route should approach through quieter inland valleys before dropping towards the sea. The first glimpse of blue water after a day among the trees is one of those moments that stays with you.
An overnight near the coast gives the day a different rhythm. Swim if the weather permits, eat late as locals do, and let the legs recover. The point is not to squeeze every possible kilometre from the map. It is to connect a rewarding ride with a place worth arriving in.
Day 3: Coastal lanes back to Girona
Distance: 65km Elevation: 1,100m Ride time: 4-5 hours Surface: Approximately 45% gravel, 55% quiet tarmac
The final day begins with a coastal climb before turning inland. It is a useful reminder that Mediterranean riding is rarely flat, even when the sea is close by. Early legs may feel stiff, but the route gradually finds a rhythm through low hills, vineyards and small farming settlements.
Keep the day flexible. Strong riders may choose an extra gravel loop through the hills; riders who have had enough climbing can follow a quieter tarmac alternative back towards Girona. This is one of the great advantages of thoughtful self-guided travel: the structure is there, but the day still belongs to you.
The return into Girona feels especially satisfying because the route has earned it. You have not simply ridden out and back from one base. You have crossed changing landscapes, slept in different places and watched the terrain shift from city lanes to forest, coast and inland farmland.
Why this self guided cycling route example works
A successful multi-day route is less about finding the maximum number of unpaved kilometres and more about creating the right sequence. Day one builds confidence without overloading the legs. Day two delivers the route’s biggest sense of wilderness and its most demanding terrain. Day three provides a satisfying finish while leaving enough energy to enjoy the final evening.
The daily distances are also intentional. An 80km gravel day with more than 1,000m of climbing is not equivalent to an 80km road ride on open tarmac. Surface quality, heat, stops, luggage and navigation all change the pace. Riders often enjoy a route more when the plan allows for those realities rather than pretending every kilometre is equal.
Accommodation placement matters just as much. A beautiful hotel that requires a long, exposed detour off route can spoil an otherwise excellent day. Equally, an overnight stop with nowhere to eat or refill bottles creates unnecessary friction. Premium self-guided travel should retain a feeling of freedom while quietly removing these avoidable problems.
What to prepare before you ride
For this style of route, a reliable bike and sensible preparation go further than expensive kit. Fit tyres in good condition, check brake pads before travelling and make sure your lowest gear is low enough for sustained climbing on loose surfaces. Tubeless tyres are useful, but only if you know how to deal with a puncture and carry a plug kit, spare tube and inflation method.
Navigation deserves equal attention. Use a handlebar-mounted device with offline mapping and keep a fully charged phone as backup. Download the route before leaving your accommodation, rather than assuming mobile signal will reach every wooded valley. It is also worth carrying a compact battery pack for longer days.
Weather changes the character of Girona dramatically. Spring and autumn usually offer the most comfortable conditions, although rain can make some forest tracks greasy. Summer heat can be serious, particularly away from the coast, so start early and carry more water than you think you need. In cooler months, shaded descents can feel surprisingly cold after a warm climb. Pack a lightweight layer that is easy to reach.
Finally, be honest about your own riding preferences. If you enjoy technical descents, choose the more rugged route options. If your ideal day is flowing gravel, local food and time to take photographs, ask for less technical alternatives. The strongest itinerary is not the one that impresses another rider on paper. It is the one that gives you three memorable days at your own best pace.
At Cycling Nature Experience, this is the detail we look for when testing a self-guided route: not just whether it goes somewhere beautiful, but whether every day feels good to ride. That is the difference between following a track and properly travelling by bike.
When you plan your own route, leave a little space around the numbers. The best moment may be a climb you did not expect to enjoy, a village lunch that runs long, or the decision to stop early because the view is exactly where you want to be.