Costa Brava Cycling Holidays!
05 March 2026
BackTRAVEL & CYCLING
Costa Brava Cycling Holiday: Why 2026 and 2027 Are the Years to Ride Spain’s Mediterranean Coast
With the 2026 Tour de France launching from Barcelona, Girona’s status as the world’s cycling capital cemented, and the best road cycling routes in Spain on the doorstep, the Costa Brava is poised for a golden era of cycling tourism. Here’s why Begur is the perfect base for your next bike holiday.
Something remarkable is happening along the rugged coastline of northeastern Spain. The Costa Brava, that dramatic sweep of cliffs, hidden coves and medieval fishing villages stretching from Barcelona to the French border, has quietly become one of the most sought-after cycling destinations in Europe. For anyone planning a cycling holiday in Spain, this stretch of Catalonia now rivals Mallorca and the Alps for quality of riding, and in 2026 and 2027 the spotlight is about to get considerably brighter.
On 4 July 2026, the Tour de France will launch its 113th edition with a historic Grand Départ from Barcelona, marking the first time cycling’s greatest race has ever started in the Catalan capital. The opening stage a 19.7-kilometre team time trial looping around Montjuïc hill, will be followed by two further stages on Catalan soil before the peloton crosses into the Pyrenees and on to France. For the Costa Brava region and the broader Girona cycling scene, this is more than a sporting event. It is a coronation.
Girona: The Cycling Capital of Europe
The story of cycling on the Costa Brava begins in Girona. The compact medieval city, just thirty kilometres inland from the coast, has been home to professional cyclists for decades. Around a hundred WorldTour professionals call Girona home for at least part of the year, drawn by the same things that now attract a growing wave of cycling tourists: over 300 days of rideable weather, an extraordinary variety of terrain, and cycling infrastructure that rivals anything in Europe. For road cyclists planning a Girona cycling holiday, it is the gold standard.
Roll out from Girona’s old town and within fifteen minutes you are climbing quiet roads through forests. Within thirty, you can be grinding up Els Àngels, the iconic local ascent that serves as every pro’s training benchmark. The Pyrenees rise to the north, the volcanic landscape of La Garrotxa stretches to the west, and the Mediterranean coastline with its switchback roads and turquoise bays lies just to the east. It is, quite simply, a road cycling paradise with a world-class tapas scene.
The cycling ecosystem that has grown around Girona is remarkable. Cyclist-friendly cafés like La Fàbrica serve as unofficial clubhouses where weekend warriors share espressos with Grand Tour veterans. Specialist bike shops, bike rental outfits, guided cycling tour companies and cyclist-friendly accommodation have all proliferated. The annual Sea Otter Europe cycling festival, held each September in Girona, now draws over 64,000 visitors, 6,000 participants and more than 400 exhibiting brands. Meanwhile, The Traka, one of Europe’s most prestigious gravel cycling events transforms Girona into the global capital of off-road riding every April.
The Best Cycling Routes on the Costa Brava
If Girona is the hub, the Costa Brava coastline is the jewel in the crown. The Begur–Tossa de Mar loop via the legendary “365 Curvas” is widely considered one of the best cycling routes in Spain and a bucket-list ride for any serious cyclist visiting Catalonia. From the medieval hilltop town of Begur, the road plunges towards the coast before twisting through an endless succession of switchbacks, passing hidden coves, pine forests and some of the most dramatic coastal scenery in the Mediterranean. It is scenic, challenging, and never dull.
Further inland, the Via Verde greenway trails offer gentler options ideal for family cycling holidays or e-bike riders, converting disused railway lines into car-free cycling paths that wind from Girona through cork oak forests to the beaches of Platja d’Aro. Self-guided bike tours take riders past the Greek and Roman ruins of Empúries, through the fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell, and along the rolling vineyards of the Empordà wine region. The Baix Empordà, sometimes called the Catalan Tuscany, provides kilometres of quiet, undulating roads through sunflower fields and stone hamlets, perfect for a leisurely cycling break in Spain.
For the more ambitious, the roads north towards the Cap de Creus peninsula and the monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes deliver punishing gradients rewarded by sweeping views over the Mediterranean. And for gravel cycling enthusiasts, the trails through the Les Gavarres massif offer a wilder, more rugged alternative to the polished tarmac, terrain that has helped establish the Costa Brava as one of Europe’s top gravel riding destinations.
2026–2027: A Pivotal Moment for Costa Brava Cycling Tourism
The convergence of events heading into 2026 and 2027 represents a tipping point for cycling tourism on the Costa Brava. The Tour de France Grand Départ in Barcelona in July 2026 will bring unprecedented global attention, with millions of television viewers watching the peloton race through Catalan landscapes. The Sea Otter Europe cycling festival continues to grow, with its September 2026 edition confirmed at the Girona-Fontajau Municipal Pavilion. Major international operators, from Backroads and Trek Travel to EF Adventures and Ciclismo Classico, are running Costa Brava cycling tours and Girona bike holidays throughout 2026 and well into 2027, with departures spanning April through October.
The gravel cycling revolution is adding a new dimension. Events like The Traka and the UCI Gravel World Series have positioned Girona as the undisputed centre of European gravel cycling, attracting a younger, more adventurous demographic alongside the traditional road cycling crowd. E-bike adoption is also accelerating across the region, with tour operators increasingly offering electric-assist options that open the Costa Brava’s more demanding climbs to a broader range of visitors, making a cycling holiday in Catalonia accessible to almost anyone.
Infrastructure investment continues apace. Cycling-friendly hotels, secure bike storage facilities, specialist mechanics and GPS route-planning technology are all expanding to meet rising demand. The region’s Mediterranean climate, mild winters, warm but manageable springs and autumns, and over 300 days of sunshine, means the cycling season effectively runs year-round, easing the pressure on the traditional summer peak and making it one of the best places to cycle in Europe in every month of the year.
Cycling Accommodation in Begur: Your Base on the Costa Brava
For cyclists planning a Costa Brava cycling holiday in 2026 or 2027, the question of where to stay is as important as which routes to ride. This is where Begur Rentals comes in. We offer a carefully curated selection of holiday rental properties and villa rentals in and around the town of Begur, one of the most beautiful and strategically located bases for exploring the Costa Brava by bike.
Perched on a hilltop with views stretching to the sea, Begur sits at the heart of the region’s finest cycling territory. The legendary 365 Curvas route begins right on your doorstep. The quiet inland roads of the Baix Empordà roll out in every direction. Girona is less than forty minutes away for those wanting to ride the same climbs as the professionals. And after a long day in the saddle, you return to a private holiday villa or apartment rental with the space, comfort and privacy that no hotel can match, somewhere to stretch out, prepare your own meals with local market produce, store your bikes securely, and recover properly for tomorrow’s ride.
Whether you are a seasoned road cyclist chasing the switchbacks of the Costa Brava, a gravel rider exploring forest trails near Begur, or a family combining gentle coastal cycle routes with beach days and cultural excursions, our properties provide the perfect home base for a cycling holiday in Spain. Many of our villas and apartments accommodate groups of friends or cycling clubs looking for a shared holiday rental that blends serious riding with the relaxed Mediterranean lifestyle the Costa Brava does so well.
The Future of Cycling on the Costa Brava
The Costa Brava has spent decades building the foundations of a world-class cycling destination, the roads, the climate, the culture, the infrastructure. Now, with the Tour de France on its way to Barcelona and global attention at an all-time high, the region stands on the brink of something special. And with the 2031 Ryder Cup also coming to Camiral near Girona, the broader Costa Brava is entering a new era as one of Europe’s premier sporting destinations. For cyclists looking for their next great European cycling holiday, this stretch of the Catalan coast is not just worth considering. It is unmissable.