The sea and the mountains are classic features of Catalonian gastronomy, especially in the Baix Empordà region of Girona. Here, stews combine food from the sea and the land. These flavours inspired this route – four days through Girona’s mountainous inland counties, such as Garrotxa and Ripollès, as well as Alt and Baix Empordà, in the heart of the Costa Brava.

The route starts in Girona towards the first peaks of the eastern Pyrenees, taking the Carrilet greenway to Olot. From here, you overcome the first major slope, the Serra de Malforat, which separates the regions of Garrotxa and Ripollès, to reach Camprodon.

From the top of the Coll d'Àres, the route briefly enters France and passes through several villages in Vallespir before re-entering Girona via Maçanet de Cabrenys in Alt Empordà. Next, you ride to Sant Llorenç de la Muga, where you take the camí de la Muga, following the river until it flows into Castelló d'Empúries. You cycle along quiet local paths and flat roads to Palafrugell, where you again follow the greenway, the camí del Tren Petit, to Platja d'Aro. Finally, you rejoin a section of the Carrilet which takes you to Girona, your final stop.

This is a Collection of contrasts: you start in Girona, just 76 metres (249 ft) above sea level, and end at an altitude of 1,513 metres (4,960 ft) at Coll d'Àres, before descending to the beach. Early autumn is the ideal season for this adventure, when the days are still relatively long and temperatures are still mild. You can still ride it in summer or spring though. It’s best to bring several layers of clothing that you can combine depending on the weather, even if you ride in summer.

The route is ideal for gravel biking as it runs mostly on greenways and roads with little traffic, but you could also do it on a mountain bike. There’s only one potentially difficult section from Oliveda to just before Sant Llorenç de la Muga; it’s a 6-kilometre (3.7 mi) downhill on a track with some steep spots – you have to pay attention. But, in general, this is a very easy route with moderate gradients.

You can reach Girona, the starting and finishing point of this Collection, easily by train, bus and, of course, road. Girona is well set up for cycle tourists; in recent years it’s become a popular destination for riders from all over the world.