Experience the Real Barcelona by Cycling Barcelona
If you are considering a winter cycling holiday in Barcelona, it should be your number one destination. The city is super friendly to cyclists. Barcelona’s packed with culture, places to see, things to do, and fantastic dining for when you’re not in the saddle. Even during the coldest months, the temperature in Barcelona rarely falls below an average of 13 degrees Celsius. Oh, and the cycle routes outside the city are among the best in Europe… if not the world.
Read on and you’ll learn a little more about Barcelona for cyclists, so that when you arrive for your cycling adventure you can hit the road peddling.
You Can Share a Bike, But…
Barcelona has a long history of bike sharing, and runs an incredible public bike sharing operation. Like other major cities, bikes can be rented from a parking station and then left at any of the 421 bike stations around the city. You’ll see these red and black machines everywhere, though to rent one you must be a registered user. This is where the problem arises, because to register for ‘Bicing’ in Barcelona you must be a Spanish resident, or have an NIE (like a Spanish National Insurance number). Oh, and you can only receive your Bicing registration at a Spanish address.
Fortunately, this doesn’t matter when you book your Barcelona bike tour with Bicilona – because we supply lightweight carbon fibre bikes to all our cycling tourists. That saves you a heap of cash when flying with a bike.
Barcelona – A Bike Friendly City
Barcelona benefits from more than 200km of cycle lanes, and they are continually improving the city’s cycling infrastructure.
Separated from other road traffic, you’ll be safe in these cycle lanes, many of which are in Barcelona’s oldest and inspiring districts. The roads that accommodate Barcelona’s cycle lanes are wide, ensuring you have plenty of space between road traffic and pedestrians. In the old town, cycle lanes are scarcer, as they have been difficult to develop though the narrower streets. However, traffic is much slower here, and so you’ll find that cycling these streets is less problematic than you might imagine.
Barcelona – A City for All Tastes
Barcelona is divided into a several districts and quarters. Each is different. Here’s a taste of what is in store for you.
The Old Town includes the Gothic Quarter – the historical centre of Barcelona. Here you’ll find the Cathedral and squares such as the Plaza del Rei and the Plaza Real. This is on the left-hand side of the Ramblas, and houses some incredible street cafés, bars, and restaurants along its narrow streets.
The Bohemian quarter of the city is called El Raval. This area is multicultural, and offers food from around the world. You’ll also find the Liceu here, and some wonderful art galleries. In the Borne, you can visit the church of Santa Maria del Mar, the Picasso Museum, and the Palau de la Musica. This quarter is tremendously modern with trendy bars and restaurants. If you want to experience the most elegant of Barcelona’s districts, head to Eixample, where you’ll find The Passeig de Gracia, lined with the world’s biggest designer names. On the border of Eixample is Barcelona’s most famous building – the Sagrada Familia, the famous temple designed by Antonu Gaudi (and still unfinished).
Further afield, heading to the outskirts of Barcelona, neighbourhoods include Gracia, El Poble-Sec, and Pedralbes. These areas lack the tourist nature of the inner city. Some would say that it is here where you experience the real Barcelona, real Catalonian cuisine, with some wonderful nooks and crannies to explore.
All Types of Cycling Catered For
For cycling enthusiasts and novices, bike tours in and around Barcelona cater for all. From the city streets to cycling by the blue waters of the Mediterranean, up into rocky outcrops of the hills and mountains inland, and then through green countryside, Barcelona really does have it all. If you’re not good at climbing hills, you don’t need to worry. While the mountain range of the
Serralada de Marina and Serra de Collserola are to the north and west, much of the terrain has slopes of less than 2% – ideal for beginners and families. If you want a workout, Barcelona to Tibidabo will provide you a testing ride rated at a skill level of 75.
Bike Tours – Barcelona That Has It All
Our 4-day, 5-night Barcelona Winter Bike Tour lets you experience all of the above, and more. Relax in a city centre hotel at night, and enjoy a range of cycle tours by day:
The first day’s ride breaks you in gently with a 65km flat tour into the Gallecs.
On day two, cycle to the summit of Tibidabo and wonder at the panoramic views of the city below. We take you on a medium-rated route.
On day three, we take a different route to Tibidabo before descending to the north and into countryside before making our way to the Mediterranean.
On the fourth day of cycling, we ride south through a variety of terrain as we head to the coastal town of Sitges to cruise the 15km stretch of Castelldefels beach (and paellas and tapas at our favourite beachside restaurant).
Each day you’ll ride between 50km and 80km. Each night you can experience Barcelona. To find out more about cycling holidays, get in touch.
