Another new Catalan gravel bike route, the Ruta del Ter starts just a kilometre from the French border at the crest of the Pyrenees, 2258m above sea level. From there it’s a 220km descent to the coast on small roads, gravel tracks and cycleways, following the valley of the river Ter.

From the hairpins of the high mountains to the lazy flatlands of the Catalan coast, the scenery is consistently top-notch. You only really leave the hills behind at Girona, 150km into the ride.

The route starts at the ski resort of Vallter 2000, which doesn’t have a bus service (well, not unless you ride it in the snowy months, which we wouldn’t recommend). You’ll need to catch a TEISA bus from Girona to Camprodon, and then get a taxi up the valley to the start of the route.

It’s well suited for a mountain bike or gravel bike, which will easily handle the rougher tracks – that beside the reservoirs between Manlleu and Girona is probably the hardest, but Ripoll to Montesquiu can be rough too. A rugged touring bike will get through but you’ll have to push at times. The rest of the route, however, isn’t too technical.

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