DISCOVER THE BEST OF TARRAGONA BY BIKE

Latest update 17/06/2024

We suggest three beautiful bike or tandem routes around Tarragona province, starting from Perafort, a beautiful rural town with just over 1,000 inhabitants, where you will find the Campmajó Bikes workshop. Do not hesitate to stop by to say hello!

Routes

There is nothing like riding a bike to discover a place. And Tarragona, being a less crowded province, is great for cycling. The region is known for its beautiful fields of almond and hazelnut trees. But it also has beautiful Roman remains, monasteries and wineries. With the following routes we suggest visiting some of the region’s main attractions by bike!

Type: MTB

Grade: medium

KMs: 36.46km

Ascent: 543m

Starting from Perafort, where you will find our workshop, we suggest an intermediate level circular route. Passing the Clot del Mèdol viewpoint, with fantastic views of the Roman quarry of Mèdol. And arriving at Cala des Becs, a beautiful cove with stones and pines. On the way back, we suggest you go through the Catllar, where you will cross a beautiful oak forest.

Type: gravel 

Grade: medium

KMs: 51.11km

Ascent: 464m

We propose a beautiful circular gravel route from our workshop passing through 14 beautiful stops including the modernist church of Vistabella, the Cistercian monastery of Santes Creus and the small and characteristic hermitage of Our Lady of Lloret.

In the description of the route you will find points of interest such as restaurants and Vila-rodona’s grocer, where you can also book guided tours of the winery.

Type: road

Grade: medium

KMs: 48.9km

Ascent: 507m

Road biking is always a good idea in Tarragona! On this route we offer you three fantastic points of interest: the Castle of Catllar, the Sanctuary of Montsrrat de Montferri, by JM Jujol, Gaudí’s collaborator. And the Nulles cooperative winery. The latter requires prior reservation to visit.

And if you want a stop to try the local cuisine, we suggest the Coll de Nulles restaurant.

What to visit

By bike or by car, if you stay in the area we highly recommend visiting the rich cultural heritage around the area. From spectacular Roman ruins to charming towns and unique monasteries.

Known as the Ferreres aqueduct, the Devil’s Bridge is one of the aqueducts that brought water to the city of Tarraco (Roman name for the city of Tarragona). Built between 27 BC and 14 AD, it is part of the Roman architectural ensemble of Tarragona, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in the year 2000.

The Devil’s Bridge is very easily accessible from the highway, you can see it well from the viewpoint in the highway and from there you can walk down to see it up close.

With spectacular sea views, the Roman amphitheater and circus of Tarraco are the main attractions in the UNESCO Roman architectural complex in Tarragona.

Built to hold around 15,000 people, the amphitheater was mainly used for gladiator fights.

Located on a cliff more than 700 meters high, Siurana was chosen as the world’s most beautiful village to visit by National Geographic in March 2024. It is known for being the last Muslim fortress that fell during the Reconquest of Catalonia in the 12th century, and in fact still keeps the remains of its Muslim castle.

Don’t miss the Jump of the Moorish Queen (“el Salt de la Reina Mora”), from where it is said that the muslim queen jumped on her horse as she preferred it rather than submitting to the Christians.

The Nulles winery (“Vinícola de Nulles”) was built in 1900 after hundreds of years of family plantations. It is a modernist winery that offers guided tours of its vineyards with tastings of native white varieties of the area: Macabeu, Xarel·lo and Moscatell.

Tours must be booked in advance.

The Royal Monastery of Santa Maria de Poblet is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1150. It is the largest inhabited monastic complex in Europe. And in 1991 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For all its importance and beauty, it is a mandatory stop if you want to experience the culture of Tarragona.

The Monastery of Santes Creus is another jewel of Catalan medieval art. It is the only monastery on the Cister route that is not inhabited and has a beautiful Gothic cloister worth seeing.

You can get there without problems by car, but consider taking the gravel route we suggest and stopping there! There is nothing like discovering a place by bike!

Designed by Josep Maria Jujol, Gaudí’s collaborator. The sanctuary is a more austere and lighter extension of Gaudí’s own Catalan modernism.

The sanctuary began construction in 1925 but the project was abandoned due to the Spanish Civil War. It wasn’t until 1987 that restoration work began on what it is today.

Beaches

Beautiful, easily accessible beach with magnificent views of the Marquesa forest, full of pines, rocks and some caves. You can park nearby and you have restaurants, shops and a pharmacy at the foot of the beach.

La Mora is known for its calm water, there are few waves or current. The beach sand is soft and the water is shallow. We recommend visiting during May and June, when it is less busy and the water is also cleaner.

Roca Plana is a fantastic beach in the middle of the indigenous forest of Tarragona, a pine forest. Surrounded by nature, it is usually a very relaxing beach with crystal clear water.

Parking in Cala de Mora you can get there in 10-15′ on foot. Remember that it is a nudist beach and there are no facilities, so we recommend bringing water and food.

Leaving from the Cala de Mora car park, 15′ ahead of Roca Plana, you will find Cala Fonda. Another wonderful beach in the middle of the forest. Also known by locals as Waikiki Beach.

If you are looking for a beautiful beach closer to the city, we recommend Altafulla beach. We highly recommend visiting the old town of Altafulla and walking on the beach to Tamarit Castle.

La Llarga and Arrabassada are the two closest flat beaches to Tarragona. Both are long and with not too deep water. The photos and the link are of Llarga beach, but by searching “Platja Arrabassada” on Google Maps you will find it easily.

Both are very easily accessible, and you can find restaurants and supermarkets nearby.

Very close to the city center, but not so easy to access, Platja dels Capellans or Cala Romana is quite isolated in the middle of rocks and you need to walk about 8-10′ to get there.

We highly recommend it for being like an oasis close to Tarragona capital, from the Roman amphitheater it is 5′ by car. But the current is a bit strong if there is wind, so we recommend not swimming if the sea is rough. Capellans beach is partially nudist.

Hotels

Mas del Sord is an elegant hotel located in a typical Catalan villa. The building is documented since 1286, and it offers vineyards and swimming pool.

Currently the hotel focuses a lot on sustainability and is energy self-sufficient.

Mas la Boella is a charming hotel located in a farmhouse dating back to medieval times, first documented in 1150 by Robert the Norman. In the farm there is also a palantheolgoic site with remains of fauna such as mammoths and hippopotamuses.

Currently the hotel offers a beautiful swimming pool and a good restaurant. In the summer there are open-air concerts.

Restaurants

Typical Catalan restaurant in the center of Perafort. With a beautiful patio and a large, very old hall, Ca Vidal is a “must” if you come to visit us at the workshop.

We highly recommend you try their “calçots” if you come in late winter and early spring. Ideally call to book A “calçotada” before you visit when “calçots” are available.

The Vermouth Museum in Reus houses the largest collection of items related to vermouth in the world. It is an elegant bar with a modern Mediterranean restaurant, perfect for an aperitif.

The menu includes premium typical Spanish preserves or “conservas”, traditional tapas and a full menu with typical Mediterranean dishes. The cellar includes more than thirty different vermouths.

Located in a 13th century Gothic sanctuary, the Paretdelgada sanctuary restaurant offers a rural atmosphere with very typical Catalan cuisine.

Remember to book as it is a small restaurant and fills up very quickly.

Elegant restaurant in a beautiful house, serving modern Catalan cuisine. If the weather is good, we recommend booking on the terrace/garden.

Located at the fisherman’s harbor or “Moll de Pescadors” in Tarragona, el Pòsit is an elegant and delicious fish restaurant. Some name it as the best restaurant in Tarragona.

Don’t forget to book as it fills up quickly.

How to get to Campmajó Bikes

– By car: this is the most recommended option to visit our area from Barcelona or Girona. The best route is the AP-7, once you arrive in Vilafranca del Panadès we recommend taking the E-90 / AP-2 Lleida / Zaragoza exit towards the E-15 / AP-7 Tarragona / Valencia, since this route is much more scenic and quiet. From Girona airport it is 2 hours by car and from Barcelona airport it is 55 minutes to 1:15 hours.

– By train: from Barcelona you can come by train, we have the Camp de Tarragona AVE station 7′ ​​by car. But in this case you will have to take a taxi to our workshop or to the places you want to visit. If you choose this option, we advise you to book a private taxi in advance.

– By car: renting a car at the airport, it is 22′ to our workshop.

– By public transport: not very recommended as this area is not very well connected. But from Reus airport you can take two buses to the workshop and you will be there in 1:10h.