Routes

The ten drives worth the kilometres.

Ranked from the closest to the furthest, every one drivable from a Barcelona hotel and back in a day, and each one loaded into the car's navigation on request. Distances are round trips from the city centre and approximate.

The church of Sitges on the seafront above the beach

Garraf · south of Barcelona

The Garraf coast road to Sitges

Eighty-six corners carved into a cliff, twenty minutes from the hotel.

Round trip: 110 km
Driving time: 2 h
Difficulty: Easy

The Montserrat monastery buildings beneath the grey rock towers

Bages · north-west of Barcelona

Montserrat and the road to the monastery

A serrated mountain, a monastery on a ledge and the hairpins that reach it.

Round trip: 150 km
Driving time: 2 h 30
Difficulty: Easy

Green meadow and forested hills in the Montseny massif

Montseny natural park · north-east of Barcelona

Montseny to the Turó de l'Home

Beech forest, a mountain road with no traffic lights and a summit at 1,708 metres.

Round trip: 170 km
Driving time: 3 h
Difficulty: Moderate

Aerial view of a Costa Brava cliff and cove

Costa Brava · north-east of Barcelona

Costa Brava: Tossa de Mar to Begur

The cliff road from Tossa to Sant Feliu, then the coves of Begur.

Round trip: 260 km
Driving time: 4 h
Difficulty: Moderate

Aerial view of the white village of Cadaqués around its bay

Alt Empordà · north-east of Barcelona

Cap de Creus and Cadaqués

The easternmost road in Spain, across bare rock to a lighthouse.

Round trip: 360 km
Driving time: 5 h
Difficulty: Moderate

Rocky limestone cliffs above wooded hills in the Priorat

Priorat · south-west of Barcelona

Priorat and Siurana

Slate vineyards, a village on a cliff and roads nobody else is on.

Round trip: 330 km
Driving time: 5 h
Difficulty: Moderate

The stone village of Rupit among green hills

Osona and Garrotxa · north of Barcelona

Collsacabra, Rupit and the Garrotxa volcanoes

Cliff-top plateaus, a stone village and forty dormant volcanoes.

Round trip: 250 km
Driving time: 4 h
Difficulty: Moderate

Aerial view of a winding mountain road in the Pyrenees

Ripollès and Cerdanya · Pyrenees

Collada de Toses and the Cerdanya

The N-260 over a 1,800-metre pass, declared one of Europe's best roads.

Round trip: 330 km
Driving time: 5 h
Difficulty: Demanding

Pyrenean peaks under a blue sky near La Molina

Berguedà · Pre-Pyrenees

Coll de Pal from Bagà

Nineteen kilometres, 1,288 metres of climbing, a dead end at 2,100 metres.

Round trip: 290 km
Driving time: 4 h 30
Difficulty: Demanding

Aerial view of green Pyrenean mountains in Andorra

Alt Urgell and Andorra · Pyrenees

Andorra and the Port d'Envalira

Two countries, one toll tunnel, and the highest paved pass in the Pyrenees.

Round trip: 480 km
Driving time: 7 h
Difficulty: Demanding