Spain : Catalonia

Catalonia Activities

Trip code: M07CL 4.5 (13 reviews)

Multi-activity holiday

7 nights,
single centre

Level: 1
Leisurely

Flights
available

11.0Kg CO2e

Headwater
Navigation App

SUMMARY

  • Golden, sandy beaches with crystal-clear waters and traditional fishing villages
  • Gentle walking and cycling on breathtaking coastal paths and through beautiful Spanish countryside
  • Medieval villages with fascinating castles, interesting churches and quaint cobbled streets

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

  • 7 nights accommodation
  • All breakfasts
  • Briefing at the start of your holiday
  • Headwater navigation app
  • Bike hire included

TRIP DESCRIPTION

Combine a stay at the beach with a choice of gentle walking and cycling routes for an active family holiday. You stay in the fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell, where the rocky coastline has a number of small coves, nearby, to explore. We provide a range of fully researched, self-guided walking and cycling routes, typically at Activity Level 1. A complimentary Headwater bike for your exclusive use throughout your stay is included to give you total flexibility.

From the nearby town of Palafrugell there is also an excellent bus service (payable locally) giving access to some of the pretty medieval villages that surround the Catalonia area as well as the cities of Girona and Figueres. A full range of water sports can be booked and paid for locally, from Calella de Palafrugell or one of the nearby resorts. The nearby Cap Roig Botanical Gardens are also worth a visit and concerts are held here annually, in July and August. Previous performers include Woody Allen and his New Orleans Jazz Band, Anastacia, and Jason Derulo.

Your base for the week is the Hotel Garbi, a family-run hotel located on the hillside overlooking Calella de Palafrugell with its own extensive gardens, shaded by pines. The freshwater pool is a great place to relax after a day exploring. There is a great selection of restaurants nearby for you to dine in.

Terrain

The walks are on a varied mix of path, track and country lane. Sometimes along cliff tops on paved walkways or coastal paths offering fabulous seascapes; other times in leafy woodlands or pine forest, there’s some lovely terrain to explore.

We have prepared detailed directions for all our suggested walks on our navigation app: each one begins with an overview and map of the walk, along with its elevation profile.

READ MORE

DAY-BY-DAY ITINERARY

 

Day 1: Arrive in Calella de Palafrugell

Arrive at your hotel in Catalonia where your room has a private balcony and sea view. There is a great choice of restaurants nearby for you to dine in. Below is our suggested itinerary, however, as you're based at the same hotel for the week, you're free to pick and choose your activities for each day.

Your accommodation for the whole holiday will be Hotel Garbi in Calella de Palafrugell.

You stay at Hotel Garbi.

hotel details



Hotel Garbi, Calella de Palafrugell

HOTEL WEBSITE      TRIP ADVISOR

Shops
Bank
Mastercard
AmEx
Pool
Hairdryer
WiFi
TV


The Hotel Garbi is located on the hillside overlooking the fishing village of Calella de Palafrugell with its own extensive gardens, shaded by pines.

The Hotel is family-run and has a warm welcoming atmosphere where its friendly staff will do their utmost to ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible.

The hotel also has a car park-for anyone who would like to drive to this hotel.

Room upgrades: Duplex Superior Room.
Duplex Superior rooms offer the same facilities as a standard room with the addition of a mezzanine level with sofa

Extra nights: Please contact us for details.

Day 2: Ermedas Walk (5km/3.1mi)

Stroll through the woods and countryside near your hotel, passing through the sleepy hamlet of Ermedas. A short walk to get started, leaving plenty of time to explore Calella de Palafrugell and its lovely sandy coves.

Day 3: Cycle to Palafrugell (11km/6.8mi)

There are morning street food markets every day as well as a full market, on Sundays, in Palafrugell. The town made its name as a centre for cork production, which brought wealth and prosperity to the area and the Museo del Suro (cork museum) is well worth a visit. In addition, there are plenty of lively bars and restaurants to stop for refreshments. From Palafrugell you can take the bus on to regional capital Girona where you can explore the city walls and the impressive cathedral.

Day 4: Botanical Gardens and Platja Castell Walk (11km/6.8mi or 10km/6.2mi)

Walk via delightful Platja El Golfet to visit Calella's Botanical Gardens at Cap Roig (optional). Head south to unspoilt Platja Castell with superb views from Puig del Terme. Return on a lovely inland route across farmland and through forest, or on the rugged coastal trail via Cala Estreta.

Day 5: Cycle to Pals (29km/18.0mi)

This leisurely circuit takes you to the lovely medieval town of Pals - make sure you go through the arch, from the Placa Major, signed 'el Pedro', to visit the Gothic Quarter and the famous Torre de les Hores - part of the 10th century Pals Castle. There are a few shops and lots of cafes, making it the perfect stop for lunch.

Day 6: Sant Sebastia and Tamariu Walk (4km/2.5mi or 16km/9.9mi)

There are several options for this walk - something for everyone. For an easy stroll along the Cami de Ronda, walk to Llafranc (4km return, level 1). Extend the walk up to the lighthouse and viewpoint of Sant Sebastia (level 1+). Extend it even more for a full day out with a visit to the little resort of Tamariu in a beautiful cove, returning along the coast with stunning scenery (low level 2). For lunch you're spoilt for choice, depending which walk you do. There are bars and restaurants in Calella, Llafranc and Tamariu, and two at Sant Sebastia. In Tamariu there is also a small shop. Alternatively, take a picnic to enjoy on the beach at Llafranc or Tamariu.

Day 7: Cycle to Palamos (27km/16.8mi)

An enjoyable circular route that takes you on part of the former 'Tren Petit' via verde. The route continues through woods and fields to Palamos, a lively commercial harbour town, with its old quarter and many shops on one side and new marinas filled with luxury yachts and a wealth of bars and restaurants on the other. An ideal place to stop for a leisurely lunch.

Day 8: Leave Calella de Palafrugell

Extending your holiday

If you'd like to extend your trip with extra hotel nights we recommend: Gallery Hotel, Barcelona; Hotel Ciutat de Girona, Girona.

hotel details



Gallery Hotel , Barcelona

HOTEL WEBSITE      TRIP ADVISOR

Mastercard
AmEx
Pool
Hairdryer
WiFi
Minibar
Aircon
Safe
Tea/coffee


Located in the centre of Barcelona, the Gallery Hotel has 25 years of experience to take care of you during your stay. The rooms are bright and have lots of home comforts included. The hotel also boasts a roof top pool and garden terrace.



Hotel Ciutat de Girona, Girona

HOTEL WEBSITE      TRIP ADVISOR

Shops
Market
Bank
Cash machine
Mastercard
AmEx
Hairdryer
WiFi
TV
Minibar
Aircon
Safe
Tea/coffee


The Hotel Ciutat de Girona is located in the historic centre and the beating heart of Girona and is just a 10 minute walk from the train station. The majestic Girona cathedral with the widest nave in the world is only 2 minutes walk from the hotel. The hotel has been decorated with iconic images of Girona's past, the historic pictures sit well with the modern decor of the hotel. The restaurant of the hotel if you decide to eat there prides itself on serving food using local products all of which come from a 62.1 mile radius.

Extra nights: Please contact us for details.

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These tour only prices are based on two people sharing. Single supplement from £173.

We can book your flights, protected by ATOL and ABTA. Please ask at time of enquiry.

TRAVEL DETAILS

If you choose a flight inclusive package with us, you will fly into Barcelona airport. We can provide transfers from the airport, please contact us for details and prices.

We hold an ATOL License and are fully ABTA bonded, so you can book your flights with us in confidence. We can book most airlines and will advise you of your most convenient airport and flight options.

Flight prices vary massively and change quickly. At Headwater we will sell you your flights at the same price you can buy them yourself. We simply add £35 per person to cover your flight protection, to learn more please click here.

OPTIONAL UPGRADES
  • Flights from London or any available regional airport*
  • Airport parking and airport hotels
  • Priority at Security and Fast Track
  • Airport lounge access
  • Priority boarding and extra leg-room seats
  • Business/club/first class fares
  • Electric bikes

Subject to availability and dependent on service provider, please ask at time of enquiry and book early to avoid disappointment. *Unfortunately, due to the airline themselves we are unable to book Ryanair.

REVIEWS

It was great! We really enjoyed the location and the cycling/walking routes. The app is very helpful.

Alastair Johnston, 25 May 2024

 

The holiday was very enjoyable. The transport arrangements worked well but were quite challenging with taxi, 2 trains and transfer, perhaps flying into Gerona would have been a better option but we would still have had to return via Barcelona. The outgoing flight from Manchester was a nightmare, having to queue for an hour to enter the check-in area at 3.00 am in the morning is totally unacceptable, but that's Manchester Airport.

The Garbi Hotel was generally very good, perhaps a little tired, but the staff were extremely helpful and friendly.

Mr Thorp, 25 Jun 2022

 

Visited in mid October resort very quiet hotel rather lacking atmosphere (it was due to close end of October) a very attractive region of Spain. Quite a steep climb up to hotel from village excellent helpful efficient local rep (Greg)

Mr Pritchard, 12 Oct 2019

 

This was a one week activity holiday and it was well planned and varied. Freedom to choose when to do each activity or to vary it was ideal. The hotel would have been fine for a couple of nights, but not quite comfortable enough for longer due to quality of meals and constant background music. The actual town was lovely and we were pleased to extend our stay beyond a week. Visitors do need to be aware that the hotel has great views because it is up a hill. Lots of steps! Greg and Seonna were excellent reps with great advice and support.

Mrs Hall, 23 Sep 2019

 

Another very enjoyable Headwater holiday. Different from our previous cycling holidays in that we were based in one place and had walking as well as cycling options. We enjoyed the flexibility of choosing our daily programme. Calella de Palafrugell was an excellent base with good restaurants.

Mr Isles, 23 Sep 2019

 

Fabulous family holiday, we were a mixed group of cycling abilities and found something for everyone combining walking, cycling and beach days. Hotel was quirky and comfortable and Saturday barbecue night is not to be missed! Headwater rep was really helpful and always available for advice.

Dr Harrison, 3 Aug 2019

 

This was a very relaxed and enjoyable holiday. The location of this simple hotel is just perfect. The setting and proximity to beaches and small interesting restaurants was wonderful. .Bike was super and well equipped. Hotel staff were kind and welcoming. I had a lovely holiday. Was on my own and felt safe and happy at all times.

Ms Tinson, 15 Jun 2019

 

Calella de Palefrugell is beautifully situated on a lovely stretch of rocky coat with small, sandy bays. The walking and cycling can be as strenuous or gentle as you wish with interesting viewpoints and places to stop. A must is the beautiful Cap Roig Botanic Gardens, which is a short walk or cycle ride from the hotel. The hotel itself is well situated in a quiet area a short walk from the busy and interesting seafront. Greg's recommendation of a visit to the local Tapas restaurant was much appreciated. Also, it was good to be able to fly to and from out local airport. Many thanks.

Mr Hayward, 1 Jun 2019

 

Lovely location and hotel. A beautiful area that I would visit again possibly with a car. Eating out is cheap and convenient. Walks and rides quite challenging due to the hills and flights of steps. The routes do overlap somewhat.

Ms Hurst, 20 Apr 2019

 

We had great service booking the holiday and that was more than matched by the service from Greg at Calella de Palafrugell. A good selection of walks and cycle routes were available and good local knowledge to tailor trips. We had a great time exploring an area we knew very little about.

Mr Phelps, 6 Oct 2018

 

The base location of the holiday in Calella de Palafrugell was excellent and the town itself had many restaurants and cafes. Hotel Garbi is a lovely hotel with very helpful staff and is located a few minutes walk from the town and beach. The walks are very straightforward with easy to follow route notes - the additional availability of GPS files compatible with a smartphone provided added reassurance to avoid taking wrong turns. None of the described walks are too strenuous, although care is required when following some of the coastal paths. From all of the walks available those along the coast were most interesting with tremendous views over the sea and rocky coastline. We found the reps very helpful during the holiday in advising us on the walks outlined in the route notes as well as suggesting additional routes that we might want to try out. Overall we were very happy with the holiday and would recommend it to other travellers.

Mr Cash, 22 Sep 2018

 

The holiday exceeded expectations. The walking and cycle instructions were generally spot on. The GPS for the bike was wonderful and easy to use and follow. The bikes were new or nearly new and in exceptional condition. The proposed day activities which we followed were excellent. The scenery was gorgeous. Four of the six days were quite exerting so a reasonable fitness was required. It was a level one holiday but that didn’t mean flat and level! The hotel Garbí was excellent although having such great views did mean it was a very steep walk to the hotel. The rep, Greg was extremely helpful too and we felt we could rely on him should an emergency or accident arise (it didn’t!) All in all well worth the money and as a result we’re looking at booking another holiday with Headwater. Well done.



Mr Slater, 9 Jun 2018

 

Lovely hotel in great location for cycling. Tracks were quiet and we rarely had to use roads. Hotel staff were very friendly and breakfasts were a good varied selection of stuff. Greg was very helpful, punctual and good humored. The bikes were set up well and the panniers complete with tools were brilliant. The saddles were suited to soft cyclists too rather than racing style saddles that cripple you after a few hours. We managed 2 days cycling 30km rides and were surprised to find we could still walk normally afterwards. The GPS ride app worked pretty well, but we noticed 3 or 4 directions were slightly out of date or took us down one way streets the wrong way. Overall we had a great cycling holiday and would recommend it for anyone who enjoys cycling along country lanes in the sunshine.

Mr Maddock, 24 Apr 2018

 


Multi-activity holiday

7 nights,
single centre

Level: 1
Leisurely

Flights
available

11.0Kg CO2e

Headwater
Navigation App

7 nights from £839

CHOOSE A DEPARTURE

Call: 01606 720199

 

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