El Masnou, Serralada Litoral, Serralada de Marina

Between Barcelona and Mataro stretches a mountain range bordered by the Parc de la Serralada Litoral to the east and the Parc de la Serralada de Marina to the west. This region has long held a magical attraction for us. At first we dared to drive to hidden places on adventurous routes. The journeys were not always crowned with success, sometimes we had to turn back because the roads were simply impassable.

These are simply dug into the weathered granite, the road surface is made of weathered rock, in many places the solid stone shows through to the surface. After a while, the precipitation causes the paths to be riddled with countless gullies.

The region is used by locals as a recreational area, on foot, by bike, by quad, by enduro, and today we saw the first Segways on the route.

There are access points at various points, which the bike navigation system describes as either moderate or very steep. The summit heights are between 400 and 500 m above sea level, and in many places you can enjoy an excellent view of the coast, the towns and the sea. We have now cycled through almost the entire mountain range. I would describe a moderate gradient of up to 10%, steep up to 25% and very steep above that or significantly more. In some places it is difficult to push the bike.

We have tested all categories from moderate to very steep and the area still draws us back again and again. Along the way we meet riders with and without support, hats off to those who make it through here using only their own strength.

This is how we spent most of the remaining days. At the end we stopped off at El Tastet or had an early dinner at la Noria in the afternoon, a beer at Champanillo Premià. I could go on and on with the list.

Our trip this year is now slowly coming to an end. Time for a little summary.

We were able to gain important experiences, such as:

While it was an unwritten rule for us that the Roman Catholics docked in the Mediterranean, we now know that things can be done differently. The Gustav is much quieter in the harbor, we can easily get our bikes onto land over the bow and we didn't really need the bridge over the Moina.

Until now, our idea of boating in the Mediterranean was shaped by anchoring in the bay, nice weather and swimming. Today, this idea is overshadowed by the idea that we would rather stay in the harbor and get to know the country and its people by bike.

We don't yet have a final idea of how the trip will continue next year. You will find out in due course. As long as we stay healthy, we are looking forward to our next adventures. Until next year, we will spend a day or two in el Masnou, see you soon.