Barcelona
Besòs & la Vallensana Loop
Beaches, a river path, one honest climb.
The half-day that shows you three Barcelonas: the beaches to Port Fòrum, the car-free Besòs greenway to Montcada, one proper little climb over la Vallensana, and the coast road home through Badalona.
Tested from Barcelona, with route notes you can use before you ride. · Last ridden: 2026-07
Elevation profile
The climbs
Getting there
No trains, no logistics. The loop starts and ends in the Eixample: bike lanes lead out past the Torre Glòries, and you touch the sea at la Mar Bella in about twenty minutes.
Water & cafés
Fountains all along the seafront and the river path. The one that matters is the old fountain at km 17 in Montcada: fill both bottles, la Vallensana starts a few hundred metres later. Beach bars on the Badalona seafront for the ride home.
The ride, km by km
Out past Glòries to the sea
Protected bike lanes from the Eixample past the Torre Glòries and down through Poblenou. The city does its best to slow you down; the sea appears at la Mar Bella and everything opens up.
The seafront to the Besòs
Flat promenade riding past la Mar Bella and Llevant, around the Port Fòrum marina with the three chimneys of Sant Adrià ahead, to the mouth of the Besòs, where the reed beds start.
The Besòs greenway
Turn inland and follow the Parc Fluvial del Besòs river path upstream: Sant Adrià, Santa Coloma, then open riverbed all the way to Montcada. No cars, no junctions, just herons and joggers. Cross the big bike bridge under the cement works at km 16 and find the fountain at km 17.
La Vallensana
The one climb of the day: about 200 m of gain over 4 km, averaging 4-5% with a stiffer kilometre near 6% in the middle, on a quiet road over the Serralada de Marina. Top out around 240 m and take the view before the drop.
The drop to Badalona
A flowing descent through Canyet and the shaded lanes of upper Badalona, all the way down to the beachfront. Watch your speed through the residential streets near the bottom.
The coast home
Badalona seafront, back past the Besòs mouth and the Fòrum, and the long familiar run along the beaches to Poblenou. Dead flat; roll it home easy.
Quick answers
How hard is the Besòs & la Vallensana loop? +
It's the easiest full ride in our collection: 38 km with 385 m of climbing, and the only real effort is the 4 km climb at la Vallensana. Fit riders do it in 1.5 hours; as an easy afternoon with photo stops, count 2 to 3. Physical 2/4, technical 1/4.
Is the route traffic-free? +
Mostly. The seafront promenade and the whole Besòs greenway are completely car-free, and the city start and finish run on protected bike lanes. The only shared road is la Vallensana itself, a quiet climb popular with local cyclists.
What bike and tyres do I need? +
A road setup is perfect: we set the bike up with 32 mm slicks. The greenway surface is cracked concrete in places, and the wider tyre smooths it out. €29.99/day with lock and spares included.
Rent the bike for this ride
More rides on the same bike: Sant Celoni to BarcelonaCollserola & la Conreria Loop