Barcelona
Sant Celoni to Barcelona
The Montseny traverse.
Take the train out, climb the Montseny to 1,650 m, then ride all the way home. The biggest day you can have from Barcelona without packing bags, one climb, one massif, one long run back to the city.
Tested from Barcelona, with route notes you can use before you ride. · Last ridden: 2026-07
Elevation profile
The climbs
Getting there
Rodalies R2 Nord from Passeig de Gràcia or El Clot to Sant Celoni (~1h). Bikes travel free outside rush hour. Ride finishes in the Eixample, no return train needed.
Water & cafés
Fill up in Sant Celoni before rolling. Fountains at Santa Fe del Montseny (km 36) and Collformic; cafés in Viladrau (km 52) and La Garriga (km 116). Nothing reliable on the upper mountain, carry two bottles in summer.
The ride, km by km
The big climb: Sant Celoni to the Turó de l'Home road
Straight out of Sant Celoni the road tilts up and barely relents: ~1,470 m of gain over 26 km through cork oaks, then beech forest, to the high road below Turó de l'Home, the roof of the ride at ~1,650 m. A short breather mid-way, then the last 6 km bite at 8%. Pace it; the day is long.
The balcony, Santa Fe, and the drop to Viladrau
The high road rolls along the massif with views over half of Catalonia, past the Santa Fe del Montseny reservoir and over one last shoulder, then drops on fast, well-surfaced hairpins to Viladrau. First proper coffee stop, take it.
Collformic
From Viladrau the road rolls through Seva to the foot of the day's second climb: Collformic (~1,145 m), 9 km at a steady 5%. Honest gradients, and the last real effort of the route.
The long descent through the Vallès
A gradual, glorious loss of altitude off the massif and down the Vallès floor: La Garriga, Granollers, Montmeló. Flat, fast roads once the mountains let go.
The run home
The Besòs corridor back into Barcelona. After a day in the mountains, the city arrives almost gently, finish in the Eixample, hand the bike back, sleep well.
Quick answers
How hard is the Sant Celoni to Barcelona ride? +
It's a full-day epic: 156 km with about 2,760 m of climbing, topping out near 1,650 m. A fit rider needs 7–9 hours of riding. Physically demanding (4/4) but technically simple (2/4), all asphalt, well-surfaced descents.
What bike do I need? +
A road setup. All the climbing and descending is on asphalt, we set the bike up with 32 mm slicks. €29.99/day, lock and spares included.
How do I get to the start in Sant Celoni? +
Rodalies R2 Nord from Passeig de Gràcia (~1 hour). Bikes travel free. The route ends back in central Barcelona, so there's no return logistics at all.
Rent the bike for this ride
More rides on the same bike: Collserola & la Conreria LoopBesòs & la Vallensana Loop