Sightseeing From The Saddle

A bike tour is a great way to see Barcelona, and has numerous advantages over traditional walking tours. The most obvious is that being on a bike enables you to see much more of the city, but those of you who like a little exercise will also appreciate the chance to burn off a couple more calories and keep the oxygen flowing to the brain as your invariably knowledgeable guide regales you with fascinating histories and amusing anecdotes. The chance to rattle around Barcelona on two wheels will also make you feel a little more independent (and dare we say it 'cool') than those who've hopped on the nearest tourist bus - and you can even maintain the moral high ground on environmental friendliness. There's no carbon emissions generated from pedal power!

The fact that Barcelona is (with the exception of the odd mountain) an incredibly flat city with 120km of bike paths (and more planned) should provide additional incentive to get in the saddle and discover the town's best attractions. Most of Barcelona's numerous bike tour companies offer both private bike tours and group excursions with a guide; and as well as catch-all routes that take in the likes of La Sagrada Familia, Barceloneta Beach and La Rambla in one circuit, you'll also find some exciting alternative two-wheel tours on offer, concentrating on different themes and districts. Find a list of providers below, many of whom also do bike rentals if you prefer free-wheeling it.

Above: Cycling along the bike lanes of Barceloneta beach

Barcelona Bike Tours

Here are just a few of the expert bike tour companies currently operating in Barcelona. We'll bring you more soon! Get in contact if you have a suggestion.

Steel Donkey Bike Tours
Looking for a two-wheel ride you will never forget? Steel Donkey tours (the donkey is the national animal of Catalonia in case you were wondering!) offer private/small group adventures around the city of Barcelona. Your friendly guide is a local travel writer with an eye for the fascinating details and stories that others might miss, and a nose for adventure! You won't get a history lesson on Gaudi, but you will see sides of the city that most tourists simply don't know about and spend a unique afternoon uncovering Barcelona's secrets. There is no fixed itinerary as such, but beach bars, chocolate and churros, patatas bravas, flea markets and squat houses are just a few delights you may well experience. A simply great tour for people who don't like to be tourists!
www.steeldonkeybiketours.com

Green Bikes Barcelona
The cheapest bike rentals in Barcelona also offer their clients an intriguing tour of the city. Their 3.5 hour tour takes in all the greats, including the Gothic Quarter and El Borne districts and sights such as the Palau de la Musica and Gaudi's Casa Battlo. Their tours are offered in more languages than spoken in the Tower of Babel so drop them a line if English is not your group's Lingua Franca.
www.greenbikesbarcelona.com

Barcelona City Tours
These expert tour bookers work with four different providers in the city, offering not only typical bike tours of all the major sights, but also night tours, tapas tours and private cycling excursions along exciting routes in the Catalan countryside. What could be better than peddling past Romanic churches and paddy fields on a beautiful summer's day?
www.barcelonacitytours.com

Barcelona By Bicycle
Established way back in 1995, Barcelona By Bicycle offers tours according to district and theme, all with a multi-lingual guide. They will happily take you out by night if you prefer.
www.bicicletabarcelona.com

Fat Tire Bike Tours
Established in 2001, Fat Tire (that's American for 'tyre' by the way), were the first company to bring their bikes to Barcelona... and damn cool bikes they are too. These Californian-style beach cruisers have three gears (all you'll need for this tour), a comfy saddle (important for your four hour trip) and, yes, fat tyres, so even the clumsy stay in control.
www.fattirebiketoursbarcelona.com