The best traffic-free bike rides around Arenys De Mar

If you pass by the Can Valls path, it's worth stopping to look at these three strange structures. They are not modern kilns: they are traditionally dated to the 9th–10th centuries, and one of them is still practically whole. Here, pine and oak stumps and wood were slowly baked to obtain "pega", a kind of vegetable tar used to waterproof boats and containers, and also for lighting. What's curious is to think that more than a thousand years ago, people were already working this forest and exploiting its resources right at this spot. A small stop that, if you don't know what you're looking at, goes completely unnoticed.

This small hermitage, lost in the woods, was born out of a promise, not a whim. In 1885, the Prats family paid for its construction after their daughter Fermina recovered from an illness. The first mass was held that same year. And here comes the good part: it's next to the Font de la Salut, and this whole area has long been associated with stories of healing waters and the famous dones d’aigua, the mysterious water women from the legends of Sant Iscle. Small, hidden, and without great pretension. But if someone builds an entire hermitage because their daughter gets cured, it at least deserves you to stop your bike for five minutes.

Quiet little town nestled between Montnegre and the sea, but with a history much tougher than it appears. Its church was fortified in the 19th century and still retains loopholes for firing from the apse. Another curiosity: part of the 16th-century church was paid for thanks to fishermen whom the bishop allowed to fish on Sundays in exchange for contributing to the works. And in the past, some farmhouses left land uncultivated so they could detect the arrival of possible invaders in time. Today you come by bike, cross a quiet town and continue your route. A few centuries ago, they looked towards the roads here to see who the hell was coming.

Curious pass between Calella and Sant Cebrià de Vallalta. Today it is a large open expanse in the middle of the forest with views towards the Mediterranean, but it has a much less beautiful past: during the second half of the 20th century it ended up being converted into a landfill. In the year 2000 the environment was recovered and restored. Now it is hard to imagine: you arrive by bike, leave the forest and this huge clearing appears dominating the valley and the coast. From dump to viewpoint. There are places that improve a lot with the years.

One of those places where it's worth slowing down a bit and looking around. Towering trees, dense forest, and a light that, when it filters through the canopy, makes this stretch spectacular. In summer, the shade is also greatly appreciated. And you're in Vallgorguina, land of forests, dolmens, and old witch stories. Very close by, in Pedra Gentil, tradition says that covens and witch gatherings were held. I don't know if any remain, but if you pass through here with this light, you perfectly understand why so many legends were born in these woods. A beautiful stretch to enjoy by bike without rushing.

Sant Cebrià de Vallalta is a quiet municipality in Maresme, in the province of Barcelona, surrounded by forests with views of the Mediterranean Sea. Its natural environment and rural landscapes make it an ideal starting point for hiking and cycling routes.

It is a very pleasant stretch of road thanks to the shade of the vegetation and the low traffic. In winter it tends to be damp, so I recommend caution.

Good morning route. No difficulties