マレスメの峠・トップ8

Coll de Orrius is also known as Coll de Sant Bertomeu.

It is one of the many climbs that cross the coastal mountain range of the province of Barcelona, connecting in this case the towns of Argentona with Roca del Vallés. It is a port parallel to Coll de Papers, although this is much harder. The Argentona side is longer and with less slope than the Roca del Vallés. The Argentona side is 6.5 km with an average gradient of 4.5%. There is a rest with a descent in the middle area of the port, the second section being harder than the first. The Roca del Vallés side is barely 4 km with a very constant average gradient of 7%. The views of the valleys, the coast and Montseny from the top of the port are very cool and well worth it.

The Collet de Sant Benet represents the culmination of the track that crosses the Montnegre before going downhill towards Hortsavinyà and the Tordera range or towards Calella - Pineda. It is a silent and magical place with privileged views of Montseny

Ridge and highest point of the BP5002 road from El Masnou to Granollers, or Alella. It is a crossroad, with gravel you can follow the Camí de la Cornisa to enter and cross the Parque de la Serralada de Marina.

Collsacreu is a small port that allows you to travel from the interior to the coast. On this side, the real difficulty is in the last 2 km, where there is some 8% ramp. Road with a lot of traffic, but wide and with very good asphalt. It is worth being very attentive.

Good to ride a mountain bike.

In my experience, it gets harder if you start from La Roca del Vallés. It does not have particularly complicated slopes, but the ascent can become somewhat tedious. I advise going slowly and taking a steady pace to the top, where you can pull over to the side of the road and enjoy the beautiful views. The descent from the top of Coll to Òrrius (I recommend extending it to Mataró / Vilassar de Mar) translates into a few minutes of adrenaline and speed. Of course, be careful with some curves, which are somewhat closed and force you to slow down. If you finally continue descending, via Argentona, you will end up on the Costa del Maresme, very close to the train tracks and the CostaMar apartment complex. In short, a good challenge for cyclists of any level, with the reward of a dizzying descent and a varied and attractive landscape. Recommended.

Mandatory stop with good views, it also has a picnic area and trash cans. Silent zone signs, with a little luck you will hear the sound of silence. El Turó de Can Benet is situated between the towns Les Alzines de Can Portell and Turó de Canyadell. Don't miss the Fita that indicates the direction of the nearby towns, if you are not from the area take your time to find your way.