The politician resorted to outwitting the police in the move after the officers tried to stop him from reaching a ballot box during the referendum they claimed was illegal.
Catalan TV reporter Miquel Sabe wrote on Twitter: “To vote, the president had to dodge the Spanish police and Civil Guard helicopters changing cars under a bridge.”
The Catalan president voted at a polling station in Cornella del Terri in the end.
The Catalan daily newspaper La Vanguardia said: “The police pressure on Carles Puigdemont was such that a helicopter was dispatched to follow him so the authorities could find out where he was going to vote.
“If they couldn’t stop the millions of Catalans being invited to vote, they at least wanted to avoid their top political representative doing so.
“Faced with this situation, Puigdemont and his security team employed a strategy which consisted of outwitting the agents.
“It seems like a Hollywood film. The idea came from his bodyguards. According to Miquel Sabe, the official car the Catalan president was in went into a tunnel and that’s where he got into another vehicle.
“After both cars continued their journey and the police helicopter took the bait.”
“Faced with this situation, Puigdemont and his security team employed a strategy which consisted of outwitting the agents.
“It seems like a Hollywood film. The idea came from his bodyguards. According to Miquel Sabe, the official car the Catalan president was in went into a tunnel and that’s where he got into another vehicle.
“After both cars continued their journey and the police helicopter took the bait.”
The Catalan president has now called for international help after the dispute with Spain.
Mr Puigdemont said: “The European Commission must encourage international mediation.”
The Catalan government has claimed that 90 per cent of those who took part voted for independence.
The Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy said Catalans should not have taken part in the illegal vote and called it a mockery for democracy.