At the southern edge of Catalonia, the mountains known as the Ports de Tortosa-Beseit rise from the plain like a wall, and they are among the wildest in the region. Rocky ridges, deep gorges and thick pine forest cover them, and they are the home of the Spanish ibex, a wild goat with long curved horns, which was nearly wiped out in the twentieth century and has made a comeback here. A lucky rider may see one on a crag. The shelter at Abric d'Ermites IX is on the lower slopes of the nearby Serra de Godall, about four and a half kilometres from Ulldecona, and carries painting in the Levantine tradition, protected by UNESCO as part of the rock art of the Mediterranean basin in Spain. The ride links it with Valmayor V.
The painters would have known the same goats, or their ancestors, and the shelter may have been a hunter's lookout. From the rock, the view stretches across olive groves to the plain, and on a clear day to the glint of the sea. The air is scented with rosemary, thyme and pine, and cicadas fill the afternoon with sound.
The ride in is a good one. From Ulldecona, a narrow road climbs through olive terraces and pine woods in easy bends, with views opening at every turn. The surface is generally decent, though gravel and leaves gather at the edges, and traffic is light. A short walk from the road leads to the shelter, and the path is stony, so sturdy shoes are a good idea. The wind, the Mestral, can blow hard, and the heat in summer is substantial.
Ulldecona has over six thousand people and everything you need, including fuel. Santa Bárbara, with about three and a half thousand, and Masdenverge, with just over a thousand, are smaller but useful for a coffee. Alcanar, with more than ten thousand, is the big town nearby. Bring plenty of water, and wear a hat in the sun.