Ulldecona stands where the foothills of the Ports de Tortosa-Beseit slope toward the plain of the Ebro, in the south of Catalonia, and it is a town of about six thousand people with olive groves in every direction. The Serra de Godall rises behind, and under its cliffs, the shelters known as the Abrics de l'Ermita, near the hermitage of La Pietat, hold prehistoric paintings, with a small visitor centre that makes it one of the easier places to see this art. Esquarterades is another shelter in the same tradition, part of the Rock Art of the Mediterranean Basin listed by UNESCO in 1998.
Ulldecona has a long history, and its castle was held by the Order of the Hospital in the Middle Ages, a reminder that this was frontier country between Christian Catalonia and the Muslim south. The old streets, the church and the nearby hermitage are worth a stroll. The local olive oil is excellent, and the town celebrates it with festivals and tastings. In the surrounding hills, you will find dry-stone huts, ancient terraces and tracks used by shepherds for centuries.
Fuel, supermarkets and restaurants are all available in town, and the coast at Sant Carles de la Ràpita, with its seafood and its access to the Ebro Delta, is about half an hour away. The delta is a flat world of rice fields, lagoons and flamingos, and it makes a good contrast to the dry hills. Try the local arròs negre, rice with squid ink, or the grilled calçots in season.
The riding is varied. Roads wind through olive terraces and low hills, with views of the mountains of the Ports to the west, and the surfaces are generally good. Heat can be intense in July and August, and the wind, the mestral, blows hard from the northwest at times. March to June and September to November are best. Respect the shelter sites, which are fragile, and follow the guidance at the visitor centre.