The Pont del Diable, the Devil's Bridge, is not a bridge for people. It is a Roman aqueduct, a tall, two-tiered stone arcade that carried water to Tarraco, modern Tarragona, from the Francolí river, about fifteen kilometres away. It spans a small valley near the road to Constantí, two hundred metres long and about twenty-seven metres high at its tallest point, built of big dressed stones without mortar, and it has stood for roughly two thousand years. UNESCO included it in the Archaeological Ensemble of Tarraco in 2000.
The legend is charming. A woman was tired of carrying water to her village, so the story goes, and offered her soul to the Devil if he built a bridge in a single night. He nearly finished it, but a clever woman, or a cock crowing too early, depending on the version, cut the deal short, and the last stone was left missing. Hence the name. You can walk along a path beside the arches and, in certain places, along the top, with a good view over pine woods and orchards.
Tarragona is only a few kilometres away, a city of 140,000 with a magnificent amphitheatre above the sea, a Roman circus, the forum and a cathedral on the hilltop of the old town. Fuel and food are abundant, and the Mediterranean seafood is superb, particularly in the fishermen's quarter, the Serrallo. Constantí and Els Pallaresos are smaller towns nearby.
For riding, you are in a busy corridor. The AP-7 toll motorway and the N-240 roar close by, so this is not a quiet spot, but just inland the Priorat wine country and the Prades mountains offer rewarding roads with tight bends and fine views. Hot summers make early starts wise, and winter is mild. Spring brings wildflowers and soft light on the stone, while autumn is cooler and the harvest is under way in the vineyards.