Arpán is the closest of the Vero shelters to Alquézar in distance but one of the farthest in feel, and the letter L is part of the archaeologists' labelling of several shelters in the same area. The shelter lies three kilometres from the village, on the dry slopes of the valley, and it forms part of the rock art of the Mediterranean arc that UNESCO listed in 1998. The numbers and letters give a hint of the work that archaeologists have done to record every panel.
Alquézar rewards a closer look than it usually gets from visitors who race through to the walkways. The collegiate church, built in the twelfth century and extended later, has a Romanesque cloister whose carved capitals show scenes from the Bible in a lively, rough style. The castle was part of a chain of Muslim strongholds guarding the approaches to the Pyrenees, and it fell to the Aragonese king in the eleventh century. From the church terrace the view up the canyon, with the village roofs below, is the one every postcard shows, and it is still worth the climb.
On the road, the stretch from Barbastro is a pleasant introduction to Aragonese riding. It begins in vineyards and fields, climbs gently, and then offers a series of curves as the valley narrows. Surface quality is good in most places, with a few rough patches. Traffic is moderate at weekends and light on weekdays. Take your time, since the scenery is the point, and avoid the middle of the day in July and August, when the heat can be harsh.
Fuel is only available in Barbastro, twenty kilometres away. Alquézar has coffee, snacks and several restaurants, and if you can stay for an evening the village is quiet and its lights over the canyon are lovely. Take water to the shelter, wear good shoes, and treat the paintings as you would a museum exhibit.